Revised: 3/6/2015

Please note: According to Dr. Labowskie, factory records indicate this was originally a .45-95. As our catalog states, it is now a 45-120-550. Alteration was probably made by Elmer Keith himself.

RARE SHARPS MODEL 1877 No. 1 LONG RANGE SINGLE SHOT RIFLE THAT BELONGED TO ELMER KEITH.

SN 160244. Cal. .45 3-1/4″ (45-120-550). Beautiful target/hunting rifle with 34″ Rigby-style rnd bbl with windgage globe front sight, no provision for a rear sight and a long range Vernier tang sight with 5″ staff. Tang sight is not matching numbered to this rifle and has the number “35011” on left side of base. Top flat of bbl is marked with the “Old Reliable” cartouche & Bridgeport address. Top of chamber area of the bbl has a Rigby flat & left side is marked “45 3 1/4”. Mounted with spectacular, highly figured Claro American walnut with checkered rnd Sharps forearm with ebony tip & black insert serpentine grip buttstock with Sharps checkered hard rubber buttplate. According to Sharps Firearms, Sellers there were only 46 of these rifles produced January 1877 to March 1879 and their price at that time was $125. That was a princely sum for that era, probably more than 3 to 4 months salary for the average working man. These rifles were inherently accurate for long range shooting and were very effective in hunting large game & on the target range. A seven page article by Mr. Keith, that appeared in the January 1964 issue of Guns & Ammo magazine, discusses the positive aspects of the single shot rifle for all manners of hunting & shooting. A picture in this article shows Mr. Keith’s friend Bill Knepp shooting this rifle and another picture shows this rifle & a bull buffalo shot by Mr. Keith in 1947. No disassembly was effected to check for matching SNs. PROVENANCE: The Elmer Keith Estate Collection. CONDITION: Very fine to extremely fine. Bbl retains about 98% strong orig blue with a few, tiny, scattered spots of surface spotting & faint sharp edge wear. Receiver & lockplate retain virtually all of their orig case colors, lightly to moderately faded. Lever & hammer are mostly a grey patina as is bottom tang. Stock has a few very fine grain checks on right side of comb, otherwise wood is completely sound with the buttstock showing hand oil staining around the wrist & otherwise retains strong, bright oil finish. Forearm retains about 95% strong orig finish. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore. 4-48037 JR264 (10,000-15,000) – Lot 1064

Click here to view provenance

Auction: Firearms - March 2015

Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

Image	Lot	Price	Description
	1064	$23,000.00	Revised: 3/6/2015 Please note: According to Dr. Labowskie, factory records indicate this was originally a .45-95. As our catalog states, it is now a 45-120-550. Alteration was probably made by Elmer Keith himself. RARE SHARPS MODEL 1877 No. 1 LONG RANGE SINGLE SHOT RIFLE THAT BELONGED TO ELMER KEITH. SN 160244. Cal. .45 3-1/4″ (45-120-550). Beautiful target/hunting rifle with 34″ Rigby-style rnd bbl with windgage globe front sight, no provision for a rear sight and a long range Vernier tang sight with 5″ staff. Tang sight is not matching numbered to this rifle and has the number “35011” on left side of base. Top flat of bbl is marked with the “Old Reliable” cartouche & Bridgeport address. Top of chamber area of the bbl has a Rigby flat & left side is marked “45 3 1/4”. Mounted with spectacular, highly figured Claro American walnut with checkered rnd Sharps forearm with ebony tip & black insert serpentine grip buttstock with Sharps checkered hard rubber buttplate. According to Sharps Firearms, Sellers there were only 46 of these rifles produced January 1877 to March 1879 and their price at that time was $125. That was a princely sum for that era, probably more than 3 to 4 months salary for the average working man. These rifles were inherently accurate for long range shooting and were very effective in hunting large game & on the target range. A seven page article by Mr. Keith, that appeared in the January 1964 issue of Guns & Ammo magazine, discusses the positive aspects of the single shot rifle for all manners of hunting & shooting. A picture in this article shows Mr. Keith’s friend Bill Knepp shooting this rifle and another picture shows this rifle & a bull buffalo shot by Mr. Keith in 1947. No disassembly was effected to check for matching SNs. PROVENANCE: The Elmer Keith Estate Collection. CONDITION: Very fine to extremely fine. Bbl retains about 98% strong orig blue with a few, tiny, scattered spots of surface spotting & faint sharp edge wear. Receiver & lockplate retain virtually all of their orig case colors, lightly to moderately faded. Lever & hammer are mostly a grey patina as is bottom tang. Stock has a few very fine grain checks on right side of comb, otherwise wood is completely sound with the buttstock showing hand oil staining around the wrist & otherwise retains strong, bright oil finish. Forearm retains about 95% strong orig finish. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore. 4-48037 JR264 (10,000-15,000) – Lot 1064 Click here to view provenance Auction: Firearms - March 2015 Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

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RARE SHARPS MODEL 1877 No. 1 LONG RANGE SINGLE SHOT RIFLE THAT BELONGED TO ELMER KEITH.