Hopalong Cassidy

[Buffalo Creek Law Dog]

While sitting on my sit down mower chopping up leaves, I was listening to a Hopalong Cassidy radio show. To save a friend's life who was 1500 yds away and being terrorized by a bad guy, he borrowed a rifle from a guy that was with him and shot the bad guy in the head.  The rifle that was used, Hoppy called it a 450 Sharps and he referred to it twice by that name.  I have a Pedersoli '74 Sharps in 45-70 but, I never heard of a 450 Sharps. Unless, he was referring to the bullet weight.  I suspect it is just Hollywood again?

[Sedalia Dave]

50-70-450 or .50 1 1/4"

[irish ike, SASS #43615]

Hollywood, non reality based on everything.

[Rex M Rugers #6621]

In the Hopalong novels,he carries a Sharps rifle. I don't remember if the specific caliber is mentioned.

Rex 

[Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967]

16 hours ago, Sedalia Dave said:

50-70-450 or .50 1 1/4"

 

Dave's right.  

 

The 50-70-450 (.50 caliber - 70 grains black powder - 450 grain bullet) was the official cartridge of the U S military from 1866 until 1873.  The 1866 Trapdoor Springfield was the original rifle chambered for the 50-70-450, but the government had about 31,000 leftover percussion Sharps carbines converted for cavalry use.  Fairly likely that a few full-length rifles may have been included. 

 

When the .45-70 was adopted, most of the .50's were sold off as surplus.  Prob'ly pretty cheap at that.

 

Dang, but that's a bunch o' Sharps!    

[Trailrider #896]

25 minutes ago, Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 said:

 

Dave's right.  

 

The 50-70-450 (.50 caliber - 70 grains black powder - 450 grain bullet) was the official cartridge of the U S military from 1866 until 1873.  The 1866 Trapdoor Springfield was the original rifle chambered for the 50-70-450, but the government had about 31,000 leftover percussion Sharps carbines converted for cavalry use.  Fairly likely that a few full-length rifles may have been included. 

 

When the .45-70 was adopted, most of the .50's were sold off as surplus.  Prob'ly pretty cheap at that.

 

Dang, but that's a bunch o' Sharps!    

Ordnance records stop, or at least cannot be found...I tried for years, but the National Archives can't find them...after June 1876. Up until that date the Quarterly Reports of Arms and Ammunition in the Hands of the Troops showed a small number of Sharps Carbines and Springfield Rifles (M1867/68) remained in the inventory of various units. These were used to issue to civilian employees if the QM Dept. who were in the field with the troops, e.g., teamsters and packers. There were five Sharps Carbines, cal. .50 (.50-70-450) issued to Co. G, 3rd Cavalry, at Sidney Barracks, NE, from when they came down from Ft. D.A. Russell in 1873, through the end of the records in 1876.  These Sharps were undoubted also used for target practice by those company commanders inclined to have such practice.  There was 50,000 rounds of .50-70 ammo on hand at Sidney. Why, wouldn't the troops practice with .45-55-405 ammo? Because the budget only allowed for 3 rounds per man per month for practice!  At least one of those Sharps is known to exist that was apparently purchased by one of the teamsters, Henry Pell, who carved his last name in the stock, most likely to distinguish it from the other four while he was employed there. (Serial numbers were not recorded, and there is no record of the sale. But he would not have autographed a stolen weapon.)  Those carbines could also be utilized for "foraging" (hunting) by the troops to supplement their issued foods.

 

It's fairly obvious that Hollywood and even Louis L'amour weren't too up on guns and ammo.  In L'amour's case, he got better at it in his later books. In some instances, he referred to M1848 Colt's Dragoons as being ".44 rimfire", although I suppose the gun could have been converted. Also he refers several places to "two barrel derringers, in .44 caliber.  There may have been such a critter, but the Remington O/U Double Derringers were mostly .41 Short Rimfire.  Oh, well...

 

Stay well and safe, and alert, Pards!  No telling what kinds of unrest will result, no matter what the results of the election turn out to be.