October 22-23, 2019 Extraordinary, Sporting & Collector Firearms
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/23/2019
(1877) This fine Bridgeport era Sharps has 30" medium weight full octagon barrel marked for caliber 45 and 2 - 1/10" (.45-70 Gov). Top of barrel is marked "Old Reliable" in rectangle and "SHARPS RIFLE CO. BRIDGEPORT. CONN." It is fitted with Lawrence high notch carbine sight, ungraduated, and globe front. Case hardened action and lock are unmarked except for serial number. Hammer is of Bridgeport style with flat sides and low position half cock notch. Tang is mounted with sporting tang sight with ungraduated staff. This sight is stamped "Sharps Rifle Company" diagonally across lower front of staff. Stocks are of very lightly figured American walnut, nicely checkered in point pattern with narrow mullered borders. Bottom of grip is checkered as is a heart shaped panel toward front of schnabeled Bridgeport type forend. Standard checkered steel shotgun type buttplate is installed. A factory letter states "Sharps Company order book no 06 contains an entry dated October 27, 1877 to William Coughey, Sharps Rifle Co "forging and sights on rifle 151868" with a price listed as $16.00. Further "William Coughey was "employed" by the Sharps Rifle Company as an internal contractor."" Richard Labowskie who wrote the letter states that in his opinion William Coughey constructed this rifle on his own time. A factory barrel can not be documented from records as to caliber and dimensions, and that the records contain no evidence of this rifle being invoiced to a customer. He has personally examined this rifle, and finds it to be a fine example and speculates that Coughey made this gun for his personal use or sale. It remains a truly lovely example of a Sharps 1874 sporting rifle in superb original condition. CONDITION: Excellent. Barrel retains over 95% original rust blue with some scattered light flecks and minor patches of oxidation. Sharp edges show only a hint of silver. Action retains nearly all of its original case hardening color, again with some scattered flecks of rust which appears inactive, mostly on lower left side near lever pivot. All screws retain most of their bright blue. A considerable amount of blue on tang sight has flaked to brown. Stocks have only a few scattered small dings and scratches in all of their original varnish. Case hardening on buttplate is somewhat silvered (probably faded). Bore is excellent, with bright sharp rifling throughout. Rifle is possibly unfired. MGM77.
Caliber/Bore
.45-70 Government
Manufacturer
Sharps Rifle Company