The Sharps Rifles of Ft. Griffin Texas
West Texas was a great place to grow up. The old timers told stories about The Great Buffalo Hunt on the Texas Plains. A few of these old guys had Original Sharps Cartridge rifles. Charlie Hart had one (159001) that is listed later on this page. It was found wrapped in a buffalo hide, out on the plains near a place called Buffalo Gap. It probably fell off a wagon or was thrown away. Thick grease had protected the gun some, but the spur of the hammer had rusted off and the breech block was missing. It was a very rough rifle, but had the great virtue of being shipped to F. E. Conrad, in Ft. Griffin Texas.
Like all the old timers, Charlie proceeded to screw it up. There was no way he would leave it as it was. He repaired the stock, cleaned off the rust, installed a breech block from a carbine conversion and welded the hammer. Then he relined the barrel and made a "Shooter" out of it. (His rifling machine cut a Left Handed Twist. We are still laughing about his "Left Hand Sharps") Original Sharps Cartridge Rifles have Right hand twist and 6 groove rifling!
After the Buffalo were gone, these rifles became absolutely worthless. They were left to rust in barns, used as fence posts for chicken coops, sawed off, poorly restored, or thrown in scrap piles for World War Two Metal Drives.
A barreled action showed up in a barn sale just a few days ago. The buyer proceeded to scrub and clean it. The first step in a home restoration. I am sure it will show up as a complete rifle soon. I wish I could have bought it and saved it as it was. A cash offer got no response. ( They are going to FIX it, Make it Better!)
A sad fate for Americas First Big Bore Hunting Rifles.
I never cared for the Little Colt and Winchester "Pop" guns the Cowboys carried. The Cowboy Guns were little, weak, teenie, weanie guns for snakes, rabbits and threatening another person. Don't try to shoot a bear, elk or lion with a cowboy gun. You may not survive!
I liked the Big Bore Sharps rifles so much, I gathered up everything I could about them.
Frank Sellers book, "Sharps Firearms", from 1979, is still a book you should have. The research was actually done by Dewitt Bailey, Not Sellers!) This was originally intended to be up to a three volume set, but Sellers trimmed it down to one little book after Bailey moved to England. (Sad) They showed us Sharps Reloading Tools and Cartridges. There is also a section on the Buffalo hunt and Hunters. This is only a partial offering of the information available at the time, so we had to make do with what we had.
There is only one Ft. Griffin Sharps rifle illustrated in the Sellers book.
I decided to build this page to bring everything together in one place. This page is for MY reference, but it might help you too! I have lots of information, but it is scattered among books, magazines, letters and notes. I got tired of "Looking" for information. These serial numbers are from lots of different sources. I will note sources when possible.
Special Thanks to Ed Curtis. Many of these records came from files he has gathered for many years.
Sharps Rifles Shipped to T.E. Jackson, Ft. Griffin, Texas.
Dr. R.L. Moore ( One of the previous owners of the Sharps Records), published a List of the T. E. Jackson shipped Sharps in "The Sharps Report", Volume 16, No. 3. This is a great Article. You can buy a photo copy from the Sharps Collectors if you are a member. All the Magazines are sold. You can also find his article posted on the internet. It is great to have.
Here I will list the Serial Numbers in numerical order and post any information I have along with the number. Remember that there are blank numbers in the records, and Duplicate Numbers. ( Serial number 156155 was stamped on two different rifles, shipped at different times, to different dealers.) There are also dishonest people who build Fake Guns and produce Fake Letters. Do a little checking and be sure, before you spend a lot on an Old Sharps!
152570 Shipped to Ft. Griffin 7-26-1876. Listed as a 16 pound rifle with a 30 inch octagon barrel. The records say it had double set triggers and open sights. The calibre was 50, 2 1/2. This was a really low serial number, usually associated with Rifles made in the early 1870's. The records show it was first shipped to J. O. Pierson, Chicago, 2-5-1876, with the same specifications. This rifle may have been in stock for a few years. It was probably shipped out, then was swapped around before it came to rest at Ft. Griffin. This rifle was perfect for the Buffalo hunt. The heavy weight would absorb some of the recoil. In a light rifle, the 50, 2 1/2 would kick the snot out of you! This Rifle seems to have been shipped in the same order with Rifle number 156769.
152977 Shipped 3-27-77. It was shipped with a 30 inch octagon barrel. It had double set triggers and open sights. The calibre was 50, 2 1/2. It weighed 16 pounds. It was shipped with two other rifles. (156013, 153376) This rifle had been shipped to J.P. Lower in Denver, 11-9-1875 with all the same specifications. Somehow it made it's way to Jackson a couple years later and this was noted in the factory records.
This rifle was also in the Bobby McNellis list of Ft. Griffin Rifles. Everything was the same, except that he listed the serial number as C52977. C meaning 100. Many of the early Hartford guns used the C. Maybe Dr. Moore thought it was more clear to use numbers and no letters.
153376 This Rifle was shipped to Jackson 3-27-1877. It was shipped with a 30 inch octagon barrel. It had double set triggers and open sights. The calibre was 50, 2 1/2. The weight was 16 pounds. It was shipped with two other Rifles. (156013, 152977) This rifle was shipped to J.P. Lower in Denver, 11-9-1875 with all the same specifications. It made it's way to Jackson a couple years later and this was noted in the Sharps factory records.
153388 Shipped 8-1-1876. This rifle was listed in the factory records with a 26 inch octagon barrel in 50, 2 1/2 calibre. The weight was listed as 14 pounds. It was also listed as being shipped to Rudolph & Co., St Louis Mo, on 4-23-74 with all the same specifications. All this information was recorded in the factory records. Rudolph may have failed to sell the Rifle. Shipping to Ft. Griffin may have been done by Rudolph, or the Rifle may have been returned to Sharps for later sale. Sharps often assisted dealers by helping them sell rifles they did not need. This rifle was sold to Jackson with four other Rifle in the same shipment and on the same day. ( 156809, 155945, 156209, 156719)
153956 Shipped 7-15-1875. This was a 12 pound rifle in 44 Calibre. It is listed with a 30 inch barrel, open sights and single trigger. The records indicated it was ordered by White and Russell.
153981 Shipped 11-23-1876. It was shipped with a 30 inch octagon barrel. It also had double set triggers and open sights. The calibre was 44, 2 5/8. The weight was listed as 12 an 3/14 pounds. This Rifle was shipped 10-13- 1875 to C. F. Pope in Providence, R.I. with all the same specifications except that it originally had a globe sight on the front and a tang peep sight. These must have been removed before it was shipped to Ft. Griffin. This Rifle was shipped with four other Rifles. ( 158598, 156768, 155472, 156130.)
Barrel Shipped 11-6- 1875. Listed as a 30 inch, Half Octagon Barrel Only with no serial number mentioned in the records. The records do say it was a 50 Calibre barrel chambered for the 2 1/2 inch cartridge case.
155463 Shipped 3-17-1876. This was was listed in the factory records as a 34 inch, Octagon Barrel Rifle. It had double set triggers and open sights. The Calibre was 44 - 2 5/8 bottleneck and the Rifle weighed 14 pounds.
155472 Shipped 11-23-1876. This rifle was listed with a 30 inch full octagon barrel. It was shipped with double set triggers and open sights. The weight was 12 pounds and the calibre was 50, 2 1/2. It was shipped with four other rifles. ( 158598, 156768, 153981, 156130.)
155651 Shipped 11-24- 1875. This was listed in the Factory Records with a 30 inch octagon barrel. It had Open Sights and double set triggers. The Calibre was listed as 44 - 2 5/8 inch bottleneck.
155945 Shipped 8-1-1876. This Rifle was listed in the factory records with a 30 inch octagon barrel. It had double set triggers and open sights. No weight specified so it may have been a 12 pound rifle. Calibre was listed as 44, 2 5/8 bottleneck. It was shipped with ( 156809, 156209, 156719, 153388.)
155978 Shipped 7-1-1876. This Rifle was listed in the records as being shipped with a 30 inch octagon barrel. It is listed as having double set triggers and open sights. The records say it was chambered for the 44, 2 5/8 inch bottleneck case and weighed 14 pounds. This Rifle seems to have been shipped in the same order with 156958 and 156937.
Dr. Moore did a research letter on this 155978 Rifle. At that time it had been re-barreled to 45 calibre and chambered for the 2 7/8 inch long case. No other details were mentioned.
Bobby McNellis mentioned this Rifle in his list. 30 inch octagon barrel, double set triggers, 44 2 5/8. Shipped in 1876. He said it had been re-barreled by A.D. McAusland and weighed 15 pounds. He noted the new barrel as calibre as 45, 2 7/8.
This rifle is illustrated in " The Sharps Collector Report", Volume 16, number 3. It was in the collection of Pablo Balentine at that time. The pictures show a Rifle with a military style butt-plate and double set triggers. The sights have been changed to period Walter Cooper Sights. (Bozeman Montana). Cooper patented a front sight, November 14, 1882. This sight was not installed on this rifle. The front sight is a Walter Cooper ivory blade insert, in steel. The rear barrel sight, is a Walter Cooper design also. You can see an article about Cooper sights in "The Sharps Report, Volume 10, number 3 by Robert M. Holter. If you find a Rifle with these sights, Leave Them Alone! They are very scarce and are original to the period. The presence of these sights would indicate that this rifle was carried North, and may have been used in the later hunt for the Northern Herd.
This Volume 16, number 3 issue has a Great article about Ft. Griffin with lots of photos, maps, diary entries and History. You can order a photo copy from the Sharps Collector website.
155993 Shipped 2-15-1876 to James Ennis in Sherman Texas. Ennis did not like the Weight. It was not what he ordered. Some of the letters about this Rifle still exist. Sharps apparently shipped him a new rifle and this Rifle was then sent to T.E. Jackson in Ft. Griffin. It was listed in the factory records as a 30 inch, Half Octagon rifle. It had double set triggers and Open Sights. It is also listed as Calibre 44 with the 2 5/8 inch bottleneck case.
156013 This Rifle was shipped 3-27-1877. It left the factory with a 30 inch octagon barrel. It had double set triggers and open sights. The calibre was 50, 2 1/2. The weight was 14 pounds. It was shipped with two other Rifles. (152977, 153376)
156130 Shipped 11-23-1876. This rifle was shipped with a 30 inch octagon barrel. It had double set triggers and open sights. The calibre was 50, 2 1/2. The weight was 12 pounds, nine ounces. This Rifle was shipped with four other Rifles (158598, 156768, 153981, 155472.)
156209 Shipped to Ft. Griffin 8-1-1876. This rifle was shipped with a 30 inch octagon barrel. It had double set triggers and open sights. The calibre was listed as 44, with the 2 5/8 inch case. It was shipped with four other rifles, ( 155945, 156719, 156809, 153388)
156719 Shipped 8-1-1876. This rifle was shipped with a 30 inch octagon barrel in 44, 2 5/8 bottleneck. It weighed 13 pounds. Someone ordered a research letter from Dr. Moore. He noted that it had been re-barreled, re- stocked and re-finished completely. The new barrel had been chambered for the Non- Existent 50 caliber with 3 1/4 cartridge case. Some Wingnut was not able to Read Frank Sellers book. Why would you make a rifle chambered for a cartridge that was not available until 1885? He clearly stated there were no rifles chambered and sold for 3 1/4 length cases. This may have been a deliberate attempt to de-fraud collectors. Or, the person who did this was just plain old Stupid! This rifle was shipped with four other rifles, ( 156809, 155945, 156209, 153388)
156768 Shipped 11-23-1876. This Rifle was shipped with a 30 inch octagon barrel. It had double set triggers and open sights. The calibre was 44, 2 5/8 bottleneck. The records say it weighed 12 pounds, 11 ounces. This rifle was shipped with four other Rifles. (158598, 153981, 155472, 156130.)
156769 Shipped 7-26-1876. This rifle was listed in the records with a 30 inch octagon barrel. It also had double set triggers and open sights. The calibre was listed as 44, 2 5/8 bottleneck. It was a fairly light rifle at 12 pounds. It was probably shipped from the factory, in the same order with Rifle 152570.
156809 Shipped 8-1-1876. This Rifle left the factory as a 12 pound gun with a 30 inch octagon barrel. It had double set triggers and open sights. The calibre is listed in the factory records as a 44, 2 5/8 in bottleneck. I do not count this Rifle among the 50 caliber 16 pound rifles shipped to Jackson. In recent years it was re-barreled and re-stocked to make a fake 50 calibre Rifle. The original barrel may still be out there. I do see loose barrels from time to time. Someday it may show up and the rifle might be restored to it's original configuration. We can Hope! This rifle left the factory with four other rifles, probably in the same shipment or crate. ( 155945, 156209, 156719, 153388.) ( Dr Moore did send out a research letter on this Rifle.)
Ed Curtis must have owned this rifle at one time. He got a research letter from Dr. Moore in 1975. The letter stated:
This gun was shipped August 1, 1876 to T.E. Jackson & Company of Ft. Griffin, Texas. It is noted as a model 1874 sporting octagon rifle of 44 caliber- 2 5/8 bottleneck case. The barrel was 30" full octagon. It had double set triggers, open sights, weighing 12 lbs and the list price was forty two dollars. Again congratulations, on owning a buffalo Sharps.
156937 Shipped 7-1-1876. This Sharps was listed in the records with a 30 inch octagon barrel. It also had double set triggers and open sights. The weight was listed as 14 pounds. The calibre was listed as 50, with the 2 1/2 inch long case. It seems to have been shipped in the same order with 156958 and 155978. Dr Moore mentioned he had done a research letter on this rifle, so it may still exist.
This rifle is pictured in the "Sharps Report" volume 10, number 3, on page 9. It is described with the same specifications above. In the picture, you can see it is in pretty good condition, with no finish left. The picture is just of the action area, no full view. It looks like the forend has been replaced. The barrel has the " Hartford Ring" in front of the action. (The octagon barrel is turned round forming a stepped ring where it meets the action.)
This Rifle is also illustrated in " The Sharps Collector Report", Volume 16, number 3, on page 27. There is a full length view and two closeups. It is unusual to see a Hartford ring on the barrel where it meets the action, this late in the Sharps Production. A serial number this high usually has a " Bridgeport" style barrel. It may be a case of Sharps installing an earlier barrel on a later Rifle. The Rifle certainly has the later Bridgeport style hammer and butt-plate. It would be interesting to examine the Rifle in person.
156958 Shipped 7-1-1876. This rifle was shipped as a 30 inch octagon barrel rifle. It had double set triggers and open sights. The calibre was listed as 44, 2 5/8 bottleneck. The weight was listed as 14 pounds. This rifle seems to have been shipped along with Rifles 156937 and 155978.
157818 Shipped as a barrel only, 6-30-1876, along with rifles 157867 and 157868. The records say this was a 30 inch full octagon barrel which would have been assembled to make a rifle weighing 12 pounds. It is listed in the records as 44 caliber with no case length specified.
Note: A Rifle with this same serial number was shipped to John P. Lower, in Denver, 8-24-1878 as a Sporting Rifle with a half octagon barrel. This is probably a case of duplicate serial numbers.
157867 Shipped 6-30-1876. This Rifle was listed in the records with a 30 inch octagon barrel. It was shipped with double set triggers and open sights. This one was chambered in the "Big Fifty" 2 1/2 Sharps cartridge. The records indicate it weighed 16 pounds as shipped. Only four, 16 pound rifles are listed in these early shipments to Jackson. They are all chambered for the 50 2 1/2 inch cartridge. These must have been very large barrels.
Note: It is always important to mention that the 3 1/4 long cartridges were introduced several years after Sharps went out of business. If you have a Sharps with the long 3 1/4 inch chamber, this was done later and the chamber is not original. The Myth of the 3 1/4 Sharps has been busted many times, but it still lingers on!
157868 Shipped 6-30-1876. This Rifle was listed in the Factory Records with a 30 inch octagon barrel. It was shipped with double set triggers and open sights. This rifle was chambered for the 40 calibre, 2 5/8 bottleneck cartridge. The weight was listed as 14 pounds. This Rifle, serial number 157867 and an barrel only, serial number 157818 to make a 12 pound rifle seem to have been shipped in the same order to Jackson.
This next group of six Rifles have consecutive serial numbers. They were all shipped to T.E. Jackson, probably in the same crate. The shipping date was 8-22-1876 The consecutive numbers are interesting and unusual.
158445 This rifle had a 30 inch octagon barrel. It also had double set triggers and open sights. The calibre was 50, 2 1/2 and the Rifle weighed 15 pounds.
158446 This Rifle had a 30 inch octagon barrel. It also had double set triggers and open sights. The calibre was 44, 2 5/8 and the Rifle weighed 14 pounds.
158447 This Rifle had a 30 inch octagon barrel. It also had double set triggers and open sights. The calibre was 50, 2 1/2 and the Rifle weighed 14 pounds.
158448 This Rifle had a 30 inch octagon barrel. It also had double set triggers and open sights. The calibre was 50, 2 1/2 and the Rifle weighed 15 pounds.
158449 This Rifle had a 32 inch octagon barrel. It also had double set triggers and open sights. The calibre was 44, 2 5/8 and the Rifle weighed 14 pounds.
158450 This Rifle had a 30 inch octagon barrel. It also had double set triggers and open sights. The calibre was 50, 2 1/2 and the rifle weighed 14 pounds. Dr. Moore had sent out a research letter on this last rifle. He did not mention any other details.
158598 This Rifle was shipped 11-23-1876. It had a 30 inch barrel. It was shipped with double set triggers and open sights. The calibre was 44, 2 5/8 bottleneck. It weighed 12 pounds 3 ounces. There were four other rifles shipped the same day. ( 156768, 153981,155472,156130.)
158802 This rifle was shipped 1-12-1877, It had a 30 inch octagon barrel. It was fitted with double set triggers and open sights. The calibre was 45, 2 7/8 and it weighed 14 pounds. This rifle was shipped with 7 other rifles. (159765, 159805, 1589939, 158941, 158960, 159539, 159526.)
158939 This rifle was shipped 1-12-1877, It had a 30 inch octagon barrel. It was fitted with double set triggers and open sights. The calibre was 45, 2 7/8 and it weighed 14 pounds. This rifle was shipped with 7 other rifles. (159765, 159805, 158941, 158802, 158960, 159539, 159526.)
158941 This rifle was shipped 1-12-1877, It had a 30 inch octagon barrel. It was fitted with double set triggers and open sights. The calibre was 45, 2 7/8 and it weighed 13 pounds. This rifle was shipped with 7 other rifles. (159765, 159805, 1589939, 158802, 158960, 159539, 159526.) Dr. Moore sent out a research letter on this rifle, so it survived.
Bobby McNellis mentioned this rifle in his list. The specifications were the same except he noted it as 13 pounds, 12 ounces. He must have had it available to examine at some time.
This Rifle is also illustrated in "The Sharps Collector Report", Volume 16, number 3, on page 27. There is a full length view and two closeups. It looks like the stock has been repaired and the for-end replaced. It has the wide flat shotgun style butt and Bridgeport shaped hammer. You can see signs of hard use in the pictures, but it is mostly complete. This is an example of what you might see at a show. Do not expect to see bright shiny finish on these Rifles. Unlike many of the little Winchester Rifles, these were actually used out in the weather. They were often fired 60 or 70 shots a day, during the hunting season, with water ( Or Pee!) poured down the barrel to clean it and cool it.
158960 This rifle was shipped 1-12-1877, It had a 30 inch octagon barrel. It was fitted with double set triggers and open sights. The calibre was 45, 2 7/8 and it weighed 14 pounds. This rifle was shipped with 7 other rifles. (159765, 159805, 1589939, 158941, 158802, 159539, 159526)
159519 This Rifle was shipped 1-2-1877. It had a 30 inch octagon barrel. It was listed in the records with double set triggers and open sights. The calibre was listed as 40, 2 5/8. Total weight was 12 pounds. This Rifle was shipped with two other rifles. (159532, 159540) All three of these rifles were chambered for the 40 caliber bottleneck case that was 2 5/8 inches long. This is the first order for this cartridge shipped out to T.E. Jackson. These 40 caliber Rifles were ordered with lighter barrels of 12 or 13 pounds total weight. The Hunters may have wanted a lighter rifle that did not kick the snot out of them, like the 50, 2 1/2.
159526 This rifle was shipped 1-12-1877, It had a 30 inch octagon barrel. It was fitted with double set triggers and open sights. The calibre was 50, 2 1/2 and it weighed 14 pounds. This rifle was shipped with 7 other rifles. (159765, 159805, 1589939, 158941, 158802, 158960, 159539)
159532 This rifle was shipped 1-2-1877. It had a 30 inch octagon barrel. It had double set triggers and open sights. The calibre was 40, 2 5/8. The weight was 12 pounds. This rifle was shipped with two other rifles. (159519, 159540.) All three of these rifles were chambered for the 40 caliber bottleneck case that was 2 5/8 inches long. This is the first order for this cartridge shipped out to T.E. Jackson. These 40 caliber Rifles were ordered with lighter barrels of 12 or 13 pounds total weight..)
159539 This rifle was shipped 1-12-1877, It had a 30 inch octagon barrel. It was fitted with double set triggers and open sights. The calibre was 50, 2 1/2 and it weighed 13 pounds, 13 ounces. This rifle was shipped with 7 other rifles. (159765, 159805, 1589939, 158941, 158802, 158960, 159526.)
159540 This rifle was shipped 1-2-1877. It had a 30 inch octagon barrel. It had double set triggers and open sights. The calibre was 40, 2 5/8. The weight was 13 pounds. This rifle was shipped with two other rifles. (159532, 159519.) All three of these rifles were chambered for the 40 caliber bottleneck case that was 2 5/8 inches long. This is the first order for this cartridge shipped out to T.E. Jackson. These 40 caliber Rifles were ordered with lighter barrels of 12 or 13 pounds total weight.
159765 This rifle was shipped 1-12-1877. It was fitted with a 30 inch barrel. It also had double set triggers and open sights. It was chambered for the 40, 2 5/8 inch bottleneck cartridge. The weight was 12 pounds, 14 ounces. It was shipped with 7 other rifles, ( 159805, 158939, 158941, 158802, 158960, 159539, 159526.) Dr. Moore did a research letter for this rifle.
159805 This rifle was shipped 1-12-1877, It had a 30 inch octagon barrel. It was fitted with double set triggers and open sights. The calibre was 40, 2 5/8 and it weighed 13 pounds. This rifle was shipped with 7 other rifles. (159765, 158939, 158941, 158802, 158960, 159539, 159526.)
Most of these serial Numbers were published by Dr. Moore many years ago. He took the time to go through the records. That was probably a time consuming and difficult job. The hand written notes are often difficult to read. He found 41 Rifles and two Barrels shipped to Jackson. Dr. Moore had only sent out research letters for 7 Jackson shipped Rifles when he published the original list. I am sure more have shown up.
During this time the Hunters changed their idea of what they wanted in a Rifle. They switched from 44, 2 5/8 and 50, 2 1/2 cartridges, to the 40, 2 5/8 and 45, 2 7/8 cartridges, in most cases. The latter two cartridges were the Fashionable cartridges of the moment.
It is also interesting to note that all these Rifles were shipped with open sights. There were no telescopes or tang and globe sights. Those would have been added later. You could order sights any time, but these seem to have gone to Hunters that wanted Rifles for rugged use.
Sadly, T.E. Jackson ran into bad luck. His business partner and possible son in law took all his money and left. He never completely recovered from the loss. Conrad and Rath took over most of the sales of Sharps Rifles.
Most of these Jackson shipped rifles did not survive. If you see one in really nice condition, be suspicious! The Rifles that did survive are usually in terrible condition. If you come across a Ft. Griffin rifle, please realize that people modified them and tried to make them more appealing for collectors. History did not matter to these individuals. Money was all they cared about.
Sharps Rifles Shipped to Conrad
or Conrad & Rath
Ft. Griffin, Texas
Ed Curtis had a list of Ft. Griffin rifles compiled by Bobby McNellis. ( El paso Texas, 11-11-41 to 5-11-03 ) He had saved serial numbers of 22 rifles shipped both to Jackson, Conrad, and Conrad and Rath. I do not know how accurate this list is. Bobby was a notorious character in collector circles. He did handle a lot of antique guns. From what I can see here, the Bobby McNellis list is pretty accurate. Since this list looks pretty good, I will start with what he recorded and build from there. I will verify each number as I can, and add details. You will find the Bobby McNellis notes in the T.E. Jackson Rifle list as well.
Ed Curtis also compiled a list of heavy barreled Sharps he came across as he traveled to shows. Most of these numbers were recorded long before computers and digital cameras. These serial numbers are a good reference for this list. If Ed saw them, or heard of them, they are still out there!
I also added any mention of Ft. Griffin sharps from books and auctions, along with proper references. I wanted these so I would not have to go back and sift through information. That is really hard to do!
This is an attempt to bring all this information together in one place. It should be handy if you find a rifle. You can access this list easily if you take a tablet or computer to a show and are trying to learn more about a Sharps. I welcome any additions to this information.
158440 McNellis listed this rifle as being shipped to Conrad, 8-7-1876. It had a 30 inch octagon barrel and double set triggers. The calibre was 44, 2 5/8 inch bottleneck. Weight was 16 pounds, 8 ounces. He made a note that this rifle was shipped with Rifle 158441 in a shipment of five similar guns. He did not have the serial numbers. These two consecutive number rifles were sold through the Heritage Arms Auction #6151, October 25, 2015.
158441 McNellis also listed this rifle as being shipped to Conrad, 8-7-1876. I had a 30 inch octagon barrel and double set triggers. The calibre was 44, 2 5/8 and the weight was 16 pounds, 5 ounces. These two rifles, 158440 and 158441, were probably shipped together. He noted this Rifle was shipped to Conrad in an order of five similar guns. This included 158440 listed above. H did not have the other serial numbers.
158604 Ed Curtis recorded this Rifle as being shipped to Conrad. It was 45, 2 7/8 and weighed 15 1/2 pounds.
158612 This Rifle was in the Bobby McNellis list. he must have handled it at one time. He says it was shipped to Conrad, 2-4-1877. It had a 30 inch octagon barrel and double set triggers. The caliber was 44, 2 5/8 and weighed 12 pounds.
158769 This Rifle was in the Bobby McNellis list. He listed as being shipped to Conrad, 9-5-1877. He said it had a 30 inch octagon barrel and double set triggers. The calibre was 44, 2 5/8 and it weighed 16 pounds.
158776 Bobby McNellis noted this rifle as being shipped to Conrad 5-5-1877. It was shipped with a 30 inch octagon barrel that had been cut off to 28 inches. It had double set triggers. The calibre was noted as 44. 2 5/8. he said it weighed 14 and 3/4 pounds. This information would have to be verified by getting a letter and examining the Rifle.
158918 This is one of the Rifles Ed Curtis recorded as being shipped to Conrad, as a calibre 45, 2 7/8, 14 pound Rifle.
158935 This Rifle was recorded by Ed Curtis as a Conrad shipped Rifle, Calibre 45, 2 7/8. It was a 14 pound rifle.
158936 This Rifle was in the list compiled by Ed Curtis. It was shipped to Conrad. It was calibre 45, 2 7/8. Weight was 16 pounds.
158944 This serial number is from a list compiled by Ed Curtis. It was shipped to Conrad. Calibre was 45,
2 7/8. It weighed 13 3/4 pounds.
158950 Ed Curtis recorded this Rifle. It was shipped to Conrad. The calibre was 45, 2 7/8. Weights was 15 3/4 pounds.
158951 This is another Rifle from The Conrad Shipped Guns that Ed Curtis saved up. It was calibre 45, 2 7/8 and weighed 14 pounds.
158954 This serial number is from a list saved by Ed Curtis. It was shipped to Conrad. Calibre was 45, 2 7/8. The Rifle weighed 13 and 3/4 pounds.
158959 This serial number is from a list compiled by Ed Curtis. He noted that this was shipped to Conrad as a calibre 45, 2 7/8 Rifle that weighed 13 and 3/4 pounds.
158961 This serial number is from Ed Curtis. The Conrad Shipped Rifle was calibre 45, 2 7/8 and the Rifle weighed 13 and 3/4 pounds.
158965 This rifle was listed by Ed Curtis as shipped to Conrad. Caliber was 45, 2 7/8. Weight 15 pounds.
158976 This was listed by Ed Curtis as being shipped to Conrad 9-5-1877. The calibre was 45, 2 7/8. It had a 30 inch octagon barrel. Weight was 15 pounds, 14 ounces.
158969 Ed Curtis had this rifle listed as shipped to Conrad. The calibre was 45, 2 7/8. Weight was 14 pounds.
158978 This serial number is from Ed Curtis. It was listed as being shipped to Conrad. Calibre was 45, 2 7/8. Weight was 14 pounds.
158980 This Rifle was recorded in the list compiled by Ed Curtis. It was shipped to Conrad. Calibre was 45, 2 7/8. Weight was 16 pounds.
158985 This is from the Ed Curtis list. It was shipped to Conrad. Calibre was 45, 2 7/8. Weight was 14 pounds.
158995 This was in the McNellis list as a 30 inch octan barrel rifle shipped to Conrad, 7-9-1877. It also had double set triggers and was calibre 45, 2 7/8. The weight was 15 pounds, 12 ounces.
159001 This Rifle was in the list compiled by Ed Curtis. It was shipped to Conrad at Ft. Griffin Texas. Calibre was 45, 2 7/8. Weight was 16 pounds. We were all familiar with this Rifle for years. It was reported to have been found lying on the ground near Buffalo Gap Texas. It was supposedly greased and wrapped in buffalo hide. It was in very poor condition. The breech block was missing and the hammer spur, sticking out of the hide had rusted away. We always assumed it fell off a wagon during the Buffalo hunt.
Charlie Hart, ( Now Deceased), bought it years ago from Jimmy King of Amarillo Texas. (Also Now Deceased.) I think Jimmy bought it at the Odessa Gun show, sometime in the 1960's. Charlie "restored ?" the rifle. This happened a lot during the old days. There was no deception intended. He just wanted to make it a shooter, not knowing it would have great value, later, to collectors. This stuff is still happening TODAY but is usually intended to deceive buyers. Charlie relined the barrel and installed a Sharps carbine conversion breech block. The Military type firing pin blew a primer and almost blinded Ed Curtis. Charlie had made a 45 2 7/8 liner for the rifle, with left hand twist rifling, so we called it Charlies left hand Sharps. ( Sharps have RIGHT hand twist Rifling!)
Ed Curtis had a letter from W.S. Peace about this Rifle. Most people never get to see a letter from Bill Peace. He owned the Sharps Records for a period of time and sent out informal letters. It is pretty fuzzy, but I reproduce it here at the end of this list so you can get an idea of what we saw all these many long years ago. Bill notes that he had a stone from the door lintel of the Conrad store in his collection. The letter shows his great interest in the Ft. Griffin Guns.
Scroll Down to the bottom of this list to See the Letter from Bill Peace!
159003 Bobby McNellis listed this rifle. He said it was shipped 12-76 to Conrad. It had double set triggers. The calibre was 45, 2 7/8 and weighed 15 pounds, 14 ounces.
This rifle was also listed by Ed Curtis as a 45 2 7/8 rifle. Weight was 15 pounds, 14 ounces.
159009 Ed Curtis had this Rifle on his list of Conrad shipped guns. Calibre was 45, 2 7/8. Weight was 16 pounds.
159010 Bobby McNellis had this Rifle in his list. He said it was shipped to Conrad 12-19-1876. It had a 30 inch octagon barrel. Double set triggers. The calibre was 45, 2 7/8. Weight was 16 pounds.
Ed Curtis also had this serial number in his list. The specifications were the same.
159029 Ed Curtis listed this Rifle as being shipped to Conrad. The calibre was 45, 2 7/8. It weighed 15 pounds, 13 ounces.
159642 This rifle came up in a Julia/Morphy auction. Lot 1032, 3/9/2008. It was originally listed as an original rifle, but they corrected the listing. I thank them for not selling a fake! You can find this rifle in the old Morphy auction listings. A close look at the pictures is interesting. The front sight, forend and buttstock are obviously replaced. The barrel markings look pretty good. Did they make stamping dies? I am not sure what the story is on this rifle. It is a great example of why you should be cautious when buying a Sharps. The Morphy auction describes this rifle as follows.
REVISED: 3/9/2008
(Correction) Gun is a restoration by Dave Garman of the Arcadia Sharps Rifle Co., Arcadia, CA. Barrel and stock are replacements. Action Serial number is authentic.
The original listing was as follows:
EXTREMELY RARE & DESIRABLE FORT GRIFFIN, TEXAS SHIPPED SHARPS MODEL 1874 BUFFALO RIFLE. S.N. 159642. Cal. 44 2 5/8". This extremely rare rifle has a 30 inch heavy octagon barrel, 1 1/8 inch across the flats, with half of an 1876 dime as the front sight. It has the Lawrence Patent rear sight with "OLD RELIABLE" and standard Bridgeport markings on top flat. Top flat is also marked Calibre 44 and the right side flat, upside down, is marked 2 5/8. Reciever has standard markings with lockplate having no markings which is correct for this model. Bottom of barrel has serial number which matches the receiver and the inside of the toe of buttplate has last four digits of serial number. Mounted with straight grain uncheckered walnut with semi - schnable forearm and straight stock with checkered Sharps steel buttplate. It has double set triggers. Accompanied by a Sharps records letter identifying this rifle, as found, and listing weight as 14 lbs. It was invoiced at the Bridgeport Factory Jan. 4, 1877 to Frank E. Conrad, Merchant and Outfitter of Ft, Griffin, Texas, in a shipment of 20 Model 1874 sporting rifles on this date in two strapped wooden cases. All had full oct barrels in caliber 44-90 with ten of them weighing 12 lbs., five weighing 14 lbs. and five about 16 lbs.
Apparently the Auction Company was initially deceived when listing this rifle. Someone pointed out the error. A lot about this "Letter" seems odd. The letters I got in the past from Dr. Moore and Dr. Lebowski are not worded this way. Only a close examination of this rifle, or a discussion with Arcadia Sharps would clarify if this really is some portion of a Ft. Griffin Sharps. I include this rifle in this survey because it raises a lot of questions for a serious Sharps Collector. What is going on here? Is it listed in the Sharps Records? Perhaps I can learn more in the future.
This Rifle was sold at the Heritage Arms Auction # 6151, October 25, 2015. I have a page here that lists this rifle. They DO Not Mention that it is a restoration. It has a starting bid of $17,500 and and expected result of $35,000 to $50,000. If this is all accurate, their estimates are Way off. Why the Morphy Auction Listing from 2008 is not mentioned is a puzzle! The information is available on line.
159899 Ed Curtis had this serial number in his list. It was shipped to Conrad 1-17-1877. Calibre was 44, 2 5/8 inch bottleneck. Weight was 14 pounds.
160120 McNellis listed this rifle as being shipped to Conrad, 9-5-1877. It had a 30 inch octagon barrel, triggers not specified. calibre was 45, 2 7/8. The weight was listed as 15 pounds, 15 ounces.
160279 Bobby McNellis had this number in his Ft. Griffin list as a 45, 2 7/8 calibre rifle with no other details. Perhaps he just heard of it but could not verify the rifle or where it was shipped?
160308 This Rifle is pictured in "The Sharps Report", volume 10, number 3, page 7. It is pictured with a full length view and a closeup of the action. The owner at that time also included a letter from Frank Sellers on page 12. Frank had access to the Sharps records shortly after they were discovered. Frank said 160308 was shipped to Frank E. Conrad, 9-5-1877. It was 45 calibre and weighed 15 pounds, 13 ounces. A later letter from Dr. Moore verified this. He said it was 45, 2 7/8, 30 inch barrel, double set triggers, open sights, oiled stock. It was shipped care of Moorehead & Co., Ft Worth, Texas with a large order, going to Conrad. The current pictures show the barrel was cut off to 26 inches. This happened a lot.
If you like Sharps Rifles, the old Sharps Reports are nice to have. You can order copies from the Sharps Collectors Website.
161254 This Rifle was in the Bobby McNellis list. He noted that it was shipped to Conrad, 9-5-1877. He did not mention barrel length or shape when it left the factory. It had double set triggers, was 45, 2 7/8 and originally weighed 14 pounds, 10 ounces. He then notes that it was re-barreled to 40, 2 5/8 bottleneck. He guessed that this new barrel was most likely 30 inches long and octagon.
161303 Bobby McNellis listed this rifle as being shipped to Conrad, 9-5-1877. He said it had a 30 inch octagon barrel and double set triggers. The caliber was 45, 2 7/8. The weight was 14 pounds, 8 ounces. This must have been the weight listed in the factory records. McNellis made a special note on this Rifle in his list. He said the barrel had been cut off 4 inches. This cut made the weight 13 pounds, 1 ounce. He must have been able to examine the rifle in person to check the weight.
161306 This Rifle is pictured in the "Sharps Report", volume 10, number 3 on page 7. There is a full side view and a closeup of the action. Dr. Moore sent a letter to the owner, saying it was shipped to Conrad & Rath, 8-26-1877. It was sent care of Moorehead & Co. in Ft. Worth, Texas. It was part of a shipment of 20 guns. 12 were the same weight. 8 were 16 pounds. It originally had a 30 inch octagon barrel, Calibre 45, 2 7/8. Weight was 14 pounds, 14 ounces. The rifle now has a 26 inch, half octagon Sharps barrel. Calibre is 40, 2 1/2 bottleneck. (actually there were only 40, 2 1/4 and 40, 2 5/8 bottleneck cartridges. This is probably an error.) The owner mentions the barrel markings as calibre 40 and Mid-Range 70. So, it is now a 40, 2 1/4 bottleneck. The rifle looks like it has all original Sharps parts in the pictures. There are several Sharps Rifles that have been reworked like this. So far, it is a mystery how this happened.
162028 Shipped to Conrad & Rath in 1877. This Rifle had a 30 inch octagon barrel and double set triggers. The calibre is 45, 2 7/8. The weight was 16 pounds. This is the only Ft. Griffin Sharps illustrated in Frank Sellers book, "Sharps firearms". Page 222. Check out the picture. This is what we think of when we talk about the Big Rifles that were used on the Texas Plains. Sellers did not go into great detail in his book, but Bobby McNellis had described it in his list, giving more detail. He may have handled the Rifle at some time so he was more familiar with it. The picture shows the wide flat shotgun style butt of the Bridgeport Sharps era. The barrel looks full length. The front sight is shaped oddly. This may be from editing or the front sight may have been replaced. The tang sight is Not a sharps sight. Most of these Rifles were ordered with standard open sights. Sellers says the rear sight was not original but it is hard to determine if it was the barrel sight or the tang sight he was talking about. This Rifle is in very good condition compared to most. These Rifles saw Hard use.
162036 This Rifle is also a puzzle. McNellis placed it in his list with no shipping date and no note of who it was shipped to. H did say it had a 30 inch octagon barrel with double set triggers. Calibre 45, 2 7/8. Weight of 15 pounds, 2 ounces.
162057 Shipped to Conrad, 10-26-1877. McNellis recorded that this Rifle had a 30 inch octagon barrel and double set triggers. He listed the caliber as 45, 2 7/8. Weight 14 pounds, 10 ounces.
162068 According to McNellis it was shipped to Conrad & Rath, 10-29-1877. It had a 30 inch octagon barrel with double set triggers Calibre 45, 2 7/8. Weight, 15 pounds, 7 ounces.
162073 McNellis lists this Rifle as being shipped to Conrad & Rath, 10-29-1877. It had a 30 inch octagon barrel and double set triggers. The calibre was 45, 2 7/8 and it weighed 15 pounds, 9 ounces.
162074 This rifle is a puzzle. McNellis did list it in his Ft. Griffin records. He must have seen it at one time. He does say it was calibre 45, 2 7/8. He said it had a 24 inch barrel with a question mark after the 24? He may have seen it at a show and guessed the barrel length. No shipping date or who it was shipped to.
162075 The McNellis list says this rifle was shipped 10-29-1877 to Conrad & Rath. It had a 30 inch octagon barrel and double set triggers. The calibre was 45, 2 7/8 and the rifle weighed 15 pounds, 9 ounces.
An Early Sharps Letter From Bill Peace
to Jimmy King, September 24, 1965
This is a great old letter. All the people mentioned here are long gone. I do remember visiting Charlie when I was a Kid. I do not remember the year when he relined it. The reline job was pretty rough, but Charlie was really proud of it.
I hear the Rifle is still here in Texas. I wish Charlie had left it alone, just as it had been found out on the Plains.
Sadly, the Old Timers did not place History or Original Condition high on their list. It would have made a great display in a museum, just as it was found. Shooting was more important to the old guys. They had no idea how few of these rifles were out there. They re-worked them without a thought!
Charlie let me look over the Rifle several times through the years. The butt stock was cracked from weather. The metal was pitted all over. But, it is a real Ft.Griffin gun.
Even Bill Peace was interested in buying it!