This is an example of a Sharps Model 1853 Sporting rifle that was manufactured in the mid 1850s. The rifle has a 60 bore (.44 caliber) round barrel with a German silver blade front sight and folding rear sight, double set triggers, Laurence pellet primer, oil finished walnut forearm and stock, iron patch box and buttplate, and nickel forend cap. The upper tang is tapped for peep sight mounting The top of the barrel appears unmarked aside from "11307" on the bottom underneath the forearm which also has the matching serial number as does the "SHARPS/PATENT/1848" marked upper tang and inside of the patch box. The lock plate is marked "SHARPS/PATENT/1852". Just under 3,000 of these sporting rifles were manufactured by Sharps from 1854 until 1859. Only 72 of these sporting rifles had 60 bore plain round barrels according to the factory records discussed in Sharps Firearms by Sellers.

Fair. The rifle has a dark brown patina with minor to mild pitting. The wood is good with some faint cracks, tooling/vice marks, scrapes, chips, and a dark oiled finish. It is mechanically fine, and most of the markings are crisp.