Original Buffalo Rifles

[shrapnel]

The local museum in Bozeman has built a display around Walter Cooper and some of his contributions to the founding and building of Bozeman, Montana Territory. The museum graciously designed the display with some of the items I have collected over the years, significant to Bozeman and it's earlier years. In the lobby area, in front of the display is the cannon that has seen lots of action throughout the state of Montana, eventually being brought back to Bozeman by Cooper, from the field where it had been left abandoned near Fort Smith.

I have a few original Sharps rifles that were used in the 1870's to kill buffalo in Montana. They were all shipped to Walter Cooper in Bozeman, Montana Territory in the 1870s. They all have Montana Provenance and one even has double that. The top rifle was shipped to Walter Cooper through J.G. Dow, then ended up in Miles City and was converted to 40-90 Bottleneck and stamped by A. D. McAusland, another frontier gunsmith in Montana Territory.

The 2 lower guns were actually shipped from Sharps rifle Manufacturing in the same shipment in August 1877. Although they aren't consecutive serial numbers, they are logged into the ledger consecutively. Together again after 141 years...

[Will Ketchum]

Wow, so cool. Thank you for the thread.

[Dave T]

Kool!

Dave

[Abilene]

Awesome!  And very nice to share with the public!

[Sarge]

Shrapnel,
OUTSTANDING!
The top rifle (#3), what is the weight? Also, am I seeing a Hartford collar?

[shrapnel]

Shrapnel,
OUTSTANDING!
The top rifle (#3), what is the weight? Also, am I seeing a Hartford collar?

That rifle is 14 pounds, marked A D McAusland from Miles City, Montana Territory. It was rebarreled in 40-90 Bottleneck in McAusland's shop during the latter part of the Northern Herd hunts in the late 1870's and early 1880's and doesn't have a Hartford collar...

[Sarge]

Many thanks,a 40-90 SBN is on y wish list.

[Galloway]

I thought business rifles were 28'' round barrel 45-70s with single triggers?

[bear tooth billy]

Very cool, thanks for posting, what was the length of the 45 cartridges?




                                  BTB

[Tascosa Joe]

Will this display be permanent at the Bozeman Museum?

[shrapnel]

Will this display be permanent at the Bozeman Museum?

No, they are on loan for a few months. I plan on getting them shooting next fall. I have had trouble getting them to shoot with black powder, although I have taken a few deer, a cow and a buffalo with the first Cooper. I have a mould and a recipe for paper patch bullets that I hope to get working in the fall...

[kwilliams1876]

Well you just convinced me that I need to stop in and see the exhibit. It looks very well done.
best
kw
Musselshell M.T.

[Tascosa Joe]

We get to Bozeman from time to time to visit friends, maybe we can go that way this summer to see the exhibit.  You have a super collection, thank you for placing them where folks can see them.

[kwilliams1876]

Shrapnel:
Which Bozeman museum has this exhibit? I told a couple of my big sky buddies about it and they all ask the same question.
thanks
kw

[Coal Creek Griff]

Shrapnel:
Which Bozeman museum has this exhibit? I told a couple of my big sky buddies about it and they all ask the same question.
thanks
kw

A little internet snooping leads me to believe that it is the Gallatin History Museum, although we'll probably need Shrapnel to confirm:

http://www.gallatinhistorymuseum.org/

VERY cool rifles, as always, Shrapnel.  Thank you again for posting such great photos of guns in your amazing collection.

CC Griff

[shrapnel]

Shrapnel:
Which Bozeman museum has this exhibit? I told a couple of my big sky buddies about it and they all ask the same question.
thanks
kw

It is the Gallatin History Museum on Main Street in Bozeman. It is located in the old Gallatin County Jail building...