This rifle is the standard configuration of the NM 1859 Sharps military rifle with 30-inch barrel in .52 caliber using the straight breech and rates near Fine for condition with more than 30 percent finish, sharp numbers and lettering, good fit of the metal to the wood, with the metal having a smooth surface and the wood showing good edges, though with some handling dings, a scrape on the left buttstock and a narrow chip along the barrel on the left forestock just behind the upper band. The barrel has better than 90 percent blue shading slightly toward plum, with the bands showing more of the plum tone. Front and rear sights are in place and complete, as is the bayonet lug on the underside of the muzzle for a saber bayonet. The barrel markings are crisp and correct: SHARPS RIFLE / MANUFG. CO / HARTFORD, CONN. forward of the rear sight; Lawrence markings on the sight base; and “New Model 1859” on barrel near the breech.

The receiver, patchbox and buttplate show wear to the finish from handling, leaving about ten to twenty percent, and show a mix of muted silver and some bluish gray, but with smooth metal and crisp markings, and stronger blue on the top of the receiver, rear of the lockplate, and underside on the triggerguard/lever, with some vibrant blue on the underside of the block. The lock plate is clearly marked SHARPS PAT. / OCT 5^th 1852 and the right side of the receiver S. LAWRENCE PAT. / APRIL 12^th 1859 behind the hammer, and SHARPS PAT. / SEPT 12 1848 on the left.

The wood has very nice color and surface, with scattered handling dings from legitimate use, one small circular scrape on the left buttflat and a shallow wear spot or chip along the barrel channel just behind the upper band, with a narrow hairline forward. That said, the edges of the barrel channel and rear of the forestock at the receiver are sharp, as is the wrist, and the wood has a tight fit to all of the metal. We do not see a cartouche at the wrist, but we do see a rack number “69” stamped in the wood just above the buttplate tang indicating military issue. The serial number, 40276, dates it just after the diverted Egyptian contract rifles, which ran up to 40000 and had been inspected by February 1861. In broader terms it falls well within the 40000 to 45000 serial number range for rifles purchased on the open market by the U.S. government starting in June 1861. The exact quantity is not known according to Marcot et al., p. 320, but they list 6,969 as produced for the army and navy in different configurations from 1860 to 1862 (p. 342) and record 1,100 purchased from firms such as C.C. Bean (397 rifles) and through the Union Defense Committee of New York (668,) which ended up in the hands of different organizations: some to the Bean rifles, for instance, were sent to Butler in Baltimore and ended up with the Duryea Zouaves. Action works well, bore is clean with good rifling.

This is a very nice original and complete example of a well-known and scarce Civil War breechloading rifle. We had the pleasure of handling #40225 not long ago. The two may have seen service together.  [sr] [ph:L]

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