The spring 2023 issue 121 of The Black Powder cartridge News has a very nice long range trapdoor rifle with the rare Sharps long range sights on it as the cover photograph . Serial number is 162012. I have not found this number on any list that I have seen.
The owner details that his father bought it just after WW2 and it had remained unfired until he decided to shoot it which is the basis of the article.
I did note in the photograph that the rifle does have the post 1883 trigger.
New long range rifle serial number
Moderator: 45govt
Re: New long range rifle serial number
That reminds me of a badly refinished Long Range Rifle seen at Baltimore in March 2023 with Sharps tang sight. Serial number was right, but I don't recall if it was previously known or not. I think the buyer intended to shoot it, but the rest of the story does not match with what I recall from Baltimore. Might be the same gun, or a different one. If it is a really nice unmolested one, it is different.
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Dick Hosmer
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Re: New long range rifle serial number
Well, that is the correct number range for the Sharps-sighted guns. Wonder what they are "interleaved" with as there are twice as many numbers available (162001 to 162048) as rifles reported made. Really wish I hadn't had to sell mine (162036, below) but it is in very good hands, and I have a buy-back agreement! I was going to shoot it, too, but, like so many things, never got around to it. That fact was one of the motivators for me to get off my butt and do 197404.
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Tom Trevor
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Re: New long range rifle serial number
John, If he said he was GOING to shoot it I doubt it was the same rifle although looking at pictures it is hard to tell real finish condition.
The magazine has his write up of his shooting with various bullets and loads plus some history of the long range program.
Just consider the lag in time it would take to propose an article write it up then supply high quality photographs and wait for a slot on a magazine that publishes quarterly. A guess would be well over a year?
Whatever it was I am glad to see the article.
The magazine has his write up of his shooting with various bullets and loads plus some history of the long range program.
Just consider the lag in time it would take to propose an article write it up then supply high quality photographs and wait for a slot on a magazine that publishes quarterly. A guess would be well over a year?
Whatever it was I am glad to see the article.
Re: New long range rifle serial number
Tom and Dick there is LRR 162038 with the sharp sights and kelton trigger for $12,500 but part of It has been chromed. Auction Guns international https://www.gunsinternational.com/guns- ... =102274090
To bad it got chromed. Is this one a new find? Best Frank D
To bad it got chromed. Is this one a new find? Best Frank D
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Dick Hosmer
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Re: New long range rifle serial number
Well, that must be the "Baltimore gun" that John saw - certainly it has been "badly refinished", and yes, that is an unknown number - though within the accepted range. It has the Hotchkiss butt, which cannot be faked, and I see no sight holes in the barrel. All that said - "Houston, we have a problem" . . .
Those are NOT(!) the Sharps sights seen on the other specimens - so - there IS a "story" there, but I do not know what it is. I do not even know if those ARE "Sharps sights". Someone with more experience in that area than I, will have to 'splain' that part to us. Also, note the crude (would never have been done by SA) notch hacked into the comb to allow the leaf (which is not even as long as the correct one!) to seat. Note picture of 162036, which shows the abnormally short comb on the genuine guns. This one (162038) has been fooled with, and I personally would not pay the price asked. I'll put it in the book - because it is/was a Long-Range, but with several asterisks.
AFAIK, that is the only dicked-over rifle in the sequence (which IS twice as large as the quantity of sights recorded as purchased from Sharps).
Thanks Frank, for presenting it.
Those are NOT(!) the Sharps sights seen on the other specimens - so - there IS a "story" there, but I do not know what it is. I do not even know if those ARE "Sharps sights". Someone with more experience in that area than I, will have to 'splain' that part to us. Also, note the crude (would never have been done by SA) notch hacked into the comb to allow the leaf (which is not even as long as the correct one!) to seat. Note picture of 162036, which shows the abnormally short comb on the genuine guns. This one (162038) has been fooled with, and I personally would not pay the price asked. I'll put it in the book - because it is/was a Long-Range, but with several asterisks.
AFAIK, that is the only dicked-over rifle in the sequence (which IS twice as large as the quantity of sights recorded as purchased from Sharps).
Thanks Frank, for presenting it.
Re: New long range rifle serial number
Seller's description for 162038 includes:
"This rifle still has the original metal pistol grip with the original owners information engraved on the bottom ...Please Note: This is a one owner firearm. There is also a letter of provenance included"
Someone should contact the seller and ask about those details.
That is NOT the atrociously refinished LRR I saw at Baltimore.
"This rifle still has the original metal pistol grip with the original owners information engraved on the bottom ...Please Note: This is a one owner firearm. There is also a letter of provenance included"
Someone should contact the seller and ask about those details.
That is NOT the atrociously refinished LRR I saw at Baltimore.
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Dick Hosmer
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Re: New long range rifle serial number
Aha - then there may now be ten! I have queried the seller - we shall see what, if anything comes of it. Sure wish you had the Baltimore number - do you know the seller and can you contact them?
Upon checking the pics further, I see that 162038 was previously mortised for a longer (probably the original) tang sight base. The front sight appears similar to that of a Marksman's rifle. The plot thickens . . . perhaps the rifle was, at one time, just like the others, and was modified to suit a previous owner's desires.
UPDATE: Received a 'phone call from the present owner. Best response I have EVER had. Rifle is in Oregon. Came out of Bannerman's many years ago, with features as shown, one owner since until brought into store. That pretty well confirms/explains things. Pistol grip is actually marked Bannerman! I definitely feel better about it now - just too bad it was molested - was almost certainly correct to begin with.
Upon checking the pics further, I see that 162038 was previously mortised for a longer (probably the original) tang sight base. The front sight appears similar to that of a Marksman's rifle. The plot thickens . . . perhaps the rifle was, at one time, just like the others, and was modified to suit a previous owner's desires.
UPDATE: Received a 'phone call from the present owner. Best response I have EVER had. Rifle is in Oregon. Came out of Bannerman's many years ago, with features as shown, one owner since until brought into store. That pretty well confirms/explains things. Pistol grip is actually marked Bannerman! I definitely feel better about it now - just too bad it was molested - was almost certainly correct to begin with.