Sharps 1874 .50 caliber Military Rifle/Buffalo Gun. One of the more fascinating Old West rifles we’ve offered is this true Sharps Model 1874. The receiver serial number is 155819. According to the original Sharps shipping records, that amazingly still exist, this serial number is listed as a sporting rifle that was shipped in the mid-1870’s to famed outfitter during the great buffalo hunt years, M. L. Rood of Denver, Colorado. The earlier barrel number located under the forearm on this rifle is C51357 and according to the shipping records is a “blank in the records.” It was common for the Sharps Company to maintain an inventory of parts and barrels from returned rifles or completed rifles that were never shipped and later used for parts. It is also fairly common to find Sharps barrel numbers crossed out and replaced with a later number matching the receiver. Many simply retained the earlier serial number. It is possible that this rifle, which shows typical heavy frontier service, was either sent back to the Sharps factory and fitted with the barrel it now has, or that M. L. Rood ordered the barrel from Sharps. Rood was a gunsmith as well as an outfitter to sportsmen and buffalo hunters during the period of 1851 until his death in 1881 (the year the Sharps Company closed its doors permanently), and may have done the re-barrel work himself. It is also very possible that the original barrel was either worn out by a buffalo hunter or damaged and Rood simply replaced it. This barrel is a .50 caliber and is marked with an “L” on the left side of the barrel by the breech. This “L” stood for “Long” and meant it was chambered for the .50 2” case as opposed to the more common shorter .50 1 ¾” case. The “L” or longer 2” case was loaded with 90 grains of black powder and was a very powerful cartridge popular with hunters on the buffalo range. Conversions and re-barreling were common with hunters who lived under the harsh conditions of the frontier and fired many hundreds or even thousands of cartridges through their rifles in short periods of time. This took a great toll on barrels and many rifles today are found in hard used condition with period replacement barrels. This wonderfully historical western example shows honest hard usage, typical of buffalo guns that have survived to the present time. All metal surfaces show a deep aged matching patina and the Sharps markings on the barrel and receiver are still clear and plainly visible. The correct 30” barrel is fitted with the original Lawrence folding ladder rear sight with slide intact and is marked “R. S. Lawrence Patented February 15, 1859.” The front sight is the original standard military rifle sight. The tang is missing the factory tang sight filler screws indicating that at some time this rifle probably was fitted with a sporting tang sight for more precise aiming and shooting. Sharps 1874 Military rifles were commonly used for buffalo hunting and cost less than sporting rifles. Many were used as back up rifles for when the primary sporting rifle was in need of cleaning or the barrel heated and needed to be cooled. When a buffalo hunter got a “stand” which meant he was continually shooting lead cows in a herd and thus keeping the bulk of the animals in a state of milling confusion, shots had to be fired fast while the “stand” remained and before the buffalo stampeded out of range. During this time of extended shooting, hunters often used two or more rifles as barrels fouled or heated too much for continued shooting. The bore on this example is fairly bright with good rifling with the exception of either corrosion or lead fouling (“leading”) ahead of the chamber for a few inches, which should brush out considerably. The butt stock and forearm show typical frontier wear and handling, but it solid. There is an old light “52” in white numerals on the left side of the stock which is very aged and worn, along with a tiny stamping “39” on the right side toward the butt plate- meanings unknown. The action is tight and fully functional. From the original Sharps records it is known that many 1874 Military Models were shipped to the western dealers and outfitters to the buffalo hunters It would be hard to find a more historical western shipped true 1874 Sharps rifle that was no doubt used heavily on the buffalo range of the 1870s.