|
MODEL 1874 SHARPS
SPORTING RIFLE – .44 SHARPS - SHIPPED IN MARCH 1875 –
SHOWING GREAT EVIDENCE OF USE ON THE WESTERN PLAINS:
Showing all the indications of being a true veteran of
frontier use, and documented in the Sharps Rifle Company
records as having been shipped from the Hartford,
Connecticut factory in March 17, 1875, this fairly early
Model 1874 Sporting Rifle was most certainly used during
the great buffalo hunts that occurred during mid to late
1870’s on the western plains.
According to the company
records detailed in the accompanying letter from Dr.
Richard Labowskie, current owner of the Sharps Company
records, this rifle, Serial Number C54455, was shipped
in “.44 caliber, with a 30 inch full octagon barrel,
single trigger, open sights, and oil finished stocks,
and was the standard rifle weight, i.e. less than 12
pounds”. The description matches the current
configuration of the rifle.
The letter continues,
“three Octagon Rifles of this description were shipped
to the Schuyler, Hartley and Graham [SH&G] firm on this
date, as well as one Octagon Rifle in .50 caliber.” It
is well documented in Frank Seller’s SHARPS FIREARMS,
pages 303 – 307, and in particular, in Herbert Houze’s
new volume, ARMING THE WEST which includes the
SH&G shipping records for 1868-1886, SH&G sold Sharps
Rifles on a single piece basis to individual hide
hunters, as well as being one of the primary suppliers
of Sharps Rifles to the retailers in the west who sold
directly to the hunters on the plains. According to
Houze, pages 144-146, SH&G sold a total of 49 Sharps
Model 1874 Sporting Rifles in .44 caliber from its store
on Meriden Lane alone, and the wear and obvious signs of
use present on this rifle make it very apparent that
this Sharps was one of those sold by SH&G to a hunter or
one of the retail firms on the western frontier.
As it
presents today, this rifle features several
characteristics of prolonged frontier use. The fore
stock has been heavily worn, typical of these rifles
that were carried across the pommel of a saddle or the
neck of the horse for many miles. As can be seen in the
photographs below, the wood has been polished away,
leaving high points around the metal fittings of the
forearm screws and nosecap, and a slight sliver of wood
has been worn away on the top edge of the right side of
the forearm and there is an area of wear in the wood
where it meets the receiver on the left side – all wear
commensurate with the obvious use of the rifle and
certainly occurring within the period of the rifle’s
use.
The pewter nose cap is present,
tightly in place, with some wear to the upper right
edge, matching the wear to the adjoining wood. There is
an old screw hole between the lock and trigger plate on
the right side, evidence of a “poor man’s set trigger”
as is commonly found on frontier used long guns. When
present, this screw would be turned in or backed out to
apply or relieve pressure on the sear to adjust the
trigger pressure required to fire the rifle.
The butt stock, like the
forearm shows evidence of wear through honest use, and
features the same hand polished patina of the forearm.
In addition to the normal handling marks there is some
wear to the wood on both sides of the butt plate tang.
The toe of the stock chipped away at some point and the
original piece of wood was pinned back in place with
wire brads. There is an old glue repair to the wood
immediately behind the receiver, on the upper right
stock extension between the receiver tang and the lock
plate. Again, the original wood is present with no
other patching wood used, and the repair appears to be a
very old one. This butt stock must have been inletted
at the factory for a double set trigger plate, as there
is a contoured wooden plug set behind the trigger plate
to fill the additional room in the channel that is an
excellent fit and is attached with brass pins. As this
rifle is documented in the Sharps factory records as
having been shipped with a single trigger, this work
must have been done at the factory when the rifle was
made.
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 and have
a pleasing even brown patina. The edges of the barrel
flats 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. All of the
patent information on the receiver, both serial numbers
(receiver and barrel), the caliber and Hartford address
stamps on the top flat of the barrel, and the R.S.
Lawrence patent information on the rear sight are all
legibly stamped and all are readily visible. The
hammer/trigger action is crisp, and the breech block
lowers smoothly without any play and “snaps” into place
when raised back into battery as it should. The bore
retains strong, clear rifling with no dark pitting
spots, is still quite respectable, and would 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. The butt plate is
pitted, likely from poor storage standing in a damp
corner through the years. Being a military style plate,
this could be easily upgraded if you chose to do so, but
here again as I believe it to be original to the rifle I
left it as is.
One of the most intriguing
features of this rifle is a series of initials and
numbers that were hand engraved on the bottom flat of
the barrel just forward of the pewter nose cap, reading
“KA-AK-EA 1180.5 LB”. The number is apparently a
recorded weight, but I haven’t been able to divine the
meaning of the initials. The inscription is certainly
period to the rifle’s use on the frontier and definitely
not something recently applied, possibly the hunting
record of the original owner.
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 guns, 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 will be difficult to
find available. 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 early shipping date, and the silent
testimony of the pattern and type of wear and aging
shown on this Sporting Rifle, that it “was there” on the
plains during those short years of the buffalo hide
trade. $7500
|
