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Clip, I have a 1874 Sharps Business rifle that was given to me by a friend for restoring a closet full of rifles he had. It was broke, and I got it in a coffee can full of parts. Took about 8 years to restore it.
Thankfully he remembered the story that went with it when his dad gave it to him.
His dad was best buddy to a man named Bill Grinnell, a retired Canadian Mountie. During his colorful career, he was also Teddy Roosevelt's hunting guide. TR gave him the rifle from his own collection of firearms.
I ran into a guy at a Pomona gunshow that had written a book on TR's guns. After flipping through the pics of his guns, I asked if TR owned a Sharps, and he pulled out an old picture of TR and Bill standing over a dead lion, and Bill holding the 1874 Sharps Business Rifle.
I could see he was also wearing an old Colt revolver on his belt. When I got home, I went over to see Gary and tell him about it. He tells me he thinks he has that Colt in a trunk his dad had packed away.
We go digging and drag out a 1878 Colt double action that looked like it had been dipped in molasses. It was about 1/8th inch thick coating of varnish! Took it home, pulled the grips, and dropped it in a can of carb cleaner. When I got it all cleaned up, it was in like mint condition, chambered in .44 Russian. Serial number was 778, 1st year of production. Under that was another serial number... stamped alongside RCMP.
Never could talk him out of that one.
Thankfully he remembered the story that went with it when his dad gave it to him.
His dad was best buddy to a man named Bill Grinnell, a retired Canadian Mountie. During his colorful career, he was also Teddy Roosevelt's hunting guide. TR gave him the rifle from his own collection of firearms.
I ran into a guy at a Pomona gunshow that had written a book on TR's guns. After flipping through the pics of his guns, I asked if TR owned a Sharps, and he pulled out an old picture of TR and Bill standing over a dead lion, and Bill holding the 1874 Sharps Business Rifle.
I could see he was also wearing an old Colt revolver on his belt. When I got home, I went over to see Gary and tell him about it. He tells me he thinks he has that Colt in a trunk his dad had packed away.
We go digging and drag out a 1878 Colt double action that looked like it had been dipped in molasses. It was about 1/8th inch thick coating of varnish! Took it home, pulled the grips, and dropped it in a can of carb cleaner. When I got it all cleaned up, it was in like mint condition, chambered in .44 Russian. Serial number was 778, 1st year of production. Under that was another serial number... stamped alongside RCMP.
Never could talk him out of that one.
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