A Real Buffalo Rifle Makes it Back to Montana

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Shrapnel
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A Real Buffalo Rifle Makes it Back to Montana

Post by Shrapnel »

I had talked to a friend in Alaska about a similar Sharps he had to a Walter Cooper Sharps I have, that was sent to Montana in the late 1870's and customized here. Jeff's rifle actually lettered to Bozeman, Montana Territory in 1878.

After some communication and a few months, Jeff sold me the gun. It is truly a rare and quite unique gun as it is a real buffalo rifle with double Montana provenance. It was shipped to J.G. Dow in Bozeman, then it eventually ended up in A. D. McAusland's shop in Miles City, Montana, and was rebarreled to 40-90 Bottleneck, a caliber that was preferred by the hunters during the last of the northern buffalo hunts.

There were only 517 Sharps rifles shipped to Montana, how many of those were for buffalo hunting, then how many of those have even survived? You can be sure, there were not many.

Here are some pictures...

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WCF3030
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Re: A Real Buffalo Rifle Makes it Back to Montana

Post by WCF3030 »

Very nice!! 8)
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Pitchy
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Re: A Real Buffalo Rifle Makes it Back to Montana

Post by Pitchy »

cool rifle. 8)
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Rimfire McNutjob
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Re: A Real Buffalo Rifle Makes it Back to Montana

Post by Rimfire McNutjob »

Quite the barrel profile. I noticed the double set trigger as well. Nice.
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JReed
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Re: A Real Buffalo Rifle Makes it Back to Montana

Post by JReed »

Oh My! :mrgreen:
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Dave
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Re: A Real Buffalo Rifle Makes it Back to Montana

Post by Dave »

That is quite a rifle
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C. Cash
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Re: A Real Buffalo Rifle Makes it Back to Montana

Post by C. Cash »

Congratulations....that is quite a rifle with a wonderful history. Thanks for sharing it.
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RIHMFIRE
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Re: A Real Buffalo Rifle Makes it Back to Montana

Post by RIHMFIRE »

outstanding shooter!
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.45colt
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Re: A Real Buffalo Rifle Makes it Back to Montana

Post by .45colt »

Shrapnel, I have watched Your posts in the last months in awe of Your great collection and always wonder if You knew or ever met Elmer Keith as You live out West?... You and Elmer in the same room would be something to experience.Thanks for the Great Post's and pictures.
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Griff
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Re: A Real Buffalo Rifle Makes it Back to Montana

Post by Griff »

Details! Details! What's her twist? PP chamber or grease groove? Groove diameter? Bore diameter?

Oh yeah... :oops: sweet looking shooter! :mrgreen:
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Shrapnel
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Re: A Real Buffalo Rifle Makes it Back to Montana

Post by Shrapnel »

.45colt wrote:Shrapnel, I have watched Your posts in the last months in awe of Your great collection and always wonder if You knew or ever met Elmer Keith as You live out West?... You and Elmer in the same room would be something to experience.Thanks for the Great Post's and pictures.
Never did meet Elmer. I never thought about it, but he didn't live too far from here. My father was a teenager when Charles Russell died, and I asked him why he had never tried to meet Charles Russell, probably the same reason...
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Shrapnel
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Re: A Real Buffalo Rifle Makes it Back to Montana

Post by Shrapnel »

Griff wrote:Details! Details! What's her twist? PP chamber or grease groove? Groove diameter? Bore diameter?

Oh yeah... :oops: sweet looking shooter! :mrgreen:
I just got this gun today, I will take it to Mike Venturino's before the end of the week and get it slugged. The Cooper Sharps I have is a paper patch barrel, this one looks like the rifling isn't as deep.
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Re: A Real Buffalo Rifle Makes it Back to Montana

Post by Griff »

Shrapnel wrote:
Griff wrote:Details! Details! What's her twist? PP chamber or grease groove? Groove diameter? Bore diameter?
Oh yeah... :oops: sweet looking shooter! :mrgreen:
I just got this gun today, I will take it to Mike Venturino's before the end of the week and get it slugged. The Cooper Sharps I have is a paper patch barrel, this one looks like the rifling isn't as deep.
I ask because my Shiloh is in .40-90SBN. I've never seen a grease groove original... Say hi to Mike for me. He needs to email me that list of .40 cal molds he was tellin' me he might let go... but now you're closer... let me know what you don't take!
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rjohns94
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Re: A Real Buffalo Rifle Makes it Back to Montana

Post by rjohns94 »

Wow, that is a beautiful rifle. That barrel has quite the profile. Looking forward to the details and range report
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Re: A Real Buffalo Rifle Makes it Back to Montana

Post by 1894c »

Pitchy wrote:cool rifle. 8)
add me to that comment... :)
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hightime
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Re: A Real Buffalo Rifle Makes it Back to Montana

Post by hightime »

That's a wonderful find. You're now the curator of a museum piece.

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3leggedturtle
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Re: A Real Buffalo Rifle Makes it Back to Montana

Post by 3leggedturtle »

Its too bad it couldnt talk and write a book !
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Warhawk
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Re: A Real Buffalo Rifle Makes it Back to Montana

Post by Warhawk »

Outstanding! If guns could talk.

It looks like the butt stock has been replaced.
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Re: A Real Buffalo Rifle Makes it Back to Montana

Post by KirkD »

Well, I am envious! That is a highly desirable piece of western history.
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mod71alaska
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Re: A Real Buffalo Rifle Makes it Back to Montana

Post by mod71alaska »

Beautiful rifle! Welcome back to Montana!
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Re: A Real Buffalo Rifle Makes it Back to Montana

Post by O.S.O.K. »

Wow. I bet we see that in a future Rifle article... I hope. :D

Thanks for sharing that Shrapnel!
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Ben_Rumson
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Re: A Real Buffalo Rifle Makes it Back to Montana

Post by Ben_Rumson »

Great score! How much does it weigh?
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Re: A Real Buffalo Rifle Makes it Back to Montana

Post by vancelw »

:mrgreen:

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Shrapnel
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Re: A Real Buffalo Rifle Makes it Back to Montana

Post by Shrapnel »

hightime wrote:That's a wonderful find. You're now the curator of a museum piece.

Owen
I have several museum pieces already, this will fit in nicely...

This is an original 1876 in 45-75 that was sold from W. F. Sheard's store in Livingston, Montana, in the late 1880's.

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This is an original 1892 sold from Montana Armory, Bozeman, Montana.

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This is an original 1886 sold by John Brownig from his store in Ogden, Utah Territory in 1887.

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And the older brother to the newly acquired Sharps, another 1874 buffalo rifle from Walter Cooper's shop, Bozeman, Montana Territory.

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Re: A Real Buffalo Rifle Makes it Back to Montana

Post by kimwcook »

That is something dreams are made of. It's fantastic that someone who appreciates it, won't just put it in a corner and never let it live again. Cool. You're a lucky man.
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hfcable
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Re: A Real Buffalo Rifle Makes it Back to Montana

Post by hfcable »

just awesome! love that rifle and love Montana too. going to bring some of my gear down to bozeman where i have a condo and hope to spend time someday.
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Nath
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Re: A Real Buffalo Rifle Makes it Back to Montana

Post by Nath »

Most excellent Shrappers :D

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hfcable
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Re: A Real Buffalo Rifle Makes it Back to Montana

Post by hfcable »

outstanding. i had a WF Sheard marked special order 1886 with 28" extra heavy barrel, mirror bore, etc. really nice ......let it go to a rancher i met at Helena gun show, who guided elk hunters and was just desperate to have it. i am glad he got it. but it sure would be nice to have it again, sigh.
you have wonderful stuff!
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Bill in Oregon
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Re: A Real Buffalo Rifle Makes it Back to Montana

Post by Bill in Oregon »

Shrapnel: That's too many way cool guns for just one feller to own!
:D
Can't wait to hear would find when you and Mike slug the bore and maybe do a Cerrosafe chamber cast. That .40-90 SBN has always intrigued me, but there was always a worry it would be a hard caliber to get to shoot well, what the case capacity, bullet diameter and bottleneck fowling issues. Is the bore in as good a shape as the exterior?
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Shrapnel
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Re: A Real Buffalo Rifle Makes it Back to Montana

Post by Shrapnel »

Bill in Oregon wrote:Shrapnel: That's too many way cool guns for just one feller to own!
:D
Can't wait to hear would find when you and Mike slug the bore and maybe do a Cerrosafe chamber cast. That .40-90 SBN has always intrigued me, but there was always a worry it would be a hard caliber to get to shoot well, what the case capacity, bullet diameter and bottleneck fowling issues. Is the bore in as good a shape as the exterior?
The bore is bright and the slug showed a diameter of .408 and the rifling in the slug was sharp. I shot it this afternoon, Mike Venturino took the pictures, I will be posting them...
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