April 24-25, 2019 Extraordinary, Sporting, & Collector Firearms
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/24/2019
This rifle has 30" octagon barrel with Hartford collar, German knife blade front sight, long tang full buckhorn sporting rear sight over original filled slot of the Lawrence sight. Beautiful hand oil finished custom walnut stock with incredible grain with Kentucky long rifle appearance. Right side rollover cheekpiece for left handed shooter. 2" nickel plated oval ID plaque. Rifle buttplate, forearm has been changed to a Hawkins style half stock appearance with pewter forearm tip and keyed escutcheon. Barrel is rebrowned in the early 1850s half stock style. Ramrod is retained by two thimbles. Frame markings on left hand side are light, other markings removed when customized. Double set triggers. Stock has the finish tie-dye lines as seen on Kentucky rifles. According to the Sharps Rifle Company letter, this was shipped as an octagon rifle later termed Model 1874, invoiced at the Hartford factory April 30th, 1872 to N. Curry & Brothers of San Francisco. Letter notes "Another rifle from the same order to Curry has appeared in the collector market similarly modified in the Pacific style." Letter notes that this is the original barrel but was restocked. Also listed as a 30" full octagon barrel, double triggers, globe and peep sights (tang sight), and oil finished stocks. Current weight is over 13 pounds. CONDITION: Rifle is in excellent condition with barrel retaining nearly all of its expertly applied rebrown, frame, sideplate, hammer, and lever were similarly browned. Wood is in excellent to near mint condition with a few minor nicks. Action is similarly brown. Fine action with a sharp clean rifled bore with a few remains of very minor black powder abrasion. This is an extremely handsome heavy buffalo type rifle that was modified to the Pacific style and was a prize for both the original buyer and the next potential owner.