.52 caliber. 21.25" barrel. SN: 12074. Blued and color casehardened finish, brass furniture, walnut buttstock and forend. Single shot percussion breechloading carbine with 9" sling bar missing ring, 1853 pattern sight base missing sight ladder and a brass blade front sight. Standard Sharps lock markings in three-lines SHARP'S/PATENT/1852, tang marked SHARPS/PATENT/1848 and with serial number, barrel marked SHARPS RIFLE/MANUFG CO/HARTFORD, CONN. Matching serial numbers on receiver tang and under barrel, forend with heavy restoration and no number present. Carvings on reverse of butt with the deeply cut initials L.L., and much more lightly carved script name and possibly additional information, which is not legible. A search of published John Brown serial numbers finds that 1853 Sharps Carbine #12077 was in case #321 and is a documented John Brown purchased Sharps. This gun was not found in any available records, but is only three numbers from the documented John Brown Sharps. {ANTIQUE}