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RARE SHARPS MODEL 1874 BIG 50 SPORTING RIFLE.

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:8,750.00 USD Estimated At:17,500.00 - 27,500.00 USD
RARE SHARPS MODEL 1874 BIG 50 SPORTING RIFLE.
SN C53129. Cal. 50. Appears to be 50-70. Early 50 caliber, certainly one of the earliest known. It has 26" heavy weight oct bbl, 1-1/8" across the flats and weighs 11 lbs. 7.36 oz. It has Sharps German silver Rocky Mtn. front sight and Lawrence Patent ladder rear sight. Top flat is marked with the Hartford address forward of the rear sight and the caliber marking over the chamber. It has dbl set triggers and is mounted with uncheckered straight grain American walnut with rnd Sharps sporting forearm that has pewter tip and straight stock with Sharps carbine style steel buttplate. Bottom of stock has an early style sling loop with a corresponding loop dovetailed into bottom flat of the bbl. Accompanied by a Sharps factory letter which identifies this rifle in caliber 50 with oct bbl & dbl set triggers with open sights and oil finish stocks. Letter states that it was invoiced June 25, 1874 to A.J. Plate & Co., San Francisco, CA, Sharps' western dealer. The weight is not noted but the list price was $40.00. According to consignor this is the only Sharps rifle in this configuration listed in the records. This rifle is from a Northern California estate collection and was probably a California grizzly gun and certainly, given the date of shipment, could have also been used on the Great Plains shooting buffalo. CONDITION: Fine plus. Bbl retains 88-90% orig blue, turned a little plummy, with sharp edge wear; receiver retains dark case colors in sheltered areas, mostly having turned to silver and dark patina; lockplate & hammer also retain faded case colors in sheltered areas; lever & buttplate are a dark patina. Stock has a few small gouges on the bottom edge with a series of dings around the toe and some scratches on the right side, otherwise the wood is sound with a fine hand worn patina. Mechanics are crisp, bright shiny bore. 4-47750 JR352