GUN FALL 2015
The live portion of this session begins on Monday, October 5, 2015.
FINE SHARPS MEDIUM WEIGHT MODEL 1874 SINGLE SHOT SPORTING RIFLE. SHARPS 1874 SPORTING C54420 40-50 SHARPS BOTTLENECK Cal. 40-50 SHARPS BOTTLENECK Fine sporting rifle with 30" medium weight oct bbl, windgauge globe front sight, Lawrence ladder rear sight & early style Sharps Vernier tang sight with 5" staff. Top flat of bbl is marked with the Hartford address and has Cal. marking over the chamber area. Mounted with uncheckered, straight grain American walnut with Sharps pewter tip sporting forearm & straight stock with Sharps carbine-style smooth steel buttplate. Trigger plate has dbl set triggers. SN was observed in usual place on top tang and also on bottom of bbl, inside forearm & front face of buttstock. Buttplate is unnumbered but is undoubtedly orig to this rifle. Lockplate is numbered "54607". Weight 12lbs. According to Sharps Firearms, Sellers, there were 2,120 Model 1874 sporting rifles with oct bbls produced at Hartford Jan 1871 to Sept 1880. These rifles were extremely popular both as target & hunting arms, most notably on the Western frontier. The 1874 Sharps can take major credit for the decimation of the great Western bison herds. Firearms of this era usually saw very hard service under adverse conditions and are rarely found today with high orig finish. PROVENANCE: The Estate Collection of Phil A. Bleakney, Jr. CONDITION: Very fine, matching numbers as noted above. Bbl retains 96-98% strong orig blue with only light sharp edge wear. Receiver, lockplate & hammer retain 70-80% strong orig case colors, bright in sheltered areas, fading elsewhere. Buttplate is a grey patina with cloth pattern pitting, having been cleaned to bare metal. Buttstock has a small crack near the left heel, otherwise wood is sound with the buttstock retaining virtually all of its orig factory finish with light nicks & scratches. Forearm shows hand wear and light soil and retains about 50-60% orig finish. Mechanics are crisp. Bright shiny bore. 49059-109 JR (10,000-15,000)