GUN FALL 2015
The live portion of this session begins on Monday, October 5, 2015.
FINE SLOTTERBECK SHARPS MODEL 1874 SINGLE SHOT SPORTING & TARGET RIFLE.SHARPS1874 SPORTINGC5342644 2-1/4 (44-77)Cal. 44 2-1/4 (44-77) Fine custom rifle by well known gunmaker, Slotterbeck of Southern California with 30" orig, medium weight oct bbl, Rocky Mountain front sight & Sharps 1869 style buckhorn rear sight. Top tang is mounted with a Winchester-style, thin base Vernier tang sight with 3" staff. Trigger plate has orig dbl set triggers. Bottom of bbl has two iron guides in Slotterbeck style containing what is probably the orig Slotterbeckhickory & iron cleaning rod. Mounted with Slotterbeck custom tiger striped, uncheckered American walnut with smooth forearm secured by a single key through bow-tie escutcheons & pewter forend cap. Buttstock has Kentucky rifle style slight perch belly with shadow cheekpiece on the right side for a left handed shooter and Kentucky rifle style crescent buttplate with toe plate. Cheekpiece is inlaid with a 2" x 1-1/4" oval silver plate. Slotterbeck was known to have altered existing Sharps rifles as well as purchasing surplus Sharps carbines and similarly converting them to sporting & hunting rifles. He frequently supplied his own bbls purchased from Germany. Accompanied by a Sharps factory records letter which identifies this rifle as a Model 1874 sporting model, invoiced at Hartford April 30 1872 to N. Curry & Bro, San Francisco, CA. It was in 44 2-1/4" Cal. with oct bbl with dbl triggers, globe and peep sights & oil finish stocks. Dr. Labowskie notes in his letter that a case of 10 rifles in various configurations was sent to the Curry firm on April 30 1872, one of which is known to have been modified in the same manner as found here. Weigh 12lbs 8oz. PROVENANCE: Dr. Richard Labowskie Collection. CONDITION: Fine (no disassembly was effected to check for matching numbers). Bbl retains a smooth, even, restored brown finish and receiver, also a smooth brown finish. Forearm has a couple of small cracks, otherwise wood is sound with a fine restored finish. Mechanics are fine. Bright shiny bore. 49395-3 JR (15,000-30,000)