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1878 Sharps Officer's Rifle (Read 18059 times)

AkMike Ex Member	Re: 1878 Sharps Officer's Rifle Reply #15 - Feb 27^th, 2008 at 1:16pm	Print Post
	Gee, I missed it this year Harry! But Happy B Day!


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zrifleman Ex Member	Re: 1878 Sharps Officer's Rifle Reply #16 - Feb 29^th, 2008 at 1:16am	Print Post
	James---I just disassembled an action that meets all the criteria for being a Creedmore action. The panels were numbered to the action and were tan on the back same color as the front side. I have handled a couple of original target rifles and they were the same color. Personally I don't like hard rubber panels---fancy walnut compliments the case colors for me. The material on original panels I believe was called "gutta percha" and is some kind of celluloid.


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james-l Ex Member	Re: 1878 Sharps Officer's Rifle Reply #17 - Feb 29^th, 2008 at 10:37pm	Print Post
	Gutta percha is actually a form of rubber, it was used for pistol grips and buttplates. There is some information on it here (You need to *Login* or *Register* to view media files and links) Goggling it will turn up a lot more about it, I do know for a fact that heating it in hot water will change its color if black to an ugly gray-brown. Its final color was probably the result of a coloring agent like lamp-black or something else for another color. Jim


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thop Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 271 Joined: Jan 12^th, 2008	Re: 1878 Sharps Officer's Rifle Reply #18 - Mar 17^th, 2008 at 8:05pm	Print Post
	I have been routinely wandering around the INTERNET trying to collect as many Borchardt Military serial numbers as I can find to try and get a feel for the serial number range (the numbers are all over the place). I found this restocked military on GUNBROKER.COM with its original stocks included. At first I thought the "original" stock in the picture did not belong to a military model but now I am wondering if it is an "Officer's Model" since the 1878 Sharps catalogue described the Officer's Model" as having..."Medium fancy American walnut stock..." THOP

	thop
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J.D.Steele Ex Member	Re: 1878 Sharps Officer's Rifle Reply #19 - Mar 17^th, 2008 at 11:53pm	Print Post
	THop, I have personally owned and lettered 1878 military rifles from # 360 to the 16xxx range. AAMOF have owned only one miltary rifle with a higher #, 19xxx, but it didn't letter. This is a small sample but IMO it's enough to show that the factory made military muskets as early as serial # 360 right on up to the end of production. BTW I personally viewed & handled a factory-engraved 1878 sporter bearing a number in the 36X range, FWIW. The actual shape and size of the characters of the serial numbers was exactly the same on both rifles, it was obvious that the same machine stamped both rifles. The # 360 military rifle was shipped to a store in NYC as I remember, the letter didn't mention any military contract or address. BTW that PG buttstock doesn't look like it matches the military forearm, at least I've never seen one like it. HTH, regards, Joe


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thop Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 271 Joined: Jan 12^th, 2008	Re: 1878 Sharps Officer's Rifle Reply #20 - Mar 18^th, 2008 at 8:10pm	Print Post
	Hi Joe, I thought maybe I was seeing some serial number trends for awhile. Out of 21 serial numbers I saw, six of them were in the 8XXX range. As I continued to collect the numbers it became evident that they were spread across the whole range. I assume large contracts with state militias or overseas sales would provide a concentration of numbers in a certain range, maybe accounting for the high sample of 8XXX numbers. THOP

	thop
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rustyrelx Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 474 Location: Wallace Idaho Joined: Oct 9^th, 2007	Re: 1878 Sharps Officer's Rifle Reply #21 - Nov 17^th, 2008 at 9:28am	Print Post
	My Borchardt buttstock is a target grade and it is serial numbered. Serial number is on the front left side into the wood. I'm not sure if all the Borchardts are numbered in this fashion, but its worth looking. If nothing else just a validation. Don


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Nero Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 1007 Location: NZ Joined: Jun 1^st, 2006	Re: 1878 Sharps Officer's Rifle Reply #22 - Nov 20^th, 2008 at 12:54am	Print Post
	Hello J.D.Steele, my but this site has been a bit empty without your imput of recent weeks. Good to see you back. I thought you had got drummend out and not allowed to return. Regards.


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harry_eales Ex Member	Re: 1878 Sharps Officer's Rifle Reply #23 - Nov 20^th, 2008 at 7:07am	Print Post
	Nero wrote on Nov 20^th, 2008 at 12:54am: Hello J.D.Steele, my but this site has been a bit empty without your imput of recent weeks. Good to see you back. I thought you had got drummend out and not allowed to return. Regards. Hello Nero, Check out the date of J.D's post. It's March 2008. J.D's wisdom is missed. Harry


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thop Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 271 Joined: Jan 12^th, 2008	Re: 1878 Sharps Officer's Rifle Reply #24 - Nov 20^th, 2008 at 11:13am	Print Post
	Don said..."My Borchardt buttstock is a target grade and it is serial numbered. Serial number is on the front left side into the wood. I'm not sure if all the Borchardts are numbered in this fashion, but its worth looking. If nothing else just a validation. Don" I have considered removing the butt stock on my 78 military to see if it is marked with the serial number but since it one of the few military '78s that I have seen without the normal "Borchart cracks" in the wrist I am afraid to do it Terry

	thop
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Nero Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 1007 Location: NZ Joined: Jun 1^st, 2006	Re: 1878 Sharps Officer's Rifle Reply #25 - Nov 20^th, 2008 at 4:16pm	Print Post
	Thanks Harry, Regards.


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Ol_Deuce Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 343 Location: Billings,Montana Joined: Nov 19^th, 2008	Re: 1878 Sharps Officer's Rifle Reply #26 - Nov 20^th, 2008 at 4:33pm	Print Post
	MY good friend Robert owner of Shiloh Rifle Co. has been working on the production of the Borchardt. They are close in completing the fine detail work before the Co. will produce the first one. It will be nice, Randy

	Do The Best With What You Got !!!
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