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LOT 3065
NRA “Ten Best Weapon” Award Winning Rare Cased Sharps Pistol-Rifle Serial Number 11 with Accessories - Serial no. 11, 36 percussion cal., 28 inch round bbl., brown/casehardened
finish, walnut stock. Manufactured by C. Sharps & Co. of Philadelphia circa 1857-1860,
Sharps manufactured only about 600 of these Standard Model pistol-rifles, using the
same action as the Sharps Breech-loading single shot pistol. What appears to be the serial number, “11” is stamped on the inside of the breech lever. “C. SHARPS/PATENT/18-52” is stamped on the right side of the receiver below the hammer. “C.SHARPS & CO’S/RIFLE WORKS/PHILA. PA” is roll-stamped in three lines on the left side of the receiver. The pistol- rifle has a brown-finished barrel with dovetail mounted nickel silver front sight blade, tube rear sight and a knurled ring at the muzzle like the Sharps large frame breech-loading pistols. The falling block action is designed for the “mule-ear” cartridge and is fitted with
a pellet priming device. The receiver, lever, and hammer have a casehardened finish. The
rifle is mounted with a smooth walnut forearm with iron tip and pistol grip stock with iron
grip cap, patch box and buttplate. The cap box has a high polish blue finish. The stock
and forearm have a varnished high polish finish. The rifle comes in a hinged lid wooden
case lined with red felt. The case has six compartments, three of the compartments
having wooden lids with bone handles. The case contains a steel .36 caliber single shot
pistol bullet mold serial numbered “771”, an empty rectangular tin Sharps primer box with a paper label that reads “SHARPS/PATENT PELLETS/OR PRIMERS/Patented June 28. 1853”, and a
glass container of wax. In addition to the rifle accessories the case contains a patent leather military belt with non-regulation two-piece gold plated eagle and shield/ wreath buckle, a British style patent leather primer pouch and a rectangular patent leather Sharps cartridge box containing a cartridge tin with wooden blocks for eighteen loose cartridges and space in the lower portion of the tin for cartridge packets. The belt, cap pouch and cartridge box all fit in compartments. Manufactured in very limited numbers. Sharps pistol-rifles are scarce, unusual, and highly prized by advanced Sharps collectors. The pistol-rifle is accompanied by the original “Certificate of Recognition”, (certificate number 9), Annual Meetings Exhibit Weapons Award from the NRA’s 89th Annual Meeting held on March 20, 1960 in Washington D.C. The certificate is one of a maximum of ten awarded each year to weapons of outstanding historical value, beauty, or rarity as selected from displays of the NRA’s Affiliated Gun Collector Organizations.
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SERIAL NUMBER 11