Dovetailed German silver blade front sight and flip up rear sight. The top flat of the barrel is marked in script "Old Reliable" in a rectangle with flattened corners, "SHARPS RIFLE CO. BRIDGEPORT, CONN." in one line and "CALIBRE 45". The left flat of the barrel is marked "2 1/10" with the right barrel flat marked "L +". The serial number is stamped on the upper tang, the left side of the receiver is stamped with an illegible marking and the right side is stamped "C. SHARPS' PAT/OCT 5th 1852.". The bottom of the barrel has been renumbered to the receiver which has double set triggers. Mounted on a smooth walnut forearm with Schnabel tip and straight grip stock with patch box, a brass inlaid oval stamped "3" near the toe and a smooth curved steel buttplate.

Refinished and assembled, the barrel has an artificial brown patina with some scattered pitting and a silver patina on the high edges. The front sight is a replacement and the rear sight is missing the elevation adjustable slide. The lever retains most of the muted case colors with the remainder of the casehardened parts having a gray/brown patina with some minor pitting. A few of the screws, the lever and lever hinge pin are replacements. The action needs work. The earlier production replacement wood is very good with some scattered moderate dings.