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Historic Documented Double Shipped F.W. Freund Inscribed and Improved
Sharps Bridgeport Model 1874 Sporting Buffalo Rifle in .45 2 7/8 Sharps
with Factory Letters and Provenance as Owned by U.S. Civil Engineer
Montgomery C. Meigs, Pictured in the Book “Freund & Bro. Pioneer
Gunmakers to the West” - Serial no. 156478, 45 2 7/8 cal., 28 inch octagon bbl.,
blue/casehardened finish, walnut stock. The Sharps Model 1874 was considered
one of the best firearms of the late 19th century American West and was famously
used by professional buffalo hunters, pioneers, and guides. They were a highly
valued arm on the frontier, not only due to their firepower but also their long range
accuracy. According to “Sharps Firearms” by Frank Sellers, Sharps only manufactured
approximately 6,400 of Model 1874 sporting rifles in a variety of configurations
between 1871 to 1880. This exceptional Sharps Model 1874 sporting buffalo rifle
has a fascinating history with desirable period improvements performed by the
legendary Freund & Bro. including being rechambered for .45 2 7/8 Sharps, giving it
all the stopping power a buffalo hunter could ask for.
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