EXTRAORDINARILY RARE FREUND “BOSS GUN” SHARPS MODEL 1874 SPORTING RIFLE PURPORTED TO BE ONE OF THE FINEST OF ITS TYPE IN THE WORLD.

EXTRAORDINARILY RARE FREUND “BOSS GUN” SHARPS MODEL 1874 SPORTING RIFLE PURPORTED TO BE ONE OF THE FINEST OF ITS TYPE IN THE WORLD. SN 156725. Cal. 40-70 Sharps Bottleneck. Spectacular Freund rifle with 30″ tapered, light, oct to rnd bbl, Freund’s Patent Rocky Mountain front sight and Freund’s rear “New Field Sight”. Top flat of the bbl has the Bridgeport address above the rear sight and the “OLD RELIABLE” cartouche back of the rear sight with the caliber marking toward the receiver. Closest to the receiver on the top flat is the nearly obliterated name “J.P. LOWER / DENVER COL.”. Mounted with very highly figured, burl & flame grain, uncheckered American walnut with rnd, schnable tip Sharps forearm and straight stock with nickel buttplate. It has dbl set triggers. Receiver is wonderfully engraved in relief with “FREUND IMPROV’D” on left side and rear flat and the Freund name & “PATENTED” with two patent dates on left front flat. Right side is relief engraved “AMERICAN FRONTIER”. Lockplate is engraved in script “Freund & Bros Cheyenne W.T. U.S. of A.” The front edges of the receiver are engraved with zig zag borders with a rosette around the tip of the lever pin and around all the screw tips. Top rear edge of receiver is engraved in foliate arabesque patterns and a diamond & dot pattern. The area behind the loading slot is also engraved in foliate arabesque patterns surrounding “BOSS / GUN”. This rifle, in addition to Freund’s patented sights also has his patented camming breech block with dbl extractors, lightened hammer with hand checkered hammer spur. Bottom edges of the breech block are also engraved. This extraordinary rifle has been in the collection of well-known single shot collector, John Dutcher, for many years. Accompanied by a Sharps Co. records letter which states that this rifle was invoiced three times from Bridgeport, twice as a Model 1874 mid-range No. 2 rifle and once as a Model 1874 sporting rifle. The first invoice was on Sept. 11, 1876 to George Yale, a Sharps employee, sales representative & exhibition shooter, as being in 40-70 caliber with 30″ bbl and sporting buttplate. It was returned from the Creedmoor Range Dec. 22, 1876 and again invoiced, as above on Dec. 22, 1877 to Schuyler, Hartley & Graham and noted to have a shotgun butt with weight of 8 lbs. 14 oz. The final invoice was on July 14, 1879 as a Model 1874 sporting rifle, per the order of Sharps president A.S. Winchester, to John P. Lower, the well known dealer in Denver, CO in a shipment of 15 various rifles. It was described as 40-70 caliber with half oct bbl, length not specified, with nickel silver buttplate weighing 8 lbs. 11 oz. From there the trail to Freund’s Wyoming Armory, where it was modified to its current configuration, is unknown. Also accompanied by copies of four photographs of Freund’s Wyoming Armory, J.P. Lower’s store and Frank Freund. This extraordinary rifle is considered by most knowledgeable Sharps collectors to be one of the finest of its type existing today. A true western rifle made by Freund in WY with all matching serial numbers. PROVENANCE: John Dutcher Collection. CONDITION: Extremely fine. Bbl retains 97-98% strong orig blue with a few very fine scattered scratches and light sharp edge wear; receiver, lockplate, hammer & lever retain most of their orig case colors, strong in sheltered areas, moderately to heavily faded elsewhere. Wood is sound with a few light nicks & scratches with the buttstock retaining 95-96% strong orig finish and the forearm about 40% orig finish showing wear in the center. Buttplate is a bright nickel color. Mechanics are crisp, very bright shiny bore. 4-46088 JR311 (200,000-300,000)

Auction: Firearms - Fall 2012

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
	1344	$166,750.00	EXTRAORDINARILY RARE FREUND “BOSS GUN” SHARPS MODEL 1874 SPORTING RIFLE PURPORTED TO BE ONE OF THE FINEST OF ITS TYPE IN THE WORLD. SN 156725. Cal. 40-70 Sharps Bottleneck. Spectacular Freund rifle with 30″ tapered, light, oct to rnd bbl, Freund’s Patent Rocky Mountain front sight and Freund’s rear “New Field Sight”. Top flat of the bbl has the Bridgeport address above the rear sight and the “OLD RELIABLE” cartouche back of the rear sight with the caliber marking toward the receiver. Closest to the receiver on the top flat is the nearly obliterated name “J.P. LOWER / DENVER COL.”. Mounted with very highly figured, burl & flame grain, uncheckered American walnut with rnd, schnable tip Sharps forearm and straight stock with nickel buttplate. It has dbl set triggers. Receiver is wonderfully engraved in relief with “FREUND IMPROV’D” on left side and rear flat and the Freund name & “PATENTED” with two patent dates on left front flat. Right side is relief engraved “AMERICAN FRONTIER”. Lockplate is engraved in script “Freund & Bros Cheyenne W.T. U.S. of A.” The front edges of the receiver are engraved with zig zag borders with a rosette around the tip of the lever pin and around all the screw tips. Top rear edge of receiver is engraved in foliate arabesque patterns and a diamond & dot pattern. The area behind the loading slot is also engraved in foliate arabesque patterns surrounding “BOSS / GUN”. This rifle, in addition to Freund’s patented sights also has his patented camming breech block with dbl extractors, lightened hammer with hand checkered hammer spur. Bottom edges of the breech block are also engraved. This extraordinary rifle has been in the collection of well-known single shot collector, John Dutcher, for many years. Accompanied by a Sharps Co. records letter which states that this rifle was invoiced three times from Bridgeport, twice as a Model 1874 mid-range No. 2 rifle and once as a Model 1874 sporting rifle. The first invoice was on Sept. 11, 1876 to George Yale, a Sharps employee, sales representative & exhibition shooter, as being in 40-70 caliber with 30″ bbl and sporting buttplate. It was returned from the Creedmoor Range Dec. 22, 1876 and again invoiced, as above on Dec. 22, 1877 to Schuyler, Hartley & Graham and noted to have a shotgun butt with weight of 8 lbs. 14 oz. The final invoice was on July 14, 1879 as a Model 1874 sporting rifle, per the order of Sharps president A.S. Winchester, to John P. Lower, the well known dealer in Denver, CO in a shipment of 15 various rifles. It was described as 40-70 caliber with half oct bbl, length not specified, with nickel silver buttplate weighing 8 lbs. 11 oz. From there the trail to Freund’s Wyoming Armory, where it was modified to its current configuration, is unknown. Also accompanied by copies of four photographs of Freund’s Wyoming Armory, J.P. Lower’s store and Frank Freund. This extraordinary rifle is considered by most knowledgeable Sharps collectors to be one of the finest of its type existing today. A true western rifle made by Freund in WY with all matching serial numbers. PROVENANCE: John Dutcher Collection. CONDITION: Extremely fine. Bbl retains 97-98% strong orig blue with a few very fine scattered scratches and light sharp edge wear; receiver, lockplate, hammer & lever retain most of their orig case colors, strong in sheltered areas, moderately to heavily faded elsewhere. Wood is sound with a few light nicks & scratches with the buttstock retaining 95-96% strong orig finish and the forearm about 40% orig finish showing wear in the center. Buttplate is a bright nickel color. Mechanics are crisp, very bright shiny bore. 4-46088 JR311 (200,000-300,000) Auction: Firearms - Fall 2012 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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