The Sharps Model 1853 is one of the most iconic firearms of the often violent antebellum era and was famously used by John Brown and his abolitionist allies in Bleeding Kansas and his raid on Harpers Ferry. Early Sharps rifles like this engraved sporting rifle helped establish breech loading firearms in the U.S. and led to Sharps rifles and carbines being among the most significant firearms of the Civil War era and the settlement of the West after the war. The included copy of a factory letter from Dr. Richard J. Labowskie notes that this rifle was invoiced at Sharps' Hartford factory on April 30th, 1855, and described as a 60 bore Model 1853 sporting rifle, about .44 caliber, and plain finished with no mention of engraving or any other extras. The engraving on this example does, however, appear to be similar to other known factory engraved Sharps Model 1853 sporting rifles. This rifle is engraved in the distinctive patterns attributed to the shop of Gustave Young, if not by the master himself. The hammer has nine dots stamped below the spur, which was a method used by Gustave Young to denote the level of embellishment. He also did this on Colt Revolvers. It is possible this rifle was returned to the factory to be engraved and rebarreled with an octagon barrel upon request, as the Sharps factory barrel is non-matching numbered "12179" on the underside. It features fine engraving covers nearly all of the visible surfaces of the frame, lock plate, and patch box as well as most of the lever, trigger plate, buttplate tang and around the lower buttplate screw. The majority of the Young engraving consists of the classic Germanic scroll engraving including floral bloom accents, intertwining scrolls, small sections of crosshatch and dot patterns, and wavy line borders. The left side of the frame features a detailed scene of an elk and trees, and the patch box has a round panel scene of a hog in front of a fence. The rifle features a dovetailed German silver blade front sight, a dovetailed notch and folding ladder rear sight, and adjustable double set triggers. "SHARP'S RIFLE/MANUFG. CO./HARTFORD CONN." marked on top of the barrel, the upper tang has "SHARPS/PATENT/1848" just ahead of the serial number, and the lock is marked "SHARP'S/PATENT/1852". The "SHARP'S" markings on the barrel and lock are noted variations seen on many of the Model 1853 rifles and was created by a mistake of the man who cut the stamps and was corrected later in the production of this model. Matching serial numbers visible on the upper receiver tang, inside the lock and inside of the patch box. and "E" is stamped on the lower left of the frame, front of the trigger plate, and the inside of the patch box. The forend has a simple pewter forend cap and the buttstock has a classic Sharps patch box and lightly curved buttplate.

Very good with a mix of brown finish on the barrel and smooth brown patina on the balance overall, with crisp engraving. Wood is also very good with scattered scratches and handling marks, some crack on the bottom of the forend, a re-glued cracked section beneath the front of the lock, a crack above the lock with a filled in section, with otherwise attractive grains in the wood. Mechanically excellent. The rear sight is loose fitting in its dovetail slot.