SCARCE SHARPS MODEL 1874 SINGLE SHOT SPORTING RIFLE.

SN 160841. Cal. 45-2 7/8 (45-100/45-110) Fine sporting rifle with 30″ heavy oct bbl, Freund Rocky Mountain style front sight and Freund patent, Sharps-style ladder rear sight with semi-buckhorn aperture and diamond aperture in the ladder sight slide. Rear sight base is also stamped in two places “DURANGO / COLO”. Top flat of bbl is marked with the Bridgeport address and “Old Reliable” cartouche. Cal. marking is on top flat & right side flat over the chamber area. Trigger plate has dbl set triggers. Mounted with nicely figured, slab-sawed, uncheckered American walnut with semi-schnable forearm and straight stock with checkered steel Sharps buttplate. SN was observed on top rear of receiver with matching number on bottom of bbl and last 4 digits of matching number on front face of buttstock, inside lockplate & inside toe of buttplate. Forearm is undoubtedly original to this rifle, however, any number present is obscured by soil & oil staining. According to Sharps Firemans, Sellers, there were about 3,881 Model 1874 sporting rifles produced at Bridgeport in the period 1871 to 1880. Accompanied by a Sharps Company records letter which identifies this rifle in order book no. 6 as a Model 1874 sporting rifle invoiced at Bridgeport on Dec 8 1877 to Schuyler, Hartley & Graham, NY, NY. It is described as being 45 Cal., 2-7/8 with 30″ oct bbl, dbl triggers, open sights & oil finished stocks. The weight is shown as 13lbs 2oz. Currently the weight is 13 lbs 1 oz. Dr. Labowskie states in his letter that the Freund sights were undoubtedly substituted for the original Sharps open sights by an early owner. Also accompanying is a rare original flyer for Freund sights. Frank W. Freund immigrated from Germany in the 1850’s and worked initially for Remington as a gunmaker. He left Remington and later served in the Union Army 1864 to 1865. After the War, he established his gunmaking business in Nebraska in 1866 and followed the progress of the Union Pacific Railway from North Platte, NE to Julesburg, Colorado Territory and by Nov 1867, when the railway reached Cheyenne, WY territory, Frank and his brother George had already been there by two months with an established business, which later became The Wyoming Armory. Frank and George were fine craftsman, with Frank the inventive genius who patented a variety of sights for firearms of that era, especially for single shot target & hunting rifles. PROVENANCE: Dr. Robert L. Moore Collection; Dr. Richard Labowskie Collection. CONDITION: Extremely fine, all matching as noted above. Bbl retains 96-97% strong original blue with only faint sharp edge wear. Receiver retains most of its original case colors, strong & bright in sheltered areas. Breechblock retains bright case colors. Lockplate & hammer retain strong case colors in sheltered areas with the tail of the lockplate faded to silver. Lever retains faded case colors. Stock has a hairline in the left side at the buttplate, otherwise wood is sound with usual light nicks & scratches and retains most of its original factory finish. Set triggers are crisp. Mechanics are fine. Very bright shiny bore. 49395-2 JR (20,000-30,000) – Lot 2461

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Auction: Firearms - October 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
	2461	$25,300.00	SCARCE SHARPS MODEL 1874 SINGLE SHOT SPORTING RIFLE. SN 160841. Cal. 45-2 7/8 (45-100/45-110) Fine sporting rifle with 30″ heavy oct bbl, Freund Rocky Mountain style front sight and Freund patent, Sharps-style ladder rear sight with semi-buckhorn aperture and diamond aperture in the ladder sight slide. Rear sight base is also stamped in two places “DURANGO / COLO”. Top flat of bbl is marked with the Bridgeport address and “Old Reliable” cartouche. Cal. marking is on top flat & right side flat over the chamber area. Trigger plate has dbl set triggers. Mounted with nicely figured, slab-sawed, uncheckered American walnut with semi-schnable forearm and straight stock with checkered steel Sharps buttplate. SN was observed on top rear of receiver with matching number on bottom of bbl and last 4 digits of matching number on front face of buttstock, inside lockplate & inside toe of buttplate. Forearm is undoubtedly original to this rifle, however, any number present is obscured by soil & oil staining. According to Sharps Firemans, Sellers, there were about 3,881 Model 1874 sporting rifles produced at Bridgeport in the period 1871 to 1880. Accompanied by a Sharps Company records letter which identifies this rifle in order book no. 6 as a Model 1874 sporting rifle invoiced at Bridgeport on Dec 8 1877 to Schuyler, Hartley & Graham, NY, NY. It is described as being 45 Cal., 2-7/8 with 30″ oct bbl, dbl triggers, open sights & oil finished stocks. The weight is shown as 13lbs 2oz. Currently the weight is 13 lbs 1 oz. Dr. Labowskie states in his letter that the Freund sights were undoubtedly substituted for the original Sharps open sights by an early owner. Also accompanying is a rare original flyer for Freund sights. Frank W. Freund immigrated from Germany in the 1850’s and worked initially for Remington as a gunmaker. He left Remington and later served in the Union Army 1864 to 1865. After the War, he established his gunmaking business in Nebraska in 1866 and followed the progress of the Union Pacific Railway from North Platte, NE to Julesburg, Colorado Territory and by Nov 1867, when the railway reached Cheyenne, WY territory, Frank and his brother George had already been there by two months with an established business, which later became The Wyoming Armory. Frank and George were fine craftsman, with Frank the inventive genius who patented a variety of sights for firearms of that era, especially for single shot target & hunting rifles. PROVENANCE: Dr. Robert L. Moore Collection; Dr. Richard Labowskie Collection. CONDITION: Extremely fine, all matching as noted above. Bbl retains 96-97% strong original blue with only faint sharp edge wear. Receiver retains most of its original case colors, strong & bright in sheltered areas. Breechblock retains bright case colors. Lockplate & hammer retain strong case colors in sheltered areas with the tail of the lockplate faded to silver. Lever retains faded case colors. Stock has a hairline in the left side at the buttplate, otherwise wood is sound with usual light nicks & scratches and retains most of its original factory finish. Set triggers are crisp. Mechanics are fine. Very bright shiny bore. 49395-2 JR (20,000-30,000) – Lot 2461 Click here to view provenance Auction: Firearms - October 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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SCARCE SHARPS MODEL 1874 SINGLE SHOT SPORTING RIFLE.