A Dixie Gun Works rifle in the movies

[bones92]

My son and I have been watching the "Sharpe" mini-series, and in season 3 there is an episode where then-Major Sharpe has a shooting match against a young Irish lass.   I noticed something familiar about her rifle, as it is the exact same rifle I own... a DGW "Tennessee Mountain Rifle".   Although, I suspect they had the young actress merely setting off primer in the pan, as the recoil seems a bit light. 

[Dobyns]

DGW made a similar rifle in .32 Tennessee Squirrel Rifle, so might be the latter

[bones92]

Ah, yes, perhaps it was a .32.   In the episode, the Irish girl and her mother arrive at the British camp.  The mother is cousin to Lord Wellington, and wants Wellington to send a search party for her husband.  The ladies say their rifles are American, made in Pennsylvania.   It was a nice touch.  You can tell they had at least one person in the prop department who generally knew their history.

[Dan'l 1946]

800 yards with a round ball is seriously fine shooting!

[Dennis Glazener]

800 yards with a round ball is seriously fine shooting!

Not a problem in the movies
Dennis

[Mike Brooks]

800 yards with a round ball is seriously fine shooting!

Not a problem in the movies
Dennis

You get an extra 100 yards if you use a silk patch. Or so said Mark Baker in the Mohicans.

[bones92]

I'm even more impressed by the solder calling the shots by looking at hits on wooden targets, using just a small brass telescope at 800 yards.   And with either a big smudge or a large chip in the objective lense!

Sure hope nobody in the film crew got shot accidentally. 

[Craig Wilcox]

I have another question about the series, as well as an observation.

Many times when they show a close-up of an actor shooting, there is a marked flinch.  They are not going to hit those targets doing that!

Also noted the character Patrick Harper, a green-jacketed sergeant.  The man carries a multi-barreled firearm, I cannot tell if it is 5, 6 or 7 barrels.  Rather short ones at that.  Any ideas what it is, or where it came from?  In one scene, Sgt. Harper fires a single projectile; while in others, it shows him hitting from 4-7 enemies at one time.  I cannot seem to isolate it enough to get the details.

[Seth Isaacson]

Also noted the character Patrick Harper, a green-jacketed sergeant.  The man carries a multi-barreled firearm, I cannot tell if it is 5, 6 or 7 barrels.  Rather short ones at that.  Any ideas what it is, or where it came from?  In one scene, Sgt. Harper fires a single projectile; while in others, it shows him hitting from 4-7 enemies at one time.  I cannot seem to isolate it enough to get the details.

He has a Nock Volley Gun which is a historical naval firearm from the late 18th century that was pulled from service in the early 19th century by the time of the Sharpe series.

[Craig Wilcox]

Thanks, Seth - appreciate that.

[bones92]

Yep, Sgt Harpers Nock Volley gun seems to get a mention in each episode.   My son and I saw an example at the Charleston museum (before we started watching the series).

https://www.charlestonmuseum.org/research/collection/volley-gun/89A34D29-47C0-46B6-B43B-286472425376

The Sharpe series has some flaws, but overall it's still enjoyable to watch.  My son is captivated by the Napoleonic War period, so the series is more interesting to him.  Of course, Richard Sharpe always seems to end up smooching with one pretty lady or another in each episode.  The treatment of females is somewhat coarse in most episodes, which I suspect is largely accurate, but it feels a bit over-done in the series.

[duca]

What year was this?? I had a DGW rifle in the 80s sold it in the early 2000’s

Anthony

[borderdogs]

I  liked the Sharpe's Series I expect the year is 1993 the series was produced in the early 1990's
Rob

[bones92]

The majority of episodes were made between 1993 and 1997, with a few more being filmed almost 10 years later.

The episodes are listed by first airing date.

No.   Date Aired   Episode Name                   Setting                 Date Set
1   5 May 1993       Sharpe's Rifles   Portugal                 1809
2   12 May 1993       Sharpe's Eagle   Battle of Talavera     1809
3   25 May 1994       Sharpe's Company   Siege of Badajoz      1812
4   1 June 1994       Sharpe's Enemy   Portugal                 1813
5   8 June 1994       Sharpe's Honour   Battle of Vitoria         1813
6   12 April 1995       Sharpe's Gold   Spain                 1813
7   19 April 1995      Sharpe's Battle   Franco–Spanish border     1813
8   26 April 1995      Sharpe's Sword   Franco–Spanish border   1813
9   1 May 1996      Sharpe's Regiment   England   1813
10   8 May 1996      Sharpe's Siege   Bordeaux   1813
11   15 May 1996      Sharpe's Mission   Napoleonic France   1810 and 1813
12   7 May 1997      Sharpe's Revenge   Toulouse   1814
13   14 May 1997      Sharpe's Justice   Yorkshire, Peace of 1814   1814
14   21 May 1997      Sharpe's Waterloo   Battle of Waterloo   1815
15   23 April 2006 (Part 1), 24 April 2006 (Part 2)   Sharpe's Challenge   India   1803 and 1817
16   2 November 2008   Sharpe's Peril   India                        1818


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharpe_(TV_series)

[SR James]

Jess Mellot of the Rifle Shoppe had a Nock’s Volley Rifle they had built at one of the Wanenmacher shows in Tulsa years ago. I recall he said he fired all barrels once. Just once.

[Kopfjaeger]

My Dixie .32 caliber squirrel rifle.

[Keith Zimmerman]

It was Daniel Day Lewis who gets the extra yards.  Not Mark Baker.

[Dan'l 1946]

It was Daniel Day Lewis who gets the extra yards.  Not Mark Baker.

I use scraps of antique Irish linen that my wife gives me. Only get 20 extra yards and that's with a tail wind.

[Bull Shannon]

It was Daniel Day Lewis who gets the extra yards.  Not Mark Baker.

Yep. I liked that movie but have to start it after the stuffed elk gets thrown off the edge of the small cliff. Seeing that stupid pillow go ass over elbow always makes me cringe!

Sharpe's Rifle series, being historical fiction has a lot to like even though there's an occasional mistake or historical inaccuracy, but it's not a documentary. I've got all but one of the DVD's plus now a subscription to Brit Box so I can watch it anytime I want.

" Compliments of Mr. Nock of London " Patrick Harper, Sgt. (Retired)