Page 81 - 4090-BOOK3

Model 1849 Sporting Rifles were produced
The latter specifically advertised them for emigrants headed to the
West, later the key market for Sharps rifles. The advertisements noted
the rifles could be fired eight to twelve times in a minute. Nippes ended his
relationship with Sharps in June of 1851. While not a major commercial success, the
Model 1849 was historically significant in the evolution of the Sharps rifle design, and Albert Nippes was a key figure in the early manufacture and promotion of the Sharps design.
These early “First Model” rifles feature the distinctive brass circular disk automatic capping device similar to “cappers”
According to "Sharps Firearms The Percussion Era 1848-1865", approximately 175 Sharps
for Colt Paterson revolvers on the right side of the breech that was designed by Christian Sharps but apparently never
patented and was only used on this model. Lowering the lever lowers the nipple along with the breech allowing the device to feed a cap onto the nipple for the next shot. The barrel has 12-groove rifling, and the top flat is roll-stamped: “MANUFACTURED/BY/A.S. NIPPES/PHILADA PA” in four lines behind the rear sight along with the serial number “25.” The barrel also has dovetail mounted blade front and notch rear sights, and the lower flat has a single iron cleaning rod ferrule and is grooved to fit the wiping rod. “C.SHARPS/ PATENT/1848” is stamped in three lines on the top of the frame at the breech. “L” is marked on some of the flat head screws. The breech lever curves over the brass trigger guard. The elongated back action lock has a curved profile. The stock is fitted with a large brass “patchbox” on the right side designed to carry a second primer wheel. The forend cap and buttplate are also brass. CONDITION: Very good with mostly dark brown mix of faded brown finish and case colors and dark patina on the iron throughout, some mild pitting, very attractive aged patina on the brass, distinct markings, and fairly minimal overall wear including some mild pitting. The front screw for the lock is stripped. The wood is fine and has smooth oiled finish, a crack in the butt, light scratches and dings, and minor edge wear. Mechanically fine. Very few of these early Sharps rifles remain today, and this is a fleeting opportunity to get your hands on a very early one! Significantly, this is the 25th production rifle of approximately 160,000 Sharps rifles manufactured from 1849 through 1881!
Estimate: 40,000 - 60,000
79