This rifle was originally a Civil War era Sharps New Model 1865 and was later converted for metallic cartridges, likely after the Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Co. closed in 1881. These rifles have been nicknamed Meacham conversion Sharps since they were featured in the catalogs of E.C. Meacham of St. Louis, but other gunsmiths and dealers also produced and sold these converted rifles. Walter Cooper was active in the fur and buffalo hide trade as well as a major Sharps dealer in Bozeman, Montana Territory, from 1874 to 1884 and also pursued a variety of other business interests. He went into debt with Sharps and had to sell his shop for a little over two years starting in 1878 but was able to repurchase it. The heavy octagon barrel of this rifle has "W. COOPER/BOZEMAN MT." stamped behind the rear sight, has been relined to .40 caliber, and features a blade front sight with white insert, Lawrence patent rear sight with added rear notch, and no factory markings. The rifle also features double set triggers, a smooth forend with a pewter cap, checkered buttstock, and Vernier peep sight. Part of the serial number on the upper tang has been removed by the holes drilled for mounting the Vernier peep sight. "C,4" is visible before the hole, and "20" is visible between the holes. The barrel is not numbered. The peep sight is numbered "156270" on the left side of the base. The rifle that sight was originally on was sold by RIAC in April 2013. A letter for that serial number is included. It states that serial number is recorded twice in the original factory records. The second invoice for July 19, 1877, is the relevant entry. It indicates a rifle shipped to Sharps' General Agent E.S. Harris in New York City and listed as a Model 1874 Long Range Target Rifle #3 in .45-2 6/10 with a weight of 9 3/4 lbs. and $55 net price. The sight clearly came off of that rifle. Where that rifle ended up is not recorded. Notes from John Fox indicate it is the "finest condition Cooper known" and also sates that L.A. Huffman is known to have had a 16 lbs. Cooper in "New Condition" in the 1920s. The same pewter forend cap design by Cooper is shown in "The End of the Line: The Last Days of the Sharps Rifle in Montana" from the American Society of Arms Collectors Bulletin 67:26-40. Provenance: The John Fox Collection

Very fine with 90% blue finish remaining on the barrel, 60% refurbished case colors on the action, smooth patina on the balance, minor marks and scratches, and minor overall wear. The wood is fine and has mild dings and scrapes in the otherwise crisp checkering, minor edge wear, and general minor handling and storage wear. Mechanically excellent. This is a very attractive "Meacham Conversion" Sharps with highly desirable Walter Cooper marked barrel. As John Fox noted, this is the "finest condition Cooper known," and it is surely among the highest condition Montana Sharps extant.