Guns International #: 102082274

Category - Sharps Rifles - Antique - Military Rifles - Antique

Category
Sharps Rifles - Antique
Military Rifles - Antique

 EXTREMELY RARE 1870 SHARPS-SPRINGFIELD .50-70 TRIAL RIFLE TYPE II, MADE ON THE 1874 SHARPS ACTION

Description:
 EXTREMELY RARE 1870 SHARPS-SPRINGFIELD .50-70 TRIAL RIFLE TYPE II, MADE ON THE 1874 SHARPS ACTION. These rare rifles were made by Springfield in 1871 and issued on a trial basis to troops for the Indian Wars. There were two types: Type I utilized altered surplus Civil War percussion actions and about 1,000 were made. The scarce Type II used the "new" 1874 (not given this designation until after 1874) cartridge action. Only 300 of these actions were provided to Springfield to built into military rifles. They were numbered from 1-300.  All had 35" barrels fitted to the actions and stocked in the usual military fashion with one forend screw and two barrel bands. These saw hard western use and were eventually removed from service and replaced with the .45-70 Trapdoor rifles and carbines. It is not known what was done with these rifles after they were taken from service, but were probably either placed in frontier forts on reserve along with the .50-70 Trapdoors that were also fazed out. It is thought they may have also been sold as surplus or sold from the forts to frontiersmen/settlers/buffalo hunters etc. of the time. This interesting example exudes history and frontier service!  It has matching serial number 2XX on the upper tang and the barrel. It also retains the original ladder rear and military front sights. These were issued with barrels, barrel bands, butt plates, swivels and cleaning rods in the "white" (unfinished metal) and this one shows a nice fairly bright gray patina on these parts- the swivels have been removed.  The receiver is an uncleaned dark patina with the two letters "P M" stamped in the left side of the receiver- meaning unknown. There is a barely visible oval with "ESA" cartouche in the left side of the wrist. The fore-stock is solid with a replaced screw in the bottom while the butt stock shows a typical crack on each side of the wrist from the rear of the upper tang to the bottom tang which has a great frontier-style repair utilizing twin inletted brass reinforcement strips each attached by two screws- the brass is now a deep patina showing great age.  The action is tight and the bore is bright and excellent (!). The cleaning rod has been removed. With only 300 of these Type II rifles built and issued, there can't be many still in existence.

SOLD

Rifle Caliber: .50-70 Government
Manufacturer: SHARPS/SPRINGFIELD
Model: 1870 MIL. RIFLE
Serial Number: 2XX
Barrel Length: 35
Condition: VG
Bore Condition: EXCELLENT