December 20th 2014 Firearms (34)
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/19/2014
Serial No. C53530. Offered is a rare and high condition special order Sharps 1874 sporting rifle with Sharps letter from Richard Labowski M.D. This rifle was manufactured in the first year of production, having been invoiced at the Hartford factory on August 14th, 1871 to Daniel Porter of Hartford, Connecticut. It letters as a .44 caliber using to the 2-1/4" Birdan shell with 26" full octagon barrel, double triggers, globe and peep sights, and oil finished stocks. Neither weight nor price was entered into the record. The set-in pistol grip and brass Swiss butt are not mentioned in letter. The rifle retains all other listed features. Although this is now considered an 1874 model, production of this model actually began in 1871 of which this rifle dates to that first year. In addiction the rifle features pewter Hartford style fore end tip. As to the condition, the rifle has remained a spectacular example. The barrel retains virtually all of the original factory blue, the frame has softened with traces of original color. Fire blue remains on firing pin and extractor. Factory stamps are sharp as new. The wood is excellent with original finish. Bore is as new. Action is perfect. This is an interesting rifle in that Daniel Potter was a machinist and telescope maker. His signed telescopes appear on several of the known factory scoped rifles and his invoices in the Sharps correspondence. Several rifles were invoiced to Potter and the lack of price recorded for this rifle may indicate that he took this gun in lieu of wages. The majority of Sharps sporting rifles saw heavy use as they were not intended to be pampered target guns and as such few examples remain in such outstanding original condition. That combined with the factory letter special features make this one of the finest Sharps 1874 sporting rifles extant. It is surely one of the finest sporting models we have had the pleasure to examine and should be a highlight in any collection.