Sharp shooter

Register to hide this ad
sipowicz said:
Just learned from Pawn Stars that the term comes from Sharps rifle shooters back in the day. Cool :)
Click to expand...

Pawn Stars and Cajun Pawn Stars really do know their stuff concerning firearms.

American Pickers, little education here and there.

My favorite 3 programs that I never miss.;)
 
During the early competition days, the BIG competition was between Ireland, England, Great Britain and Canada. In the first match at Bisley, the US won by shooting a perfect score at 1000 yards to beat Ireland by one point. The best shooters were using Sharps, so they were referred to as "Sharp's shooters".

During the American revolution, an Irish-American marksman named Timothy Murphy was told to climb up into the trees and kill the officers and sergeants. He asked how he could tell. His commander said "Start by shooting the one's with the most gold on their uniforms. Those are the officers"--hence the expression "Go for the gold!"

I believe Billy Dixon is the only civilian to win the Medal of Honor.
 
If you think the people on Pawn Stars know their gun lore, you haven't watched much. During the Civil War, there were Berdan's Sharp Shooters, and they weren't using Sharps rifles. The expression goes back long before. Still an interesting program, and they do show respect for the history of the guns that come in.
 
labworm said:
Pawn Stars and Cajun Pawn Stars really do know their stuff concerning firearms.

.;)
Click to expand...

This is sarcasm right? Recently Pawn Stars had a Sharps Mod. 1874 on and said this was the gun that the buffalo hunters used. Well someone of them might have used that style Sharps but according to my sources the buffalo hunters used Sharps rifle but this was a musket. Check out Frank Sellers excellent book on Sharps rifles. This is acknowledged as THE source on Sharps.

I don't always agree with the info that is given on that program about guns. I like the program and watch it but their gun "expert" doesn't agree with my expert or with acknowledged expert authors that I have read.

The term "sharp shooter" does come from Berdan's unit of riflemen that all purchased and shot Sharps rifles and were utilized in a snipers role.

Rant over.
 
Last edited:
I kinda lost faith in Ricks "firearms expert" when he said the Colt SAA Rick was thinking about buying didn't have all matching numbers. He was looking at the assembley # on the loading gate. If my BIL or a bud made a mistake like that= no big deal. But for someone who introduces himself as a "expert"?

But I do like Chumley and the "Old man."
 
bigolddave said:
If you think the people on Pawn Stars know their gun lore, you haven't watched much. During the Civil War, there were Berdan's Sharp Shooters, and they weren't using Sharps rifles. The expression goes back long before. Still an interesting program, and they do show respect for the history of the guns that come in.
Click to expand...

Why do you think they didn't use Sharps rifles? They had the actual rifles, BTW. Cavalry often used the shorter carbines, also known as Beecher's Bibles, as some were shipped in boxes labled "Bibles". They went to anti-slavery activists in border states. I think John Brown's lot had some.

The Confederacy copied the Sharps, but some didn't fare well, as the troops were not well instructed in their use.

Got any Civil War buffs here who know the manufacturer of the Confederate version? Robbins & Lawrence? Haven't read about them since I was in junior high school, too many years ago.

NOTE: the fiction series that was also a TV series about Sharpes Rifles did NOT use the arm developed in the USA by Christian Sharps. I didn't see the series or read the books (yet), but I think they had Baker rifles. This Napoleonic Wars series was named for an officer whose name was Sharpe. His command was called Sharpe's Rifles for that reason. They may have been part of the Rifle Regiment or the 60th Rifles. Back then, most British troops were still armed with Brown Bess muskets. And they sold many to the Republic of Mexico. Texans faced those in our revolution, which was against Mexico, not against the UK.
 
Last edited:
'Sharp' shooters

Yeah, I always figured that it was their shooting that was sharp, but I've seen it referred to as 'Sharp's shooters'. I kinda like what they said about the 'Henry' rifle being called "that damned Yankee rifle that they load on Sunday and shoot all week!"
 
Berdan Sharpshooters were the 1st and 2nd regiment of United States Sharpshooters ( USSS ).

They were issued several different models of longarms including Colt revolving rifles. They were originally told at recruitment they could bring their own target rifles with them into the service. Originally they needed to pass a marksmanship test to muster into these 2 regiments.

They were enentually equiped with the 1859 Sharpe three band military rifle. This is what they had been promised at enlistment.

The regiments served from 1861 to 1865 generally with the 3rd and later the 2nd Corp in the AOP.

There are several interesting books on these sharpshooters.

LTC
Co. C (Pa. Co.)
2nd USSS
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

CAJUNLAWYER
.21 Sharp???????
Replies
14
Views
660
Dave Lively
D
W
Which Shiloh Sharps rifle would YOU choose?
2
Replies
21
Views
2K
Ivan the Butcher
I
THE PILGRIM
Babe was a Shooter!
2
Replies
22
Views
2K
pawngal
P
R
Revolver Questions
Replies
3
Views
146
Rocketmedic40
R
KFW
Model 64, 65, 66, 67 in Shooters Bible
Replies
3
Views
455
GyMac
G

Latest posts

Back
Top