"Sharpe's Rifles"

[PaMark]

"Sharpe's Gold":
Upon the arrival in Wellington's encampment (Spain, c.1813) of two unaccompanied women, an upper class twit British Officer sneers at the arms carried-- Rifles-- as "ladies guns"
Richard Sharpe is more impressed:
Sharpe "It's fortunate you had these"
Miss Nugent: "They're American..of Pennsylvania make."
Sharpe:"None Better."

 

[Trench]

Fun, but it gets rediculous when they compete on targets out to 600 or 800 yards....and with a .32 caliber rifle. :thumbsup: Love the series, but I don't know who the numbskull who wrote that scene was thinking. :grin:

 

[Dan Goad]

I think it was 100 yds, not 7 or 800. I think the wording was "target set at a hundred yards."
The next time I am on You Tube I'll watch it again to make sure.

 

[Trench]

Deffinitely re-watch that portion. You'll see.

 

[Dan Goad]

I just watched that episode again and I was right.
Hagman (John Tams) said "Targets set at a hundred yards." I thing his thick Derbyshire accent is throwing you off a bit. I can see how you thought you heard 800 yards, his accent and tone make it difficult to distinguish between "a" and "8."

 

[Trench]

I just watched that episode again and I was right.
Hagman (John Tams) said "Targets set at a hundred yards." I thing his thick Derbyshire accent is throwing you off a bit. I can see how you thought you heard 800 yards, his accent and tone make it difficult to distinguish between "a" and "8."

I watched it again too, and thought I was right! However, 800 yards just doesn't make any sense at all and I'm more than happy to yield to your explanation of me mistaking "a" for "8".

Instead of keeping our appointment of "grass before breakfast" I hope you will accept my hand in friendship, like a true gentleman. :grin:

 

[Dan Goad]

No apology necessary, my friend. I may have had a huge advantage since I was stationed in England for three years during my Air Force years and am familiar with the various accents and dialects of the different regions there. I even had a slight british accent upon my return stateside. My main interest in the Sharpe series has been the weaponry used. I have read that many of the guns were provided by "The Rifle Shoppe" especially the Nock Volley Gun. But you never saw Harper load the thing, or fire it from the shoulder.

All the best to you and yours.

 

[PaMark]

and I posted just because I saw that the screenwriter (I believe not the Novelist(Cornwell)...would have to check) did not call said rifle "kentucky make"...seemed to me the "lady's" rifle had only a tallow hole...no patchbox, and I'm not yet that familiar with the exentricities of PA gunsmiths of that era, nor the art/prop people...

 

[Trench]

and I posted just because I saw that the screenwriter (I believe not the Novelist(Cornwell)...would have to check) did not call said rifle "kentucky make"...seemed to me the "lady's" rifle had only a tallow hole...no patchbox, and I'm not yet that familiar with the exentricities of PA gunsmiths of that era, nor the art/prop people...

Sharpe's Gold, the BBC version has almost nothing to do with the book. The BBC had to change the script in order to avoid a union grievance of the original actor who was billed to play Sharpe. He was unable to continue in the series due to an injury.

 

[Pigman]

Please give some more details! I have never heard this before and would like to know more.

Thanks,
Foster From Flint

 

[Dan Goad]

Probably the best way to start is to watch a couple of episodes in the Sharpe series. You can find them online on You Tube. There are 16 episodes starting with "Sharpe's Rifles". The series stars Sean Bean as Richard Sharpe and the time period is the Napoleonic Wars (early 1800's) in Portugal and Spain up to Waterloo. I really have enjoyed the weaponry and costuming depicted in the series. I highly recommend it. The series is based on the books written by Benard Cornwell. Let me know what you think of it after you watch.

Jac

 

[DixieTexian]

Bump to an old thread, but I was just watching this scene, and the subtitles definitely said 800 yards, so the OP wasn't the only one who mistook the accent for saying 800 yards. And it definitely wasn't a Pennsylvania rifle, but rather some sort of southern mountain poor boy style of rifle.