Old reliable

jimsouth · February 26, 2018, 10:18 AM

Just had a look at a Sharps my friend purchased. I understand it's an East Coast production. Just lovely. He's into the ritual; the reloading, the casting, etc. From a show; and I doubt it was fired more than a dozen times. Pristine , and $1,200. Not exactly sure what he meant by East Coast, as I'm not too familiar with the manufacturing.

Oliver Sudden · February 26, 2018, 11:38 AM

Shiloh Sharps were first made in Farmingdale New York. Then moved to Big Timber Montana in 1983 and are still there. He has a first rate rifle at a bargain price.

JT-AR-MG42 · February 26, 2018, 11:40 AM

I believe your pal was making reference to the Old Reliable Sharps made in
Farmingdale N.Y. before the move of manufacture to Montana
where the company was subsequently sold and re-named Shiloh Sharps.

The Old Reliable name and trademark that the Famingdale Sharps used
were acquired from the earlier Sharps Rifle company out of Arcadia CA, of which Harry Sanford (Auto mag fame) was part of.
Here's a couple of pics of one.

The guns were made in only two calibers.
45-120, like this one and 50-140. Barrels also carried the Old Reliable name.
Fit and finish of the Arcadia guns was below that of the Farmingdales.
New tooling, and the change to the 'new' design two piece firing pin, helped the Shilohs to have a better reputation yet.

JT

Oliver Sudden · February 26, 2018, 01:35 PM

Drovel Tool first made the Shiloh Sharps under the name of Shiloh Products, Inc. in Farmingdale New York. Later the name was changed to Shiloh Rifle Co. In 1983 the company moved to Big Timber Montana were Shiloh and C. Sharps (the distributor) shared the same building. Shiloh continued to be owned and operated by Wolfgang Droege until sold to the Bryants at a later date. This photo is of an early Shiloh Products Sharps made in Farmingdale. It was given to me directly by Wolfgang while I was working with him in 1979 in New York.

IMG_0260 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr
I wasn't aware of the Arcadia Sharps before now. The Old Reliable stamp was on some of the Shiloh barrels until C. Sharps Arms copyrighted the Old Reliable marking in the mid 1980's.

zipspyder · February 26, 2018, 01:37 PM

Isn't that one of the type guns used in Quigly Down Under?

The 45-120

Oliver Sudden · February 26, 2018, 01:49 PM

The type of gun, but the movie used the 45/110 or more properly the 45 x 2 7/8" cartridge.

Jim Watson · February 26, 2018, 01:52 PM

Quigley's rifle was stated to be a .45x 2 7/8" aka .45-110.

The .45x 3 1/4" aka .45-120 is to my understanding, a scarce rechamber after Sharps Rifle Co. folded. But it has a high P factor for the modern fantasist.

AKexpat · February 26, 2018, 06:40 PM

Not a whole lot of performance difference between the .45-110 and the .45-120 except for length of cartridge. I procured a Rem #1 Rolling Block in .45-70 with a burst barrel in the 90's and rebarreled it to .45-120 (just greedy I guess). I wish I had just done it in .45-110 as that .45-120 cartridge is 3-1/4" long at the case and was a pain to reload on .45-70 RCBS dies, and I had to be careful to chamber that long round. It shot my reloaded .45-110 cartridges (new 3-1/4" brass cut down to length) just fine. I used smokeless reloads using 4895 powder.

It probably would have done OK with .45-90, even with a ton of free bore, but I never tried it. .45-70 rounds did not do well at all.

Jim

February 26, 2018, 11:40 AM	#3
JT-AR-MG42 Senior Member Join Date: December 27, 2008 Posts: 555	I believe your pal was making reference to the Old Reliable Sharps made in Farmingdale N.Y. before the move of manufacture to Montana where the company was subsequently sold and re-named Shiloh Sharps. The Old Reliable name and trademark that the Famingdale Sharps used were acquired from the earlier Sharps Rifle company out of Arcadia CA, of which Harry Sanford (Auto mag fame) was part of. Here's a couple of pics of one. The guns were made in only two calibers. 45-120, like this one and 50-140. Barrels also carried the Old Reliable name. Fit and finish of the Arcadia guns was below that of the Farmingdales. New tooling, and the change to the 'new' design two piece firing pin, helped the Shilohs to have a better reputation yet. JT __________________ I hunt not to kill, but rather to have not played golf...

February 26, 2018, 06:40 PM	#8
AKexpat Senior Member Join Date: January 5, 2014 Location: SW WA State Posts: 490	Not a whole lot of performance difference between the .45-110 and the .45-120 except for length of cartridge. I procured a Rem #1 Rolling Block in .45-70 with a burst barrel in the 90's and rebarreled it to .45-120 (just greedy I guess). I wish I had just done it in .45-110 as that .45-120 cartridge is 3-1/4" long at the case and was a pain to reload on .45-70 RCBS dies, and I had to be careful to chamber that long round. It shot my reloaded .45-110 cartridges (new 3-1/4" brass cut down to length) just fine. I used smokeless reloads using 4895 powder. It probably would have done OK with .45-90, even with a ton of free bore, but I never tried it. .45-70 rounds did not do well at all. Jim __________________ To be governed – is to be watched, inspected, directed, indoctrinated, numbered, estimated, regulated, commanded, controlled, law-driven, preached at, spied upon, censured, checked, valued, enrolled – by creatures who have neither the right, nor the wisdom, nor the virtue to do so. - Pierre-Joseph Proudhon

February 26, 2018, 10:18 AM	#1
jimsouth Member Join Date: February 22, 2018 Posts: 77	Old reliable Just had a look at a Sharps my friend purchased. I understand it's an East Coast production. Just lovely. He's into the ritual; the reloading, the casting, etc. From a show; and I doubt it was fired more than a dozen times. Pristine , and $1,200. Not exactly sure what he meant by East Coast, as I'm not too familiar with the manufacturing.

February 26, 2018, 11:38 AM	#2
Oliver Sudden Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2017 Location: Colorado Posts: 272	Shiloh Sharps were first made in Farmingdale New York. Then moved to Big Timber Montana in 1983 and are still there. He has a first rate rifle at a bargain price.

February 26, 2018, 01:35 PM	#4
Oliver Sudden Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2017 Location: Colorado Posts: 272	Drovel Tool first made the Shiloh Sharps under the name of Shiloh Products, Inc. in Farmingdale New York. Later the name was changed to Shiloh Rifle Co. In 1983 the company moved to Big Timber Montana were Shiloh and C. Sharps (the distributor) shared the same building. Shiloh continued to be owned and operated by Wolfgang Droege until sold to the Bryants at a later date. This photo is of an early Shiloh Products Sharps made in Farmingdale. It was given to me directly by Wolfgang while I was working with him in 1979 in New York. IMG_0260 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr I wasn't aware of the Arcadia Sharps before now. The Old Reliable stamp was on some of the Shiloh barrels until C. Sharps Arms copyrighted the Old Reliable marking in the mid 1980's.

February 26, 2018, 01:37 PM	#5
zipspyder Junior member Join Date: June 13, 2017 Posts: 429	Isn't that one of the type guns used in Quigly Down Under? The 45-120

February 26, 2018, 01:49 PM	#6
Oliver Sudden Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2017 Location: Colorado Posts: 272	The type of gun, but the movie used the 45/110 or more properly the 45 x 2 7/8" cartridge.

February 26, 2018, 01:52 PM	#7
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,535	Quigley's rifle was stated to be a .45x 2 7/8" aka .45-110. The .45x 3 1/4" aka .45-120 is to my understanding, a scarce rechamber after Sharps Rifle Co. folded. But it has a high P factor for the modern fantasist.