Percusion Sharps?

[Boonie]

Hi I was wondering if anyone has any input about those Italian replica 1863 Sharps rifle? I've been facinated by them for some time and figure it might be worth saving up for.

By the way I went through the entire listing for the Survival section and found it pretty intresting. I dought there isn't a single survial gun forum that hasn't been touched by GK.

[RIKA]

I don't have any experience with the Italian BP Sharps but do have a 50cal Lyman Hawken that I enjoy shooting on occasion and hunt with during BP season. I expect that the Sharps would be a fun rifle if its accurate.

Flinter is a real BP shooter and expert. I'm sure that he will comment when he sees the post.

Now on a slightly different note Garand has a 45-70 cartridge Sharps that is sooo desirable but also sooo expensive. He is shooting smokeless Unique in his now.

Always happy to contribute and learn about outdoor skills.

RIKA

[Boonie]

I've been doing some googling on the subject and there seems to be mixed reveiws about some the Italian makes. The thing I like about the imports is I can get one as a dissasemblied kit, putting it closer to my humble budget and allowing me the chance to make some modifcations. My goal would be to make a Gemmer style Sharps, which had a Hawkens style fore end and an underslung wiping/cleang rod. Heres a link to a pic of an orginal 1863 so converted.

http://moreau.com/CCP51/media/images/product_xlarge/SH030.jpg

another pic of the opposite side

http://moreau.com/CCP51/media/images/product_xlarge/SH030_rev.jpg

Of course I have a longer list of projects than I do time or funds but I figure its doable if I have enough pateince and plenty of research. :)

[RIKA]

Really nice. I like the styling a lot. If you get one please give a review.

RIKA

[Boonie]

Well hope you're a patient person. It might be awhile before I can afford to get past the planning stage. It'll probably run me close 800 bucks to do a project like this and thats alot for me. But as a long term project its doable.

[Garand]

Thank you Rika for the kind words, allright just 1 peek at it! Rika, cross your fingers for me, I have 2 tickets for a draw on a .45-110 "Quigley" TODAY!!!!

[RIKA]

Fingers crossed and good thoughts sent, Garand. Hope you get it.

RIKA :)

[Flinter]

The Italian guns generally are pretty well made. Pedersoli being the creme of the crop.

Pietta being the lower end........IMHO.

I don't know exactly why they decided to specialize in BP and old west knock offs (probably has something to do with all the westerns Clint Eastwood made over there) but over the years they've learned to do it pretty well.

Spain is the country you want to run from like a madman when it comes to BP. In the late 70's/early 80's Spanish guns were actually blowing apart at the breech. On a positive note, you could get them for a song........

[Flinter]

Flinter is a real BP shooter and expert.
Flattery will get you EVERYWHERE with me.... :blush:

[Boonie]

I'll defend Spain as far as some guns went. The older CVAs like my Frontier rifle were pretty good guns. Traditions makes a fair rifle as well. Austin & Halleck's Mountain Rifle is also a Spanish product, however I have heard mixed reveiws about it.

I will grant you I've seen some real crap come out of Spain. Italian guns even the lowest end of the spectrum generally had better steel and generally made a bit heftier.

I found some Italian Sharps going for as little as $400 on the Gun Broker site, so maybe I'll be closer to my goal than I figured. I'm just leery of something priced that low.