Sale 1987
| Cincinnati
| Cincinnati
Estimate$5,000 – $7,000
.45-70. 28" heavy round barrel. SN: C44881. Blued and color casehardened finish, steel furniture, checkered straight-gripped walnut stock with smooth, semi-Schnabel forend without forend cap. Matching serial numbers under barrel, on tang and in forend. Lock marked in two lines "SHARPS' PAT./OCT 5th 1852", reverse of receiver marked "C. SHAPRS' PAT/SEPT 12th 1848" and left of chamber marked "45 CALIBRE 2 1/10". Receiver is from a carbine and has had the sling bar hole filled. Rifle equipped with double set triggers, folding ladder barrel sight, Vernier tang sight and dovetailed globe front sight. E.C. Meacham of St. Louis, MO performed alterations of Civil War era percussion Sharps firearms to cartridge with modified lock plates and breechblocks and extended hammer noses. Meacham performed this work during the 1880s.
The Collection of Larry Ness
Good. Metal with a mottled and oxidized gray patina with scattered surface roughness and some light pitting. Markings remain legible. Mechanically functional, bore good with strong rifling and scattered pitting with more moderate pitting closer to the chamber. Stock with scattered bumps, dings and mars. Checkering at wrist with moderate wear. Lower buttplate screw hole stripped so buttplate does not seat flush.
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Tim Carey
Associate Vice President, Head of Department, Arms, Armor and Militaria