The Sharps Rifle Company predated the ACW by better than a decade and had a proven reputation for producing excellent arms. During the Civil War the M1859 rifle along with the far more common M1859 & M1863 carbines cemented their reputation as a strong, reliable and effective rifle. After the war with the clear ascendence of the metallic cartridge many ACW Sharps were easily converted to .50-70 and found great favor with the American public; but like the ballard they never managed to break into the International Arms market.
In 1874 they produced an excellent rifle that would gain fame as a "buffalo gun" in 1875 slight modifications improved the arm and in 1878 the last Sharps; the Sharps Borchardt which was perhaps the strongest and best single shot breach loader of the era.
Top: 1875 Sharps Middle: 1874 Sharps Bottom: Sharps Borchardt
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