The top barrel flat is marked "SHARPS RIFLE CO. / HARTFORD CONN" in front of the R.S. Lawrence sporting leaf rear sight and "CALIBRE 44" followed by "20" behind it. Blued barrel with casehardened frame, hammer and lever. The left side of the frame is marked with 1848 Sharps patent date. Blade front sight, tang mounted peep sight and double set triggers. Finished with a two piece fancy grain walnut stock with pewter end tip. According to the included factory letter, the rifle was shipped October 11, 1872 to Albright and Rudolph of St. Louis, Missouri, with a 30 inch octagonal barrel, double set triggers, globe and peep sights and oil finished stocks. Period catalogs stress that these were made to fill the demands of "Frontiersmen and Buffalo Hunters". Consequently they were intended to be used and most of them saw extreme use.

Good. The barrel exhibits a dark brown patina with a gray patina on the high edges. The rest of the metal surfaces have a dark mottled patina. There is some very light surface rust overall and some minor dings ahead of the peep sight. The stock and forearm are both very good with the oil finished grain raising slightly. Overall, there are some minor dings and scratches, a few moderate gouges and a few minor chips. The underside of the buttstock has a large gash and a large chip and another large chip near the buttplate tang. There are barely noticeable single cracks near the upper tang, lock plate and on the left side of the forearm near the frame (likely a repair). The buttplate is oversized. Mechanically fine.