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MODEL 1874 SHARPS
SPORTING RIFLE – .40 – 2 ½” SHARPS – A VETERAN OF THE
WESTERN PLAINS: Showing the desirable
indications of being a true veteran of frontier use,
this Model 1874 Sporting Rifle was recently obtained
from a family estate in the Northwest and may well have
been used during the last of the buffalo hunts on the
plains of Montana and eastern Washington and Oregon.
This
Sharps is chambered in .40 – 2 ½” (.40-70), a straight
walled case which was introduced in March of 1876, early
enough to have been used during the great commercial
hunts. The serial numbers on the receiver tang and the
under side of the barrel are matching. The surfaces of
the receiver, lock, trigger group and barrel are all
smooth with no pitting. The full length 30” barrel
retains distinct edges to the flats that are sharp and
smooth, and the under side of the barrel, where it is
protected by the fore arm, retains much of the original
bright blue finish. The
bore retains strong, clear
rifling with only minor frosting and no distinct pitting
spots, is still quite respectable, and should still
shoot a decent group. The bore would likely benefit
from a polishing if someone was so inclined as it does
not shine like some collectors prefer, but I chose to
leave that decision to the new owner.
All
of the patent information on the receiver, both serial
numbers (receiver and barrel), the caliber, the “OLD
RELIABLE” cartouche, and the Bridgeport address stamps
on the barrel are all legibly stamped and all are
readily visible.
The
hammer/double set trigger action is very crisp, and the
breech block lowers smoothly without any play and
“snaps” into place when raised back into battery as it
should. The rear sight was repositioned forward of its
original mortise which was neatly filled with a gunsmith
installed tenon blank. The rear sight is large
"buckhorn" style, another indication that this rifle was
used on the plains rather than for shooting
competitions. The front sight is in place,
featuring a silver blade. The original butt plate
is smooth with no pitting and has an even naturally aged
brown finish.
As it presents today, this
rifle features several characteristics of prolonged
frontier use. The fore stock is missing a large sliver
of wood from the nose along the right side and a small
sliver – barely noticeable – from the leading top edge
of the left side. This sort of wear and damage is
typical of these rifles which were carried across the
pommel of a saddle or the neck of the horse for many
miles. The wrist of the stock was broken at one time
and has been expertly repaired without the addition of
any new wood or filler material. The seam is visible
under close inspection, but it is not a glaring fault
that the eye is drawn to, and the repair has guaranteed
a strong, stable wrist. The butt stock is overall in
very good condition, showing only the normally
encountered handling marks. The toe of the stock is
intact and unbroken and the wood has a very nice patina
that matches the fore stock.
I
have noticed in the past few years that collectors’
interest has been cooling with regards to the brand new,
“never went anywhere” large bore Sharps, and as they
begin to search out these that show frontier use to
satisfy their desire to own a bit of history along with
the artifact, guns such as this one are becoming more
difficult to find. If you are dead set on collecting
condition, and that is your primary or only concern,
this Sharps isn’t for you. However, if you are a
collector who enjoys pieces that played a part in the
saga of the Old West, I can virtually guarantee this
rifle isn’t a “hot house rose” that spent the 1870’s and
1880’s confined in the shooting galleries of the East.
Historically documented Sharps Rifles, identified to
individual hide hunters have always commanded a premium
price, but opportunities to purchase those rifles are
few and far between. While there is no such definitive
documentation for this rifle, there is little doubt
given the silent testimony of the type of wear and aging
this Sporting Rifle displays, that it “was there” on the
plains during those short years of the buffalo hide
trade.
SOLD
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