1878 Sharps Borchardt Military 45-70

[Hip's Ax]

Guys, can any of you help me decide what the correct price to pay for this rifle would be? A friend of mine is offering to sell me this rifle but I'm afraid there isn't an awful lot of info available out there that I can find. No pictures possible and he's asking $1750. I see a couple on Gunbroker for less than this and they don;t appear to be selling.

I inquired as to the rifle's condition:

"It is OK to nice. It is complete w/ramrod. Wood sound and decent. Metal clean and may have been re-blued some time in the distant past. Shootable bore (I have). "

To which I replied:

"Please expound on the bore condition. Dark? Pitted? Eroded? Muzzle and throat condition? Rifling distinct and sharp or is it a smooth bore? Shootable to me just means it won't blow up when the trigger is pulled."

His reply:

"The rifling is evident from end to end. There is pitting. The muzzle and chamber appear fine...as near as I can tell. "

Thanks for any help!

[NickSS]

Sounds a bit high to me I would figure 1200 to 1500 depending upon overall finish and bore condition.

[montana_charlie]

Is he 'asking' $1750, or is that his 'firm' price?
If he will negotiate, I would decide the top figure I would pay for a known good shooter...subtract the price of a new barrel...and make that my offer.

If the price is firm, I would look elsewhere...for somebody who will guarantee a good barrel.
CM

[Hip's Ax]

Thanks for the help folks. Once again this forum comes through! :drinks:

[shooter575]

Hey,I got one of them Borchardt full stock rifles also.Does anyone have a rear sight for one or know someone that does?
I got mine some 10 years ago for 250 bucks with a crapy bore.If I can find a proper sight I will have it relined.

[NickSS]

Try Buffalo Arms they have all sorts of sights and I know that the owner shoots a Sharps Borchadt in competion (I have seen him shoot it) so they can probably fix you up.

[Harry Eales]

I am a Borchardt fanatic, although I have never actually seen one in the flesh (so to speak) They are very rare here in the UK. I do however keep a constant check on the prices raised by these rifles and would say that most single shot fanatics would pay around US$ 1,000,00 for a good original action alone.

Last year a Military Borchardt made US$ 13,000.00 in an auction, in the USA, an exception I agree, but from the photographs it appeared to have left the Sharps Factory earlier that day, it was that perfect.

The Borchardt has a bad reputation, mainly directed at it's trigger pull, but, that can be rectified by a gunsmith who knows what he is doing. A friend of mine in California has a Borchardt that has a repeatable trigger pull of just over 1 pound. It requires a lot of reworking to get the trigger pull to be as consistant as this, but it can be done.

I'm so taken by the Borchardt, I am building one from scratch out of modern steels, it's the only way I am ever going to own one. See:-

http://s89.photobucket.com/albums/k206/Rifleman_01/?start=0

There's four pages of pictures if you have the time to look at them.

Compared with other single shot actions of that era the Borchardt is a complex mechanism with many more parts than most other single shot rifles of the time.

The main point to look out for in buying an original action is to ensure that the right hand cocking plate is intact. These are a weak point on all Borchardts. (Theyre often broken). They aren't easy to duplicate either, both cam plates have to be identical at least as far as the cam curves are concerned.

An original Borchardt Ramrod/cleaning rod is also a scarce item with few originals accompanying the military rifles, most I have seen in pictures, appear to be replacements taken from Springfield .58 cal. Rifles.

In the end it all boils down to just what you want. Do you want a collectors item in as near original condition as possible, or do you want a rifle that can be modified to either a Long Range competition rifle or perhaps a varmint rifle?

Modern replica's are available from Lozito Wolf (US$ 3,000.00 for an action alone) or from The Borchardt Rifle Co in Silver City NM at about US$ 1,500.00 for a barreled action.

It all depends on just how much you want it, and what you want it for. A bad barrel is worth nothing, neither is a replacement ramrod, if it has one. The original woodwork may bring a few bucks on Ebay if you want to sell it, supposing you are going to modify it to a rifle of some type.

Original Borchardts get scarcer as the years go by, and the price of originals will continue to go up. I'd suggest you negociate a price that makes you and the seller happy, and take it from there.

Harry

[pjogrinc]

If it is in good shape, it is a steal. Military borchards use to be cheap. Typical prices are now 2,100 to 2,500. They are the easiest to find as compared to the Borchardt sporting models.

I have one that was bastardized. Barrel cut to 24 inches, forearm wood converted to sporting, German silver front blade and a bastardized military rear sight. Barrel is pitted. I purchased this for the action, as it was in very good shape. Was going to rebarrel, stock and replace sights. Long story short, it shoots fantastic with 395 grain and 505 grain pills. 395 grain and 36 gr. IMR3031 will print 1 1/2 to 2 inch groups all day at 100 yds. Have not tried BP with this bullet yet as it is my shoot all day load and it is still winter up here, just got 29 inches of snow and 8 to 10 more expected this weekend. Now, with the 505 grain pill and 65 grains of 2F, it is a mule kicker and I have not got serious about loads. Groups typically run 2 inches to 4 inches, but I was testing a bullet lube. Was not necessarily trying to get the best groups as it was 10 degrees F outside. Now, this summer I will work on accuracy loads with BP for both.

[Parson]

Probably all that has been said is true. The price is a little high but try to find one any cheaper. The way gun prices are going nuts its gotten to the point where I say "if you want it and have the money, just close your eyes and bite the bullet." Never did that before but times are changing. I have one that was smithed by C.C. Johnson in the early 50's, its in .219 improved Zipper, would love to find an original I could afford

[Hip's Ax]

Folks, I really appreciate all the information. I'm shooting BP Target with my friend this weekend and he is bringing the rifle for me to see. I'm sure I'll be bringing it home with me for research before we set a price.

I've already got a BPCTR so this rifle is for my "collection" and will not be changed in any way if I purchase it. I'll clean it and lube it and shoot it on occasion but zero modification will be done.

Can anyone tell me where the the right hand cocking plate is?


Gotta love this board. :drinks:

[rak]

Hi all from a newbie
I found this site as I was researching my model 1878 Sharps Borchardt Saddle Ring Carbine,This is a very tough rifle to find much info about as from what I can tell there were only just under 400 made in the saddle ring Carbine configuration.

Pjogrinc,does yours have a saddle ring?

Does anyone know of an index or site where I might be able to search out the serial number?

Anyway any and all help I can get learning about this gun would be greatly appreciated and thanks for all the great info on this forum

[Hip's Ax]

OK guys, I just walked in from a BP cartridge position mid range target match (my second ever, I shot much better than last time, 241/300!) and my friend brought the Borschardt and I have it here now to do research and set the price. I am buying this rifle.

Over all first impression, this is a nice rifle. Lots of finish on the metal and the stock and the rifle is in totally unmessed with military configuration. I can't find any cartouches on the stock and the finish looks a little shiney if held at an angle to the light, maybe, perhaps, it was wiped down with BLO a long time ago. Stock has expected dings but nothing out of the ordinary, its actually much better than a rifle of this age should be.

Bore is bright and shiney with plenty of rifling with what maybe some pitting for the first couple of inches of the bore but it might be crud too. I'll have to clean it to find out for sure.

Questions, what was the finish on the metal originally? What was the finish on the stock? What does a real Borschardt cleaning rod look like and what does a Springfield cleaning rod look like? Where exactly is this cocking plate?

I was expecting a train wreck of a rifle and to easily walk away. I should have known better as this same friend did the same low ball description of a M1922 Springfield to me a year ago and that rifle is absolutely lovely.

Thanks!

[Hip's Ax]

OK, I spent ten minutes with some light and a magnifying glass. I am leaning toward a refinish on the action and barrel as the blue is a little too deep and nice to be a military finish. I think I see bluing on top of some minor pitting on the outside of the action too. Also the rear sight is properly browned as something this age in my opinion should be. Must have been done a long time ago as there is finish wear for the last 3 inches of the muzzle.

Also leaning toward a light refinish on the stock but there is zero evidence of sanding.

Bore is nicer than I originally thought, light pitting for the first couple of inches but the bore is bright and shiney with sharp rifling.

Please help me figure out what to pay my friend for this rifle.

[pjogrinc]

Borchard military model was blued. There probably is some long scratches in the metal, usually several of them and blueing will be in these. This is normal on low grade guns.

My Borchard carbine was/is a bastardized military model. So no saddle ring.

If it is as good as you say, 1750 would be a good price IMO.

The cocking plates run verticle in the action. If you look from the left side, you will see the right cocking plate when you have the breech block down. If you look from the right side, you will see the left cocking plate. They will have a deep forward cut just below the top. Make sure these are not broken at this point. Another thing, see if the forward cut area is all beat up. If so this gun has been dryfired an awfull lot and I would take some money off. Being beat up here is not a good thing as the side lobes of the firing pin are also probably damaged. What this means is that the firing pin has a chance of over penetration on the primmer and will result in the firing pin sticking more readly in the primmer after firing.

[Harry Eales]

Hello Chris,

It appears this rifle is in better condition than you first thought. A total of 11,859 were produced in the Military configuration.

None of these will have cartouches stamped on them unless they were part of an actual Military Contract and these would usually be the inspectors stamps signifying that weapon was suitable for acceptance. Regimental or State cartouches would be added before issue.

300 military rifles were sold to China and bear Chinese markings on the top of the barrel just forward of the receiver. Only a handful are known to have survived.

3,220 were shipped to the gundealers Schyler, Hartley and Graham of NY to shipment onwards to South America. Which country bought them or what happened to them is unknown.

A further 3,110 were sold to various US States, the NRA, and Police Departments. This leaves some 5,229 rifles that were disposed of through various Sharps Factory outlets or which remained unsold. Some numbers were shipped to J.P.Lower who converted them to 'Sporter's'.

When the Sharps Rifle Co. folded much of the surplus stock was bought up by Schyler, Hartley and Graham. I have a catalogue of theirs dating from about 1905 where they were selling unused (new) Military Borchardts for US$ 13.50 each or US$ 11.00 per gun if you bought a case of ten rifles. Evidently many were not sold by the factory. It's likely that the same company assembled additional numbers of rifles from the large quantity of spare parts they had in stock.

Many military Borchardts were converted to Schuetzen and Varmint rifles during the 1900- 1940 period, so the numbers that are left in original condition are getting fewer and fewer each year. Bearing that in mind, then 1,500 - 1750 dollars isn't an unreasonable price.

However, I would recommend that before jumping in with both feet, you carry out a detailed inspection of the complete mechanism, especially the Breechblock, firing pin and cocking plates.

For a full description of how to strip the action see Single Shot Rifles and Actions be Frank DeHaas. It's too long a process to describe here.

To remove the breechblock, push the lever right down, cocking the action. On the left hand side of the breechblock protruding below the action you will see a screw recessed in a hole. Remove the screw, this will free the breechblock from the lever link and the breechblock can be pushed upwards and out of the top of the action. It doesn't slide out easily and may have to be pushed out with a wooden dowel. Be very careful not to touch the sear lever (the H section piece of metal running down the rear of the breechblock). If you do touch it, you will release the firing pin and then you have a real problem.

Many actions will show quite clearly if previous owners have accidentally done this on dissembly as there will be a scratch or groove across the rear face of the barrel and the action made by dragging the firing pin over this surface.

If the breechblock is in good condition the front face should be smooth and not pitted or ringed. The firing pin hole (if original) should be 1/8" dia and perfectly round not oval in shape. You will have to strip down the breechblock further to examine the rest of it properly. Try and obtain a photocopy of DeHaas's article, you will find it invaluable.

If the firing pin tip is bent or otherwise damaged it may need replacing, similarly the cocking pin and the cocking pin slots in the side of the breechblock should be undamaged and free from burrs or wear. Having to replace any part will be expensive, as there aren't any spare parts available and these will have to be custom made. If your a skilled machinist you may be able to make them yourself, if the breechblock needs replacing it will be a major expence, having made one from steel stock myself, I can assure you it's not an easy task. The cocking plates which lie on either side of the breechblock slot can be removed by taking out the two screws which hold them in place and then using a pin punch of the correct dia, drift out the locating pins towards the inside of the breechblock slot. The plates will then fall free. The right hand plate which is cut away for the extractor is the weakest of the two and frequently fractures with dry firing or long use. These cracks are 'hairline' and may not be visible until the plates are removed. If either plate is broken, again it's a major expense to have them replaced. The rear cams have to be identical to enable the firing pin to be pushed back correctly.

In all honesty, if you have no experience of the Borchardt Action it would pay you to get someone who is very familiar with it to make a detailed examination of it for you. If it does need repair it could work out very expensive indeed.

Buying a rifle especially an old rifle is a bit like buying a used car, don't believe the salesman, get a second opinion, unless you really know what to look for. Caveat Emptor.

The original Borchardt Military cleaning rod is a very rare item indeed, pictures of an original can be seen here:- http://www.assra.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1209412789
Any competant machinist should be able to duplicate it. Judging from the requests in various gun Want Adds over the years for these rods, there's an untapped market for replica Borchardt cleaning rods.

If you do go ahead and buy it, i'd suggest you keep it in it's original configuration, it has collectors value, and that value will increase as the years go by. It's 130 years since they were last made by the Shaprs Rifle Co. Don't try to 'do it up' just give it a gentle cleaning all over, don't sand the woodwork whatever you do.

The Factory records do exist but are very poor as far as they relate to the Borchardt and many serial numbers are missing from from the records. I believe the current fee for 'A Letter' is in the region of US$ 200.00

Harry

[Hip's Ax]

Wow! Where else can you find folks that know this kind of stuff! Thank You Thank You!

From the looks of it I have the proper original cleaning rod.

I found the book(s) (there are two volumes) and have asked my friend if its ok with him if I dissasemble the rifle for inspecting provided I buy the books that tell me how. No answer yet.

If this thing is original (and I'm starting to think it is) its in lovely condition.

The blue really is nice (too nice?) but I'm still concerned about the discrepancy between the barrel/action finish condition and the rear sight finish. Also the shiney stock isn't a warm fuzzy to me. But it could be as I see zero evidence of this rifle being dissassembled. No tell tale nicks or scratches but the screw heads do show that a screwdriver has been in there.

I'll try and take some pics soon and post them. I might be able to shoot a bit but a photographer I am not! I'll apologize in advance. :oops:

[Harry Eales]

Chris,

It's DeHaas's first volume you need. Single Shot Rifles and Actions. There may be a copy in your local library that you could photocopy, there's only 5 or 6 pages to do.

Re screwdriver slots. More gun screws have been B*****ed up by the use of incorrectly fitting screwdrivers than anything else. If you buy the rifle they're an easy item to restore.

Harry

[montana_charlie]

For a picture of a pretty one...
http://boards2go.com/boards/board.cgi?action=read&id=1210091150&user=mwclemons
CM

[Hip's Ax]

Thanks Harry, I'll see if I can get my hands on that part.

Wow! That is one sexy Borschardt! :D

Now, If I can just find that $^*$@# camera........

[Harry O]

You may be interested in this (about halfway down the page:

http://kwk.us/FA/

[kodiak1]

Finally after about a four year wait I got my Borschardt Action and Barrel back from Mr. Storey
Look really pretty to me and I can't wait to get it back to gether and run some lead down that pipe.
Ken.

[Harry O]

Finally after about a four year wait I got my Borschardt Action and Barrel back from Mr. Storey
Look really pretty to me and I can't wait to get it back to gether and run some lead down that pipe.
Ken.

I did not know he finished them. I got an e-mail from him with the latest information and he had some classes coming up at a local community college where you could finish your own -- provided you had previous machining experience. I just started learning on a lathe I inherited. I am not ready yet, especially after getting copies of the drawings for the one I was looking at -- a Remington Rolling Block. Anyway, it should be a great source of parts if you need to rebuild one of many different types.

[Harry Eales]

Harry0 and Kodiac1

Which Mr.Storey are we talking about here, Mr Storey who makes castings of various rifle actions that are sold by Wes Stanley, or, Mr Al Storey of The Borchardt Rifle Co. in Silver City NM, who produces CNC machined actions and complete rifles?

Harry

[Hip's Ax]

OK, my friend and I will dissassemble the rifle for inspection at an upcoming smallbore match weekend after this. He has a book that has the procedure in it, he did this himself when he first bought the rifle some years back. I think he said its an NRA Gunsmith book.

Question, what type of blue was original to this rifle? Not that its as brilliant as Nitre Blue but the finish on this rifle is quite blue compared to all other military rifles I have ever seen.

Was the original stock finish BLO?

Thanks!

[Harry O]

Harry0 and Kodiac1

Which Mr.Storey are we talking about here, Mr Storey who makes castings of various rifle actions that are sold by Wes Stanley, or, Mr Al Storey of The Borchardt Rifle Co. in Silver City NM, who produces CNC machined actions and complete rifles?

Harry


The one I was talking about is the guy who makes castings. I posted a copy of his webpage.

[Harry Eales]

The Sharps Rifles were Blue a very deep velvet blue, not the black that is called blue these days. I know of no articles on Sharps Rifles of any model where their method of blueing is mentioned.

The few Sharps Rifles I have seen appear to have been either rust blued or heat blued. Both were labour intensive and most manufacturers had changed to hot dip blackening by 1900. The original blue did fade over decades often to a plum brown, but if the weapon had been stored in the dark the blue finish may not have changed.

Removing the wood from under the barrel (forend) may give you an idea if it has been reblued or not. Reblues on a rifle tend to be black or nearly black and not blue at all. If there is a definate blue colour to the barrel underside it is unlikely to have been refinished.

If your stripping the rifle at the range, be aware there are two small coil springs that actuate plungers. One is under the safety catch (behind the trigger) the other actuates the sear lever in the breechblock. Be careful, these small springs can move faster than the eye can follow, if you loose them you may never find them.

Once you have the breechblock out of the action, release the firing pin by depressing the sear lever. This will allow you to drift out the sear lever pin, and the retaining pin at the rear end of the breechblock, you can then remove the spring cap, firing pin spring, and after removing the cocking pin, the firing pin can be removed for examination.

Re-assemble the breechblock and cock the firing pin before putting the breechblock back into the action. If it isn't cocked it won't go in. The small steel pins on Borchardts are 0.100" in dia. you will need a parallel sided pin punch and a light hammer to remove them.

The stock finish on Borchardts was oil which was buffed to a high gloss. The Boiled Linseed Oil of today is totally different to that of 130 years ago, in those days it was boiled. Modern BLO is not boiled at all, but chemically treated to resemble the older product. It's a totally different oil entirely. Modern BLO never seems to dry and can remain tacky for years. I wouldn't use it at all.

Best to consult someone who specialises in restoring these old rifles. Stick with an oiled finish and stay away from the modern 'plastic' and 'polyurethane' finishes.

On Military Borchardts only the Breechblock and the lever were hardened. No hardening was done to the receiver unless to special order. It's likely therefore, yours will have a fairly soft receiver, that's ok for Black Powder, but stay away from nitro loadings.

The machining on the insides of the Borchardt can sometimes be quite rough and ready. They had to make them as cheaply as possible, so high finishes on unseen parts should not be expected. It isn't a Westley Richards or a Holland and Holland.

Military Borchardts sold for as little as $16.50 each new, and the factory had to make a profit on that price. Therefore there is little hand finishing.

Harry

[Harry Eales]

The one I was talking about is the guy who makes castings. I posted a copy of his webpage.

Thanks Harry0,

Only three people are making Borchardts or castings and two of them have to be called Storey. Nice to know which one you were referring to.

Harry

[Hip's Ax]

Thank you Harry. Well, I'll look at it again but its starting to appear that this rifle could be 100% correct and complete and unrestored. If it is it must have been put up for safe keeping its whole life and fired very litttle. If it is true then the only thing remarkable at all is the light pitting in the throat. I would call its condition Fine, at the very least it would be Very Good Plus.

The rifle tear down will happen at the range but inside the club house at night. This place is great to shoot matches at, many of us bring sleeping bags and stay in the club house and that makes for a nice time. No TV and not much of a radio so we all sit around and visit with each other at night. Very pleasant.

If all of the aformentioned parts are in good condition then I'll just pay my friend the $1750 he is asking. Looks like a good deal right now.

Now to find some original configuration 405 gr and 500 gr 45-70 bullets to make a few handloads so I can shoot her a little.

I'll print this entire discussion out and bring it with me.

Thank You All Again!! :drinks:

[kodiak1]

Al Storey out of Silver City NM. The Borchardt Rifle Company.

Does some nice work that old fella.
Ken.

[Hip's Ax]

Hope its OK to post this auction link, It has some great pictures and I've got a question.

http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=99322346

Is the finish on the drop block and trigger guard gone or is this how they are suppose to look?

I had a nice visit with a friend of mine yesterday who is also one of my gunsmiths. We went to vist a friend of his who had two Borchardts and when we got back to his shop he had one as well. Unfortunately for me all three had been changed into Schuetzen rifles, but man were they all lovely.

[Harry Eales]

Hello Hips,

On the Military Borchardt the breechblock and the lever were colour case hardened, the action was left as machined and simply blued.

Colour case hardening does fade with age although remnants of colouring can still be seen on this particular rifle.

On most of the variants of the Borchardt, the action was case hardened as were most single shot rifle actions of the time. Many people who have converted military Borchardt actions have found the them to be very soft and easy to file or machine. Despite the lack of a heat treatment the actions of the military version seems to have stood up very well indeed to continued use for well over a century.

Harry

[Hip's Ax]

Thanks Harry. The breech block and the lever on mine are blued, guess this rifle was refinished after all. Oh well, its mine now and whats done is done.

I really appreciate all your help!

Thanks again.

:drinks:

[Harry Eales]

Thanks Harry. The breech block and the lever on mine are blued, guess this rifle was refinished after all. Oh well, its mine now and whats done is done.

I really appreciate all your help!

Thanks again.

:drinks:

Hello Hips,
I wouldn't worry about it at all, you have a genuine piece of 'Americana' that will appreciate in value over the years. The prices of all Sharps rifles have shot up over the years and very few are in the original condition that they left the factory in. Hundreds, if not thousands of Military Borchardts have been altered or customised over the years and unless the work done on them was done by H.M.Pope or A.O.Zischang, they're worth a lot less than yours.

Personally I would be happy to own your rifle myself.

Harry

[Hip's Ax]

Thanks Harry. It is a nice rifle, I took it to a smallbore match this past weekend and we put some rounds through her at a 200 yard gong. A few guys actually hit, neat rifle and they enjoyed hearing about its history. Actually it was an easy way to introduce the smallbore shooters to Black Powder cartridge target shooting. Who know, maybe we'll get a new shooter or two.

Thank You For All Your Help.

Still looking for the danged camera. [smilie=1:

[Harry Eales]

Hello Hips,

It's 47 years since I got my first BP cartridge rifle. Way back then, I was the only member of my Gun Club to own one. The modern replica's weren't available then so all the rifles and pistols used were originals.

Within a couple of years my club was holding as many BP competitions as it was for smokeless rounds. You have to work much harder to get good accurate BP ammunition than the modern 'needle blower' owners do, but that's all part of the fun of shooting BP.

Once the modern rifle shooters try out one of the old BP rifles, many quickly get converted to 'proper' rifle shooting.

I hope you get many years of enjoyment out of your Borchardt, and, when the time comes
you can pass it on to your own son(s) for their pleasure. BP rifles, if looked after, will last far longer than the modern 'high velocity' weapons that wear their barrels out after a few thousand rounds.

I've wanted a Sharps Borchardt for nearly all my life, but I have yet to see one over here, so I'm making my own from scratch.

Harry

[JoeBrotch]

My Borchardt
Picked up this rusted relic military part (1878 Sharps) for $200 on Calguns forum from a guy that was thinking of building up a SSR on this unknown action he had but did not think it was an easy worthwhile project.

Sold the buttstock and buttplate and went to work, cleaning, grinding, welding pits, polishing, and getting it ready for Al Storey at Borschardt rifle Co. to do his magic to it.

Got it back last week, gorgeous casing and assy of a 32-40 barrel I recontoured/banded for him. Al replaced a few parts, bushed the firing pin, set the barrel, and recased/reblued various parts. Its a beauty.

I purchased a nice pice of wood from Bonetree, nothing special and have it assembled now ready for loading/shooting/and refinishing of wood.
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL149/8996569/19640107/374971041.jpg
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL149/8996569/19640107/374971044.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL149/8996569/19580565/375162966.jpg http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL149/8996569/19580565/375162970.jpg http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL149/8996569/19580565/375162972.jpg http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL149/8996569/19580565/375162976.jpg

[viking03a]

Good Morning,

I have a "Sharps Borchardt" 45-70 a friend brought to me to clean up and make
operational. It appears to be in decent shape, bore looks good with minor pitting
near the chamber, and action is functional except, the spring detent to hold the
drop block operating lever up to the underside of stock is missing.

Is there anyone here that has a pictorial breakdown of the original receiver parts
for this great old rifle, or has one of these sharps ( Old Reliable ) rifles who
could send me any information on this part. I have a machine shop, and can
make a new part for this rifle if I can find out what the original part looked like.

This rifle looks like it may have been packed in cosmolene, as it is coated with a
layer of hard black goo, and the action now is soaking in a can of carburetor cleaner
trying to get the goo off without damaging the surface. This appears to be a military
version of the rifle, as it has full wood in the forestock, and not the shorter hunter
version.

Thanks and have a great day

Viking
Jasper, Georgia