Sharps Model 1874 Long-Range Rifle manufactured in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The rifle is in No. 1 or No. 2 configuration with checkered, fancy grain, walnut, pistol grip stock with hard rubber, shotgun, buttplate. The bottom of the pistol grip is fitted with a nickel-silver plate inscribed: "New Orleans/Francis O. Minor/La". The rifle has a blued, half-octagon, barrel chambered for the Sharps .45-100 (Straight) cartridge. The barrel has a "New Model" windage front sight with spirit level. The top of the barrel is roll-stamped with the "OLD RELIABLE" trademark followed by the one-line legend: "SHARPS RIFLE CO. BRIDGEPORT. CONN.". The underside of the barrel is stamped with the serial number "161058". The full serial number is stamped in the bottom of the forearm barrel channel. The receiver, hammer and lever have a casehardened finish. The receiver is fitted with a Long-Range Vernier tang sight. The side of the sight stem is not graduated. The left side of the sight base is numbered "5/8" at the top and has the full serial number "161058" at the bottom. The rifle has a single trigger with checkered face. Sharps manufactured 70 No. 1 and 229 No. 2 Model 1874 Long-Range Rifles at the Bridgeport factory between 1876 and 1879. A copy of the Sharps Ledger page shows serial number "161058" as a Long Range #1 (LR#1) shipped in June of 1877 with a later entry of "MAY 31 '77 F.E. Minor 57 Caron ??? N.O.

Very good. The rifle retains traces of the original blue and case hardened finish. The barrel is mostly a dark patina. There is some roughness on the octagon portion of the barrel; the markings are full legible. The casehardened finish on the contact points of the receiver, hammer and lever have faded to a mottled, dark gray patina. Strong case colors remain in protected areas. The casehardened finish on the lock plate has a silver patina. The bore is bright. The stock and forearm retain half of the original varnish finish and are in very good condition with some minor handling marks. The checkering on the stock and forearm is sharp. The checkered, hard rubber buttplate is in very good condition. This is a very good, original, example of a scarce and very desirable Sharps Bridgeport Model 1874 No. 1 or No. 2 Long-Range Rifle.