What model of Sharps is this ?

[Marshal Deadwood]

What are the specifics on this rifle ? is it a Sharps ?

Thanks

MD

[Drydock]

That probably looks to be the Model 1855 Slanting Breech rifle.  All Sharps prior to the "New Model 1859" had the slanting breech.  The 1859 first introduced the vertical "Straight" breech that would typify Sharps until the end.  Looks like the negative got flipped somewhere along the way.

[Dirty Brass]

Is that an inverted picture or does this rifle actually have the hammer on the left side?

[Advertising]

[Ransom Gaer]

If the photograph is made from a glassplate negative it could be reversed.  If it is a tintype photograph then the reversed image is what you'll get.  My avatar is a tintype I had done at the 145th Anniversary Reenactment of the Battle of Chickamauga.  In the photograph my 1859 Sharps is reversed.  A tintype is a positive. There is no negative.

The rifle looks like an 1853 Sharps Sporting Rifle.  Barrel is too long for a carbine and looks to be the right length for a Sporting Rifle.  Sporting rifle barrel length varied from 24 inches to 34 inches with 27 being the most common.  Not likely a Military Rifle.  Also available at this time.  It is missing the barrel band.  Available in 32, 60 and 90 Bore.  If it were an 1855 it would have the priming sytem between the hammer and the breech block and it doesn't.  At least based on the examples in Frank Sellers' book.  This priming system looks sort of like a snail capper built into the action.  Definitely a slant breech Sharps.

Ransom Gaer

[Delmonico]

Looks like a tintype.

[Niederlander]

I couldn't help but notice how stunningly realistic that backdrop looks!  Doen't it look natural?!

[Four-Eyed Buck]

Could this be a photographer's prop gun? Maybe the buckskins, too?..............Buck

[Delmonico]

Could this be a photographer's prop gun? Maybe the buckskins, too?..............Buck

Could be.

[drcook]

Check out the persons shoes. They are pretty shiney for being a "working" person and to me,
don't look period correct.

As you all stated, it looks like one of those "old time" photographers setup.

dave

[Forty Rod]

I'd vote for an 1853 slant breech, maybe a 1865, but they were more scarce.  Could be one of the rare shotguns  (Early Sharps rifles didn't generally have the very heavy barrels of the later 1874 versions. This gun has what appears to be a very heavy barrel.), and it is very likely a photographers prop.  Only about 320 shotguns made, but they weren't very popular, so a photographer may have picked one up on the cheap.

Also, It may have been restocked.  Most slant breech Sharps had patch boxes and barrel bands.

[Delmonico]

What if any info was with the picture?

[Joe Lansing]

    If you look carefully, there does seem to be a patchbox. Or perhaps I'm seeing things.

                                                                    J.L.

[Marshal Deadwood]

How did we get on his shoes ? !

Delmonico, the only thing I found with the pic was,,,'buffalo hunter and his sharps rifle'...

...sorry,,,,wish there had been more myself.

MD

[drcook]

well, if his shoes are not period correct, along with everyone else's analysis of the picture, it could very
well be one of the "old timey photographer's" prop guns.

such as:

http://www.swdecor.com/replica_1859sharps.htm

but it does have some of the features of this authentic one:

http://www.ima-usa.com/product_info.php/cPath/29_132/products_id/859?osCsid=140567191f741c40bb09ed033fa416f0

[Delmonico]

MD, just curious, what was the source of the picture? Book, on-line.

I need take some more time and look at the picture, but haven't seen nothing wrong with his shoes so far as far as PC.

[River City John]

MD, just curious, what was the source of the picture? Book, on-line.

I need take some more time and look at the picture, but haven't seen nothing wrong with his shoes so far as far as PC.

Delmonico,
Notice how the type of fringed garment he wears looks similar to the picture of the Cowgirl posted in an NCOWS thread. Thin and crinkly, like treated canvas cloth.

RCJ

[drcook]

Whether or not it is a staged picture made recently or what, the rifle looks like this one that was out
on gunbroker. The one on gunbroker is a:

Sharps Slant Breech Forager .56 caliber

I offloaded the picture MD posted and editted it so I could magnify it and saw no barrel bands etc.
What you do see is a table leg that slipped out from under the backdrop and other details that lead me
to believe it is staged modern recreation.

But that does not mean the rifle is a fake

[Marshal Deadwood]

Delmonico,,,The guy that posted it on another board is me pard. I'll ask him if he knows more about the image. Hopefully, he does. If so, I'll come back with what I can find. Got the 'Black Death' and feeling terrible,,but will see if I can find something tonite from him.

MD

[Marshal Deadwood]

OK,,not much known,,,my pard said it was auctioned,,and that the auction was 'over',,and all it had was 'Buffalo Hunter, with fringed canvas jacket, holding a Sharps rifle.

Sure wish there was more.

MD

[Professor Honeyfuggler]

I'm inclined to say it is an authentic tintype of the era, even if'n it isn't a real buffalo hunter, at least partly because all the cheesy scenery bits look authentic for the period. Maybe a dude from the east getting a takehome souvenir - which was very common practice in the day. Just like we go get dress up "old timey" photos today, they used to go get dress up "old west" photos then.