The accompanying factory letter lists this Sharps as a "Model 1874 Sporting Rifle" as invoiced from the Sharps factory on February 13, 1878 to C.F. Gennerich of New York City, originally listed as being shipped in .40-50 caliber with the 1 and 11/16 inch case, a 30 inch octagon barrel, double set triggers, a pistol grip stock, weighing 9 pounds 14 ounces, with additional "special features" including a cheekpiece, sporting buttplate, globe front sight, and a mid-range vernier peep tang sight, with a $42 net price for the "identical" rifles in this order. The letter further states, "Although entered in the Order Book as Sporting Rifles, the rifles with the above-noted features, shipped to Gennerich, are the well-known German Pattern Sharps, or Sharps Schuetzen Rifle. Gennerich was an officer of the New York Central Schuetzen Corps." Manufactured between 1877-1878, this is one of a reported 69 Sharps factory made Model 1874 Schuetzen rifles, also referred to in period Sharps company correspondence as "German Pattern," "Dutch Mid-Range," or "Offhand" rifles, as designed and purchased by Charles E. Overbaugh for the New York Central Schuetzen Corps. All but 3 of these Model 1874 Schuetzen rifles were purchased by the members of that club, most of them by its president, C.F. Gennerich. 17 of these rifles were reportedly purchased with Schuetzen pattern buttplates. This exact rifle is pictured and described on page 133 of the book "H.M. Pope Hartford 1887-1901" by Warren Greatbatch. The rifle has a replacement part octagon heavy barrel marked "H.M. POPE, HARTFORD, CONN." on top, reportedly chambered in ".28 Pope Special" centerfire according to consignor notes, with number "3" weight marking visible on bottom ahead of the forearm, "116" above a star and a partly visible "WCF" on bottom of the breech area, with a replacement dovetail mounted windage adjustable globe front sight with spirit level. Included consignor notes state, "This is the only side hammer Sharps which shows up on Warren Greatbatch's list of Pope products, Pope was known to have thought a target accuracy rifle could not be made on the side hammer action; perhaps this rifle is the reason for that conclusion. The 28-inch barrel appears to have been made from a Winchester blank and was set in the action by Pope utilizing a collar made from a Sharps barrel 'stub.'" The consignor further states, "I traded three very valuable guns for this rifle at the Denver Gun Show in 1992. The person I bought it from stated that Frank Sellers bought it from an unknown person at an Ohio Gun Collector show a year or two before that." An original folding ladder vernier peep sight is mounted on the receiver tang, marked with matching number "37" on the ladder. The serial number "162237" is marked across the top of the receiver. Factory double set triggers. The straight grain walnut sporting stock has a raised cheekpiece and pistol grip with a factory nickel plated Schuetzen buttplate, and the right side of the stock is factory inlaid with a German silver nameplate engraved "Dohm & Eizen". A Schuetzen rifle wearing the same shaped plaque nameplate, very close in range with serial number 162230, is pictured and described on page 233 of "Sharps Firearms" by Frank Sellers. Another 1874 Schuetzen rifle previously sold by Rock Island Auction Company (Auction 65, Lot 1078), serial number 162219, had an accompanying Sharps letter with it that noted that most of these "German" pattern rifles sold to the New York Central Schuetzen Club were fitted with similar nameplates. Also includes a CD with professional photographs of this rifle taken by Ron Paxton. Provenance: The Frank Sellers Collection; Property of a Gentleman

Fine as custom Pope re-barreled, retains 70% faded blue finish on the barrel with some oxidation visible around the muzzle end, 30% original patterns of case colors visible on the frame and lock with scattered mild surface freckling, and 85% original nickel plating on the buttplate. Wood is very good as re-varnished, with numerous scattered dents, nicks and scratches, a crack on the bottom on the forearm and some flaking/rub marks at the rear, an empty threaded hole on the bottom where an absent sling swivel may have once resided, with sharp engraving on the bright nameplate. One absent rear screw in the lower tang, with empty drilled and tapped holes visible on the bottom of the forearm and breech lever. Mechanically fine.