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LOT 3094
Very Fine Sharps-Borchardt Model
1878 Single Shot Sporting Rifle in Desirable .45-70
Government - Serial no. 17523, 45-70
Government cal., 30 inch round bbl.,
blue/casehardened finish, walnut stock.
Manufactured from 1877 to 1881, this is a very
fine example of one of 750 Sharps-Borchardt
Sporting rifles produced with a round barrel.
This attractive Model 1878 is chambered for
the powerful and desirable .45-70 cartridge.
The majority of these sporting rifles saw heavy use in the
American West, primarily for buffalo hunting but also for protection, with this high
condition example appearing to have been very well-cared for if it did make its way
to the frontier. These rifles, particularly in the U.S. military caliber of the day, would have
been highly valued in the “Wild West” for their accuracy, power, and availability of ammunition. The rifle
has a blued 30-inch heavy barrel that is marked on top with “OLD RELIABLE” in script followed by “SHARPS RIFLE CO. BRIDGEPORT.
CONN.” ahead of the rear sight, and “CAL.45 2 1/10” (.45-70 Government) on the left of the breech. The left of the receiver is roll-stamped
“BORCHARDT PATENT/SHARPS RIFLE CO. BRIDGEPORT CONN./U.S.A.” in three lines. The matching serial number is marked on the bottom
of the receiver, barrel underneath the forearm, and on the rear flat of the forearm. The bottom of the barrel is also marked “L/L/L” in script. It
is fitted with a “Rocky Mountain” type German silver blade front sight, a folding ladder rear sight, and a modern replacement Sharps-Borchardt
pattern peep sight on the upper tang. It is mounted with a smooth, Schnabel tip forearm and straight grip stock with a checkered steel buttplate.
CONDITION: Very fine, retains 95% of the original blue finish with some scattered light handling marks and light muzzle wear. The action retains 50% plus
of the slightly muted original case colors with some scattered specks of flaking. The wood is also very fine with some scattered minor
scratches and dings. Mechanically excellent. A very fine example of the sort of rifle that would have been highly prized by a buffalo
hunter or settler of the western frontier!
Estimate: 5,000 - 7,500
LOT 3093
Highly Attractive “Deluxe Express” Configuration Sharps-Borchardt
Model 1878 Single Shot Rifle - Serial no. 20816, 45 cal., 30 1/2 inch round
bbl., blue/casehardened finish, walnut
stock. Manufactured c. 1880, this is a highly
attractive example of what appears to be one
of the atypically configured rifles assembled
by Sharps just before they went out of
business, and was quite possibly shipped to
the J.P. Lower shop in Denver, Colorado. Frank
Sellers notes on p. 270 of “Sharps Firearms”
that, “As production was ending in late 1880, an effort was made to sell some
of the rifles around the factory that had been returned by customers for various reasons.
Several of these were fitted with fancy stocks and otherwise ‘prettied up,’ and thus fit no
standard model classification.” He also notes that the last year the company was in operation
was a very hectic period and that factory records during that time are sparse. This rifle certainly seems to fit the
bill for a hectic period of assembly at the factory and parts cleanup. Interestingly, on the same page of the previously mentioned book,
two rifles are pictured, both in similar configuration to this rifle. The rifles are serial numbers 20803 and 20813, which is just three numbers
away from this example. Sellers notes that both of those rifles are marked with a script “L” below the serial numbers, just like this example, and
were shipped to J.P. Lower in Denver as fancy sporting rifles intended as “express rifles”. He also notes that the forearms and buttstocks on those two
guns are patterned after the very early factory stock (like this example), but that the workmanship is considerably better than that found on factory guns
of that period. Apart from a few slight differences, this gun shares much the same configuration as the two discussed by Sellers. It is likely that the Lower shop
was purchasing these late-production, “cleanup” rifles in bulk at a discounted price, despite many of them being of a higher grade than the standard production rifles. Interestingly, the
barrel on this rifle does not bear the typical “Old Reliable” marking or Sharps address. The bottom of the highly desirable, hard rubber paneled, action is marked with the serial number
and the script “L” just in front of the trigger. The bottom of the barrel is numbered “20865” in the factory style. The forearm is marked “91” twice on the rear face. This rifle is fitted with a set
of “express sights” including a long bead blade front sight and a two-leaf express rear sight, as well as a Lyman pattern combination peep sight mounted on the integral base of the upper
tang. It is also fitted with a checkered trigger and sliding safety, as well as sling swivel eyes dovetailed in the bottom of the barrel and fitted in the bottom of the stock. It is mounted with a very
finely figured, double diamond and multi-point checkered forearm with a dark horn end cap. The finely figured pistol grip stock also has multi-point checkering, a hard rubber grip cap, cheekpiece, and a checkered hard rubber
shotgun buttplate with the Sharps monogram at the center. Both the forearm and stock follow the very early production pattern with carved flats where they meet the action.
CONDITION: Fine, retains 50% of the thinned period refinished blue finish on the barrel and 50% plus of the somewhat muted original case colors on the action with the balance mostly a smooth grey patina. The wood is very fine
with a hairline crack in the right of the wrist and some scattered light handling marks. Mechanically excellent. A very interesting and highly attractive Borchardt Model 1878 rifle!
Estimate: 5,500 - 8,000
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