Original Item: Only One Available. Well this is something we have not had before, and it is really a magnificent and rare piece! Here we have a lovely Sharps Model 1852 Sporting rifle, one of only approximately 600 ever made! This model is the earliest Sharps having the distinctive relief contoured "slanting breech" on the frame, which was later replaced by the "vertical breech", which had a better gas seal. It is fitted with a HEAVY octagon barrel, which measures out to about .40", which we have seen other examples of. It is however possible that it is .373 or 90 bore, which was apparently a common chambering for this.

Sharps factory records indicate that roughly 600 Model 1852 Sporting Rifles were produced circa 1852-1854 and of those only 98 were 90-bore octagonal barrel "plain" guns that were not engraved. Unfortunately there is not much information on the available options for these scarce sporting rifles. All examples of these are rare, regardless of the options. Some had set triggers, however this example does not. It has a lovely matured patina of age, showing that it was well cared for during the past 160 or so years.

The Model 1852 was the first series of Sharps arms equipped with the Lawrence patent pellet primer system, as is this one. As best we can tell, it is actually still complete, and looks to still have moving internal components, however we unfortunately have no way to test this. The lock functions correctly, and the breech opens and closes without issue as well. The cap nipple cone on the breech looks to be in great shape, without the usual powder burn and mushrooming we usually see. As this is an early design, there is no provision for any type of extractor, and the cartridges would have needed to be removed by hand.

Compared to later designs. these Sporting rifles did not have the huge number of patent markings on them, with only a single marking right behind the breech:-

A matching serial number is marked on the receiver tang behind the patent markings and under the fore stock in the standard Sharps fashion:-

The left side of the pellet primer system actually looks to have its own serial number, with a faint 7010 still visible.

An attractive and not particularly common Sharps Sporting Rifle, this example is offered in very good matured condition. This example may have had the barrel produced "in the white", as that is the finish retained under the fore stock, while the rest is now a light gray patina. The action was probably case hardened, now showing a a brown mottled patina. We checked the bore, and it still shows strong 6 groove rifling, with a partly bright finish. There is a bit of oxidation and fouling in the grooves, so this rifle did see some level of use, but was probably cleaned after the last time.

The stocks of the rifle are in very good condition, showing a lovely red brown color with some interesting grain patterns. There are some gouges, dents, and other signs of use and age, and there is a crack through the toe of the butt stock around the lower butt plate screw, which we did not attempt to repair. The patch box on the right rear of the butt stock is lovely, and opens easily. The fore stock faired a bit better, and has a lovely white metal nose cap.

A lovely example of a very rare early Sharps Design, in very good matured condition. Ready to research and display!

Specifications-

Years of Manufacture: 1852-1854
Caliber: Approx .40 Cal
Ammunition Type: Center Fire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 28 Inches
Overall Length: 44 3/8 Inches
Action: Lever Action Slanted Falling Block
Feed System: Single Shot

NOTE: International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.