doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com A different Sharps dilemma

I have a modern made 1877 Sharps (Axtell). It was recently refitted with a new Wonderbarrel for long range target work. And that new barrel requires a new forearm, which has been fitted to the rifle.

All that remains is to shape the outside of it and then finish and checker. But it occurs to me that I don't have to follow the old forearm's profile which has a rather large and ridged schnable like a Winchester '85. I don't much like that shape.

So, what would anyone suggest? I have paged through the very few photos in Seller's book and the thin-lipped schnable that is more similar to a Ballard Pacific (or the OLD Farmingdale Shiloh Sharps) seems to be the norm for the M77 Sharps though it seems they were made in several configurations.

But I would entertain suggestions if any were to be offered.

Brent

Brent, Why not an ineresting pewter tip, nothing factory looking, but something unique.

Mike, I once lusted after a Sharps with a pewter forearm tip like a young man lusts after his first Playboy Pin-up. But over the years, that I guess that lust has been tempered some.

I have a history of making god-awful, too big, too thick schnables on forearms and finding just the right shape has always eluded me. Of all the guns out there, I love the refinement of the Ballards' shape or the simplicity of the Farmingdale and original Sharps schnable, so I could and may do that here. But this is an M77 with some fairly fancy fiddle walnut (Claro?), so maybe something a bit more upscale is needed.

Anyway, I am casting for ideas. The pewter might go, but it would have to be a non-Shiloh shape.

You were right the first time, if you have a nice piece of wood a simple tasteful tip is not only sufficient, but preferable. One of my custom rifle pet peeves is the over abundance of stuff put on them apparently to impress other gun makers or the great unwashed. Many people over-do, when less looks and lasts better. I just rounded mine off!

You see the same thing in cars: it is almost impossible to find a restored 1950's car without wide white walls, fender skirts and fuzzy dice. As someone who was alive then...

If it were mine, I would put an ebony tip on it.Mori

Ack! no ebony tip! I think of those as after thoughts. At least the ones that are simply cut straight and just rounded off, looks like an after thought to me.

Ah, this is why we need so many rifles - each of us has to chase our own.

Not much point in offering this if you don't like ebony. Styled like a Ballard
Am doing a similar forend on the current Low Wall.

I chose a very classic ebony for the only '77 I built.

Schnables with large barrels tend to look like the appendage on the underside of a horse, IMO.