The Mathew Quigley rifle

[Johnny Angel]

Perusing through Netflix earlier, I came across Quigley Down Under. I had watched the movie before, but it had been a while. Throughout the movie, I found myself trying to figure out how Quigley's rifle would be created using GURPS. If some of the more mechanical minded members of the GURPS community would care to take a shot at this, I'd my much obliged. Below is some information about the rifle which I quoted from a Wikipedia article.

Quigley says of his rifle:

It’s a lever-action, breech loader. Usual barrel length’s thirty inches. This one has an extra four. It’s converted to use a special forty-five caliber, hundred and ten grain metal cartridge, with a five-hundred and forty grain paper-patched bullet. It’s fitted with double set triggers, and a Vernier sight. It’s marked up to twelve-hundred yards. This one shoots a mite further.

Three fully functional .45-110 rifles matching the above description were built for the film in 1989 by the Shiloh Rifle Co. of Big Timber, Montana, United States. They also had a 15 1⁄4 inch length of pull to fit Selleck's tall frame, a full octagon heavy barrel with a blue finish, and weighed 13 1⁄2 pounds. Due to the weight, one of the rifles was sent back to Shiloh to be refitted with an aluminum barrel so it could be swung faster (as a club) in fight scenes. After the filming concluded, Selleck kept all three rifles, and had two of them reconditioned by Shiloh Rifle Co.

The full article can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quigley_Down_Under

[lachimba]

Originally Posted by Johnny Angel

Perusing through Netflix earlier, I came across Quigley Down Under. I had watched the movie before, but it had been a while. Throughout the movie, I found myself trying to figure out how Quigley's rifle would be created using GURPS. If some of the more mechanical minded members of the GURPS community would care to take a shot at this, I'd my much obliged. Below is some information about the rifle which I quoted from a Wikipedia article.

Quigley says of his rifle:

It’s a lever-action, breech loader. Usual barrel length’s thirty inches. This one has an extra four. It’s converted to use a special forty-five caliber, hundred and ten grain metal cartridge, with a five-hundred and forty grain paper-patched bullet. It’s fitted with double set triggers, and a Vernier sight. It’s marked up to twelve-hundred yards. This one shoots a mite further.

Three fully functional .45-110 rifles matching the above description were built for the film in 1989 by the Shiloh Rifle Co. of Big Timber, Montana, United States. They also had a 15 1⁄4 inch length of pull to fit Selleck's tall frame, a full octagon heavy barrel with a blue finish, and weighed 13 1⁄2 pounds. Due to the weight, one of the rifles was sent back to Shiloh to be refitted with an aluminum barrel so it could be swung faster (as a club) in fight scenes. After the filming concluded, Selleck kept all three rifles, and had two of them reconditioned by Shiloh Rifle Co.

The full article can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quigley_Down_Under

Memory might be playing tricks here, but I thought this had already already been dealt with. I am sure someone else will remember better.

[Johnny Angel]

Originally Posted by lachimba

Memory might be playing tricks here, but I thought this had already already been dealt with. I am sure someone else will remember better.

Probably. I did a search, and I did find a few discussions of the movie, but I haven't found any crunch concerning the rifle yet. I'll keep looking.

[SchmugginsTheDwarve]

The stats for the Sharps Model 1874 rifle in .45-110 are on page 110 of 4e High-Tech.

[Verjigorm]

Wikpedia says that it's an 1874 Sharps rifle, which is in High-Tech pg 110:
dam 5d pi+, acc 4, rng 360/3900, weight 10.7lbs/.01, roF 1, Shots 1(3) ST 11(double dagger), bulk -6, rcl 4, Cost $1000.

I figger Quigley is probably hand-loading his own match ammo, so he's looking at ACC 5, and if the weapon is Fine or Very Fine(accurate) we're looking at ACC 7 by the time you're shooting it. Quigley probably has a weapon bond with this rifle.

[Langy]

Originally Posted by Verjigorm

Wikpedia says that it's an 1874 Sharps rifle, which is in High-Tech pg 110:
dam 5d pi+, acc 4, rng 360/3900, weight 10.7lbs/.01, roF 1, Shots 1(3) ST 11(double dagger), bulk -6, rcl 4, Cost $1000.

I figger Quigley is probably hand-loading his own match ammo, so he's looking at ACC 5, and if the weapon is Fine or Very Fine(accurate) we're looking at ACC 7 by the time you're shooting it. Quigley probably has a weapon bond with this rifle.

It's a modified 1874 Sharps rifle in a different caliber and with a longer barrel. The stats in High-Tech don't apply.

[HANS]

Originally Posted by Langy

It's a modified 1874 Sharps rifle in a different caliber and with a longer barrel. The stats in High-Tech don't apply.

The rifle used by Quigley is a Sharps Model 1863 (a muzzle-loader) converted at the factory to the Model 1874 configuration, using a 34" barrel and the .45-110 cartridge. Many period weapons were made this way.

Using the stats for a very fine (accurate) Model 1874 is quite applicable, until High-Tech: Adventure Guns arrives.

Cheers

HANS

[Langy]

Originally Posted by HANS

The rifle used by Quigley is a Sharps Model 1863 (a muzzle-loader) converted at the factory to the Model 1874 configuration, using a 34" barrel and the .45-110 cartridge. Many period weapons were made this way.

Using the stats for a very fine (accurate) Model 1874 is quite applicable, until High-Tech: Adventure Guns arrives.

Cheers

HANS

Ah - didn't notice the High-Tech stats included the Sharps 1874 in the .45-110 cartridge (in the weapon description). It doesn't change the damage or range from the stock .50-90 caliber rifle, oddly enough.

To match it better with the movie weapon, the range would probably be increased slightly due to the barrel being longer than normal, but I have no idea how much of an increase that would be - probably just a few hundred yards of extra range. And, of course, the weight would be changed to 13.5 pounds.

[Johnny Angel]

Originally Posted by HANS

The rifle used by Quigley is a Sharps Model 1863 (a muzzle-loader) converted at the factory to the Model 1874 configuration, using a 34" barrel and the .45-110 cartridge. Many period weapons were made this way.

Using the stats for a very fine (accurate) Model 1874 is quite applicable, until High-Tech: Adventure Guns arrives.

Cheers

HANS

Thanks.

Originally Posted by Langy

Ah - didn't notice the High-Tech stats included the Sharps 1874 in the .45-110 cartridge (in the weapon description). It doesn't change the damage or range from the stock .50-90 caliber rifle, oddly enough.

To match it better with the movie weapon, the range would probably be increased slightly due to the barrel being longer than normal, but I have no idea how much of an increase that would be - probably just a few hundred yards of extra range. And, of course, the weight would be changed to 13.5 pounds.

I missed it too.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by Langy

Ah - didn't notice the High-Tech stats included the Sharps 1874 in the .45-110 cartridge (in the weapon description). It doesn't change the damage or range from the stock .50-90 caliber rifle, oddly enough.

To match it better with the movie weapon, the range would probably be increased slightly due to the barrel being longer than normal, but I have no idea how much of an increase that would be - probably just a few hundred yards of extra range. And, of course, the weight would be changed to 13.5 pounds.

Multiple hundreds of yards for going from 30" to 34" with black powder? You'll be lucky not to lose range/velocity from the increased barrel friction. I don't think you'd get 200 yards of extra range out of going from 20" to 24" with smokeless powder.

Nope, all these differences are below the Gurps level of resolution and due to the TL5 lack of real ballistic knowledge there might not even be real differences.