Still-Life Images, 2012

[Leigh]

Leland, in reality, is the hammer a different colour than the rest of the gun?

The hammer on the SA Army was case hardened.

This is a chemical process for hardening steel to a depth of perhaps 0.040" to 0.080". It does not require high heat.
It leaves a random "rainbow" of colors, generally in greens and blues, covering the surface.

Case hardening was only used on parts subject to stress, like the hammer.
The frame, cylinder, ejector rod, and barrel were blued, which produces a uniform deep blue color.

- Leigh

[LelandRay]

Good catch on the hammer, Leigh, though the frame was case hardened as well. This is a "3rd Generation" Colt, and while the hammer IS case hardened, the sides were polished bright, probably for some aesthetic consideration. All the 1st and 2nd Gen guns I've seen had unpolished case hardening. The Schofield hammer is case hardened so you can see the color, while on the Colt you can only see it by looking at the top and back of the hammer.

There won't be any further large format images of firearms, as these are the only ones I have. I spent a day shooting these two with Plus X and with E100SW slide film. Come to think of it, though, I do have a rack full of nice Shiloh Sharps rifles I could "shoot," though I actually do use two of them in BPCR competition.

[Leigh]

OK. Perhaps I was getting my models confused. I haven't seen an SA in person in many decades.

Beautiful piece, and a great photo of it.

Hmmm... Sharps... .50 cal?

- Leigh

[Tom J McDonald]

Thanks guys.

I prefer the look and shape of the second pistol, but LOVE the handle on the first. If you could combine the two, it'd be perfect.

Tom.

[LelandRay]

Hmmm... Sharps... .50 cal?

- Leigh

I have six of them: A Model 1874 Sporter #3 in 45-70 fitted with a 6x Malcolm scope; an 1874 45-90 Sporter #1 with long range tang sight; a Model 1863 .54-caliber military musket; Model 1863 .54-caliber cavalry carbine; Model 1874 Saddle Rifle in 50-70 Government, and a Model 1874 Sporter #3 in .50-2 1/2 (50-90) with Winchester B4 4x scope. I have pictures of all of them, but mostly for documentary purposes, though I think I could come up with something using the 4x5 format. Been thinking about it anyway.

[Leigh]

Wow. That's a nice collection!

I've never encountered the .50-90 load. With that scope I bet it was a buffalo gun.

I think there was a .50-110 Sharps. The cartridge looks more like a shotgun shell.

Thanks.

- Leigh

[LelandRay]

Leigh, the 50-110 is just another loading of the 50-90. The caliber+powder charge designation did not come from Sharps, but from Winchester, when they began loading it commercially. The original was a paper patched bullet of 473 grains over about 100 grains of powder.

The buff hunters used open sights, as they hunted from moderate ranges. I added a period style scope for the simple reason that I have lousy vision.

[Wes Stewart]

That SA is a thing of beauty, and you captured it nicely.

[Leigh]

Cool, Leland. Thanks for the info.

I was never really into bp except to pour it down the muzzle.

Thanks.

- Leigh

[sly]

mdm, Americans don't understand that their passion/reverence/obsession/ with guns is disturbing and kinda scary to non-Americans. (Maybe for some residents of the USA as well.) I've not done a search, but I bet most if not all the photos of guns or other weapons on this site are by Americans. Certainly watching Antiques Road Show weapons of various kinds show up much more often on the American version than the English one.
It's their culture. It's not going to change. Cultural standards vary widely. Our own culture always seems like the norm. I'm very glad I was born on this side of the line.