Sharps vs. Maynard: An Update

[Eggman]

As a result of previous communications via this forum an unofficial inter-team challenge was issued from Little Norm Horne ontoward myself. Norm contended that his Sharps carbine was every bit the equal of my Maynard and submitted that he would prove such at the next skirmish, i.e., the Palmetto Donnybrook at Statesville, NC. So we divided ourselves on to two Iredell carbine teams and commenced shooting. At the risk of violating our commander's edict, "Don't stir up stuff!!", the following is the result.
My experience with the Maynard was relatively new and I selected to compete using my "Teddy Roosevelt Real Big Ulta-special Large Elephant Killer Bullelts," and a light charge of fffg black powder. The Maynard was a little spaszmodic at times, but in the end Norm and me ended up with 19 hits each. Norm declared this a tie even though the Maynard shot 13 inches low at 50 yards.
Could it the the Sharps is really the equal of the Maynard??? I've seen Lani Harrison of the 44th Georgia bust considerable targets with his Sharps, but everyone knows he had some hermit in the Okefenokee put some kind of special spell on his carbine. I'm at a loss.

[Lou Lou Lou]

Did you both get 19 hits in the same elapsed time?

What were the other 4 people doing to get the one clay?
For a slight fee I can arbitrate this matter. For a slightly larger fee, I will call it any way you want.

[John Holland]

Lou, Lou, Lou, is right on the money on this one!

If you both had the same number of hits, then the one who had the least amount of elapsed time is the winner!

JDH

[Eggman]

I don't think anyone is willing to admit what the total times were.

[Joe Plakis, 9575V]

Okay, No times I guess we will have to go with a string measurement? Green

[kowdok]

I hate to be the one to resolve the issue of the Sharpes vs the Maynard, especially since I love my Maynard, but the Sharpes hit-time was 31 vs the Maynard hit-time of 100. Of course we all know how much difference the nut behind the buttplate makes.
Kowdok----Team Commander of the Sharpes and Maynard

[marv762]

If you factor in the loading time::::: Maynard wins!!!

[Eggman]

Jim didn't factor in the two Coke breaks I took.

[Lou Lou Lou]

What do you mean by "hit time"? 31vs 100

Egg had a hit every 31 seconds? 9 minutes+
Norm had a hit every 100 seconds? 1900 seconds is 31 minutes. What kind of a clayboard is that?

Inquiring minds want to know. How about a 5 minute clay board?
Stir, Stir, Stir

[kowdok]

OK - Lou, Lou, Lou - I've got to put my two cents worth in here. First of all, it was Norm, with the Sharps, that shot the stated hit time of 31 and Egg shot the 100 with the Maynard. But that was a hit time for the whole match, not just the pigeon board. The total hit time for the team that Norm shot on was lower than the team that Egg shot on. However, I owe anyone interested in these numbers an apology. I picked up some numbers for a different calculation that I put on the paper Jim was looking at. I believe the proper match hit times should be 28 for Norm with his Sharps and 61 for Egg with his Maynard. They both broke a lot of targets!

On a serious note - sorry, guys, for the "misinformation". :oops: Marty R

[kowdok]

OOOH - Egg, I just saw your post about the Coke breaks - was it two? I need to check the statistics on those calculations again, I guess! :D

M.R.

[Lou Lou Lou]

Y'all are way too serious. Good shooting, regardless.
I have a program for Hits per minute that is real simple. Let me know if you want it.

[norman horne, 12321]

Since I am the other partner in this "dance", guess it's my turn to "cut" in. Lou,Lou,Lou, it's not that serious; just some good, clean bantering between teammates. I have read about, and witnessed, the problems some folks have had with their Sharps, but can say that I have shot my mine for a couple years and have never had a problem with cycling the lever, breechblock "freezing" up, or anything related to loading this weapon. I know this helps my hit time. I would like to see your formula. See you in about seven weeks. Take care, Norm. PS. In your spare time, how about making sure our (Blues) campsite is policed up for our arrival!!!

[Lou Lou Lou]

We will have to consult with our landscaping contractor. There is a fee payable in QUALITY beer, IF he is amenable

[Eggman]

Norm I know when things got hot how my uncle Randall replaced the liquid in the water jacket of his 1917 water cooled machine gun back on the Marne during the Big WWI, but how exactly do you replace the lube that vaporized, and eliminate the carbon build-up on that Sharps breechblock during the heat of competition??? I've seen you run off into the woods now and then, but I didn't think it had anything to do with the Sharps.

[norman horne, 12321]

As yet, havn't had to take a whiz during the heat of competition, but with advancing age, I will not rule out that it may happen someday!! I do take great care in cleaning my Sharps after a match to make sure there is no "old" lube/carbon left in the b block or fire channels. I lube the action with white lithium grease; all other metal surfaces get coated with a secret formula that I make up in my Frankenstienean lab at home. I lube my ammo with a combination of beeswax and bear lard(yes, I render real bear fat to get the lard, but them suckers are sure hard to catch and hold down long enough to skin)!

[Gary Van Kauwenbergh, 101]

I have been using bear grease and beeswax lube for over a decade in everything. Musket, carbine, pistol, Henry, smoothbore.
It's slicker than snot on a doorknob! If you touch bear grease, it'll still feel slippery on the spot you touched hours later.
I haven't found anything like it, and encourage anyone who can get their hands on some to try it.

[Lou Lou Lou]

Gary
Where do yu keep yours? I will stop by later.

[R. McAuley 3014V]

Before you gents get too excited and begin bragging about where your grease came from, do be aware that any parts rendered from or obtained from illegally taken endangered species (to include the American Black Bear and American Brown Bear) make you an accessory to that act, and will render you liable for any action taken against the individual(s) who took the bear, if it was an illegal taking. Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) a “taking” is defined to include to ‘harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, capture, or collect, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct.’ – 16 U.S.C. §1532(19)

Also, any product from a “taking” of any endangered species is subject to confiscation, which if your lube is made from bear fat or tallow, even rendered as residual grease or oil, or even loaded ammo if lubed with such grease would be subject to confiscation. This is not to say that either bear species may never be de-listed from the ESA. As of July 2009, only 46 species had been taken off the list, and only 15 were designated as “recovered,” while the rest of the delisting involved different reasons, such as a determination that the species was extinct, or the discovery of new information indicating the species should not have been listed in the first place.

http://ecos.fws.gov/tess_public/DelistingReport.do

Don't want any of my friends to get into trouble over any "lube" recipes

[Gary Van Kauwenbergh, 101]

Lou, Lou, Lou.

I wouldn't know about illegally taken bears, but I keep my rendered tallow in the freezer. The bear population in Wisconsin has soared in recent years, and it's not too hard to find a hunter.

About every other year, I mix up a new batch of lube in the microwave. I drilled the caps from a number of commerially bought lube tubes, insert a wooden dowel, and make my own lubrasizer lube catridges.

I like to think I'm frugle, but my wife says I'm cheap. Who're you going to believe; me, or someone with really bad taste in men?

[norman horne, 12321]

Ut Oh. Can-o-worms been opened! Thank you Sir, for your concern. Not sure about being on an endangered species list, but I know for a fact that we have a hunting season for the American Black Bear each year in the great state of NC; they send me one "big game" bear tag each season. I can gaurantee that what I use is legally "taken", though not sure how anyone could tell "legal" bearfat form "illegal" bearfat. We do have to report our kills to the NC Wildlife Commision; maybe that could be used to satisfy the legality of any suspect product. I will add that not only is it a good lube, it makes one of the best boot/leather treatments you will ever find. Again, thanks. Norm.

[Eggman]

You all have wandered into the rhelm of the "Buckskinner." All these folks are finely attuned to the vagarities of lawlessness via bear grease, hawk or eagle feathers (they substitute legal wild turkey), bone necklaces, etc. etc.. My recommendation for those not closely associated with such a person is to contact Track of the Wolf who will provide you with legal grease or refer you someone who is a legal source. Those Minnesota folks eat bear and beaver as a habit.

[Eggman]

Checked with my hard core mule skinner and general wildlife sage/friend on the Upper Missouri about the bear grease thing -- he also suggested Track of the Wolf, and of all things, North Carolina taverns!!!
That puts it back in your court Norm.
I'm wondering about New Jersey road kills. Should be enough of these to supply the whole northeast.

[norman horne, 12321]

No more time; heading out for the skirmish in Statesville. Sure hope the bearfat cops are not out in force today(being legal does not mean not being stopped)!!

[Lou Lou Lou]

My Laboratory, has developed a method for determining if said bear fat is from a legally taken animal. Please FEDEX me all of your lube for testing.

P.S. the testing will consume all of the material tested. ;)

[R. McAuley 3014V]

Just to confirm your address so DOJ can get it on the warrant, guess they can find you at JJP? You take Red Cockaded Woodpecker grease too? My freezer accidently got unplugged and so I lost all my Sheppard’s Pie ingredients.

[Southron Sr.]

I am thinking about converting my Sharps to a centerfire and having a new barrel for it made in .300 Winchester Magnum. A Sharps action can easily take magnum pressures because it is so strong.

I am sure you can do that with a Maynard.....OOPS! I forgot, a Maynard action is only about as strong as a BB gun action, so you can't rechameber it for much of a cartridge.Oh Well, you can still use Maynards for shooting hummingbirds, etc.

Yeah! I know the Small Arms Committee might question a Sharps in 300 Winchester Magnum but I am working on the documentation right now!

[Eggman]

I'm sure you wont have any trouble getting a center fire, cartridge Sharps through the small arms committee. Another possibility, since you're considering using powder charges in the 100, 200, 300 grain range, you might consider rheaming out the barrrel and entering the Sharps in the smoothbore competition.

[Eggman]

It's ream doggone it!! It's all the stupid air conditioner man's fault. My spelling has gone to the dogs ever since the 5th grade. My trigger finger spazed out.

[R. McAuley 3014V]

Hey Brannen,

Guess it's been two or three years ago, but there was a gent wandering around Sulter's Row at the Nationals trying to sell a smoothbore barrel for an original Sharps but didn't quite know what he had. It was one of the 26-bore (approx. .58 caliber) barrels for the rare 1853 Sharps Carbine "shotgun" variant made between 1854 and 1856. They only made about 320! Seems to me that ought to be legal for smoothbore, and not even require a SAC card?

[Southron Sr.]

Richard:
Can always find the best "deals" on Sutler's Row! That is another one of your many talents.

Here is my "Yard Sale Find" story:

Not too long ago I was at a Yard Sale here in my home town. The old lady conducting the yard sale told me that she had her
G-G-Grandfather's "rifle" he had carried in the Mexican War. MY ears perked up. At worst it was probably a M1816, possibly a M1842 and better yet even a Whitney Mississippi Rifle. (the Ordnance Department issued Whitney made M1841's to the 1st Mississippi Regiment right before the regiment embarked for Mexico.)

So, I pretty much talked her into selling it to me. She told me that she wanted it to have a "Good Home." She told me that she wouldn't take more than $100.00 for it because she knew my father and grandfather. So, she went into the house and shortly re-appeared with the treasured gun.

My question: Did the Ordnance Department issue any rusty, single barrel, 16 Gauge "J.C. Higgins" single barrel shotguns to any of the Georgia units leaving to fight in Mexico? She swears that it is the gun her G-G-Grandfather used in Mexico and the stock was busted in some battle in Mexico!

So far, I have resisted temptation to purchase her treasured family gun.

[Southron Sr.]

UPDATE---UPDATE---UPDATE

Dear Richard:

I talked the old lady down to $25.00 for her G-G-Grandfather's "Mexican War" rusty, broken stock, J.C. Higgins single barrel shotgun.

I carried it up to an antique shop in Madison for an appraisal. I ended up trading to that antique dealer that Mexican War, J.C. Higgins shotgun for THREE original Maynard Carbines in NRA Factory New condition.

Did that antique Dealer take advantage of me????

Inquiring minds want to know!

Your Old Friend
Southron