SPECTACULAR SHARPS MODEL 1877 LONG RANGE CREEDMORE TARGET RIFLE.

SPECTACULAR SHARPS MODEL 1877 LONG RANGE CREEDMORE TARGET RIFLE. Cal. 44 2 6/10. Rare and fabulous 1877 Sharps rifle with 34” tapered, round, Rigby style bbl marked on the top “Old Reliable” and the company name with Bridgeport address. It has a sprit level, windage, globe front sight and has the original sight bases mounted on the top tang and at the heel with the original 5-5/8” long Vernier sight blade graduated to 3,400 yards. Wood is very highly figured with matching stock and forearm. The forearm has an ebony schnable tip and the pistol grip has an S-carved cap. The buttplate is checkered hard rubber turning brown. The forearm and wrist are beautifully checkered in about 20 lines per inch diamond checkering. The receiver, lock plate and lever are nicely case colored. This rifle was shipped Oct. 20, 1877 to E.S. Harris of the New York Sharps factory outlet and was subsequently furnished to the Captain of the 1878 US Creedmore rifle team, General J.R. Hawley. General Hawley, in addition to being Captain of the Creedmore rifle team, was Governor of the state of Conn. and a US Senator. General Hawley enlisted on 4/18/1861 as a Captain in Rifle Company A, Connecticut First Infantry and was mustered out 9/28/1865 as a Brevet Major General. He later held the office of the National Junior Vice Commander of the G.A.R. for the year 1869. He was also a close friend of Ulysses S. Grant and died in 1905 in Washington, D.C. SN 160247. CONDITION: Excellent plus. Bbl retains 98-99% strong bright original blue with some very light fine surface pitting near bbl address. The receiver and breech block retain about all of their original case colors, slightly faded and dull with age, brilliant in sheltered areas. The hammer has a small chip at the back edge of the spur and retains about 95% of original case colors, brilliant in sheltered areas. Lock plate retains about 60% fading case colors with the rear 1/3 in being mostly a silver gray color. The lever retains about 75% strong case colors, brilliant in sheltered areas with the balance turned silver. The lower tang retains about 70% case colors under a coating of dried oil with the lower narrow part of the tang turned silver. The sight blade retains 85-90% thin original blue. Wood is excellent, sound and retains most of its original bright varnish with one or two spots of minor flaking and a handling mark or two and a small scratch on the left side of the butt stock and a sight mark on the comb. The forearm has a black spot near the tip from oil leaching from the ebony tip. The ebony tip has a hairline crack. The buttplate has a hairline near the heel, otherwise is sound, fading to brown. Exceptional bright shiny bore. An exceptionally rare rifle in exceptionally fine condition, a once in a lifetime opportunity to own the best. 4-49291 JR31 (40,000-60,000)

Auction: Firearms - Fall 2003

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
	980	$46,000.00	SPECTACULAR SHARPS MODEL 1877 LONG RANGE CREEDMORE TARGET RIFLE. Cal. 44 2 6/10. Rare and fabulous 1877 Sharps rifle with 34” tapered, round, Rigby style bbl marked on the top “Old Reliable” and the company name with Bridgeport address. It has a sprit level, windage, globe front sight and has the original sight bases mounted on the top tang and at the heel with the original 5-5/8” long Vernier sight blade graduated to 3,400 yards. Wood is very highly figured with matching stock and forearm. The forearm has an ebony schnable tip and the pistol grip has an S-carved cap. The buttplate is checkered hard rubber turning brown. The forearm and wrist are beautifully checkered in about 20 lines per inch diamond checkering. The receiver, lock plate and lever are nicely case colored. This rifle was shipped Oct. 20, 1877 to E.S. Harris of the New York Sharps factory outlet and was subsequently furnished to the Captain of the 1878 US Creedmore rifle team, General J.R. Hawley. General Hawley, in addition to being Captain of the Creedmore rifle team, was Governor of the state of Conn. and a US Senator. General Hawley enlisted on 4/18/1861 as a Captain in Rifle Company A, Connecticut First Infantry and was mustered out 9/28/1865 as a Brevet Major General. He later held the office of the National Junior Vice Commander of the G.A.R. for the year 1869. He was also a close friend of Ulysses S. Grant and died in 1905 in Washington, D.C. SN 160247. CONDITION: Excellent plus. Bbl retains 98-99% strong bright original blue with some very light fine surface pitting near bbl address. The receiver and breech block retain about all of their original case colors, slightly faded and dull with age, brilliant in sheltered areas. The hammer has a small chip at the back edge of the spur and retains about 95% of original case colors, brilliant in sheltered areas. Lock plate retains about 60% fading case colors with the rear 1/3 in being mostly a silver gray color. The lever retains about 75% strong case colors, brilliant in sheltered areas with the balance turned silver. The lower tang retains about 70% case colors under a coating of dried oil with the lower narrow part of the tang turned silver. The sight blade retains 85-90% thin original blue. Wood is excellent, sound and retains most of its original bright varnish with one or two spots of minor flaking and a handling mark or two and a small scratch on the left side of the butt stock and a sight mark on the comb. The forearm has a black spot near the tip from oil leaching from the ebony tip. The ebony tip has a hairline crack. The buttplate has a hairline near the heel, otherwise is sound, fading to brown. Exceptional bright shiny bore. An exceptionally rare rifle in exceptionally fine condition, a once in a lifetime opportunity to own the best. 4-49291 JR31 (40,000-60,000) Auction: Firearms - Fall 2003 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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