Montana Buffalo Sharps Rifles Of The Frontier

[shrapnel]

Over the years I have been fortunate enough to collect 3 original Sharps rifles that have Montana Territory providence. I got my first 15 -20 years ago just by chance, a Walter Cooper gun shipped to Montana in august of 1877.

Then I lucked out and got another Sharps marked "A.D. McAusland" from Miles City, Montana Territory. When I lettered it, it was shipped to J.G. Dow in Bozeman, a banker that bought sharps rifles for Walter Cooper after sharps rifle company quit shipping directly to Cooper.

Later I found another Walter Cooper marked gun and bought it. When I lettered it, it had been shipped in the same shipment to Cooper in August of 1877. Fascinating to think that these guns came to the buffalo fields in Montana, went their separate ways and then back together almost 150 years later.

I put a display together to take to the Cody Gun Show in July, and got the best Sharps display award. It would have been a more satisfying award had there been many more displays, but still nice to be recognized...

[Tascosa Joe]

Congratulations on the award, and thank you for your kindness letting me hang around and listen to you explain some of the details of the display to others.

[Black River Smith]

Can you tell us the caliber(s) of the rifles?  From the pictures the rifle configurations are not all the same.  I think I see that two have schnabel forearms and the other is pewter.  Two look like military buttplates but the other looks like a shotgun.  Can you provide more detail about the configuration?

Interesting to know what was favored by true users.

Thanks
BRS

[shrapnel]

Congratulations on the award, and thank you for your kindness letting me hang around and listen to you explain some of the details of the display to others.

Thanks for being there and showing such interest in these rifles. I have been fascinated by them since I was just a kid. I am living a dream by owning and shooting these historic guns.

[shrapnel]

Can you tell us the caliber(s) of the rifles?  From the pictures the rifle configurations are not all the same.  I think I see that two have schnabel forearms and the other is pewter.  Two look like military buttplates but the other looks like a shotgun.  Can you provide more detail about the configuration?

Interesting to know what was favored by true users.

Thanks
BRS

They are all 40-90 bottleneck, made for paper patch bullets. Evidently the Montana herds were hunted by quite a few hunters that preferred that particular chambering.

The McAusland Sharps has a frontier replacement butt stock and broken trigger bar, probably from some horse wreck. It has a shotgun butt with the original butt plate serial numbered to the gun, on the oak replacement stock made by some frontier gunsmith, possibly A.D. McAusland.

The Cooper with the pewter fore end has a shotgun butt, while the other has the standard military style butt plate. Both those guns came together when they were shipped to Montana in 1877 and both were rebarelled with Davenport barrels of the same length and dimensions.

The bores  on all 3 are in great condition and they are all shootable. I have shot a Buffalo, a couple deer and an angus cow with the first Cooper I got. The others are patiently waiting to draw blood...

[Coal Creek Griff]

I always love it when you post here, Shrapnel.  I always know that it will be something good. It brings me back to the chance that I had last year to visit some of your guns. Oh, and visit you too.

[shrapnel]

Cmon back...

[Blackpowder Burn]

Darn, I was in Cody the last week of July.  You must have been there earlier in the month.  I sure would have loved to see the guns and meet you.

As Griff said, I'm always interested to see your posts here.

[Abilene]

Excellent!

[Big Goose]

Gosh Shrapnel,
I surely do agree in looking forward to your posts. Great pics of great firearms- Congrats on the award- its well deserved! I don't post often, but haunt on a regular basis, love that you use these classic rifles as they were intended to be; carried afield , still drawing blood. Awesome stuff...
Thanks,
Big Goose

[Pitspitr]

Both those guns came together when they were shipped to Montana in 1877 and both were rebarelled with Davenport barrels of the same length and dimensions.

W.H. Davenport?