At Bridgeport only a total of 398 1874 carbines, both military and commercial, were manufactured in 1872-1878. The factory letter indicates this rifle was originally invoiced on December 9, 1876, to E.E. Eaton of Chicago, Illinois, as a Model 1874 Carbine in .50 caliber and was then returned on the factory on January 29, 1878. It was invoiced again on July 22, 1878, to J.G. Dow of Bozeman, Montana Territory, as a .50 caliber carbine. Around that time J.G. Dow was buying guns for Walter Cooper's shop in Bozeman. He had ran up his debts with Sharps and had to sell his store to others for a little over two years starting in 1878. Per Gerald Mayberry's research, only 516 Sharps were shipped from the factory to Montana, and of those only 35 were carbines shipped to Dow. The carbine has a blade front sight, "Old Reliable" and "SHARPS RIFLE CO. BRIDGEPORT, CONN." ahead of the Lawrence patent rear sight, adjustable double set triggers, a pewter forend cap, and matching serial numbers on the rear of the forearm, bottom of the barrel, and the upper tang.

Very good with 90% refinished blue on the barrel, mostly mottled dark gray patina on the balance, repaired upper tang with some cold brown, and mild overall wear. The wood is good and has a crack in the forearm, mild scratches and dings, and slight gap at the heel. Mechanically excellent. Provenance: The John Fox Collection.