A rare example of a Sharps Model 1850 Rifle with Robertson and Simpson patent breech block. This is one of approximately twenty-five Sharps Model 1850 Rifles manufactured by William Robertson and the firm of Robertson & Simpson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1856. The rifle has a heavy, .36 caliber, octagon barrel. The barrel has a single iron thimble and the bottom flat is grooved to accommodate the hickory wiping rod. The barrel is fitted with a globe front sight mounted in a dove-tail and an open sporting type rear sight. A folding rear sight is attached to the receiver tang by a single screw. The receiver has a Maynard tape primer with hinged door below the hammer and a distinctive, curved, back-action lock plate. The breech lever extends over the iron trigger guard. The rifle has an oil-finished, black walnut stock and forearm. The stock has a distinctive slow curve profile and the forearm is flared at the junction with the breech block. The rifle has an iron forearm cap, forearm wedge and screw escutcheons, patch box and butt plate. "SHARPS/PATENT/1848" is stamped in three lines on the top of the breech. The tape primer door is stamped "MAYNARD'S/PATENT/1845". The face of the breech block is stamped vertically "WM ROBERTSON" on the right side and "G.W. SIMPSON." on the left side. "PATENT/32/1856" is stamped horizontally in three lines on the lower face of the breech block. On page 20 of Sharps Firearms by Frank Sellers, he states that, "About 25 Model 1850's were made by William Robertson and the firm of Robertson & Simpson". The serial number "56" is stamped on the underside of the barrel beneath the forearm. The barrel is browned and the receiver and iron furniture are case-hardened.

Near fine. The barrel retains approximately 70% of the original brown finish with some minor high point wear and a small patch of light pitting on the right barrel flat, ahead of the forearm cap. The receiver, trigger guard, lever, patch box and butt plate have a silver-gray patina with some minor age discoloration. The bore is bright. The markings on the breech block, breech and primer door are crisp. The tape primer is complete and functional. The stock and forearm retain most of the original oil finish and have minor handling wear. The stock is clearly cracked through the wrist and is slightly separated. The tip of the wiping rod is broken. This is a very good example of an early and very rare Sharps Model 1850 Rifle.