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FRONTIER USED “SHARPS MEACHAM MODIFICATION” STYLE RIFLE

A bit of Meacham history:
E.C. Meacham Arms Co. of St. Louis, Missouri was founded by Edward C. Meacham in 1870 and was first listed in the St. Louis City Directory in 1871. Throughout the 1870s and `80s, this company was the primary supplier of firearms to customers in the Central and Southern Plains Regions.

Meacham was dealing with the Sharps Company as early as 1872. They purchased Sharps firearms from the factory and from Schuyler, Hartley & Graham.

Description:

This Sharps rifle appears to have been period assembled using a Civil War era New Model 1865 action with its pellet primer system on the lock filled in and deactivated, and re-barreled for the .45-70 Government cartridge. These conversions are often associated with E.C. Meacham of St. Louis who built rifles like this in the 1880s. Sharps sporting rifles are considered to be one of the classic western firearms and were particularly popular with buffalo hunters. This rifle offered is full of unmistakable frontier character and would display well in any antique American arms collection. The barrel has a carbine style front sight, "SHARPS 40-70 STRAIGHT." marked between the barrel band and folding ladder rear sight, serial number "C,40943" marked on top of the receiver tang, smooth walnut forearm and straight grip stock with smooth iron carbine buttplate.

Markings on the lockplate:

R.S. LAWRENCE PAT
APRIL 12TH 1859

The Lawrence patent date is gone, this because they filed the lockplate down, they filled the primer slot and changed the tumbler to a short half cock, this style of modification was done by approx. 100 guns

SHARPS' PAT
OCT 5TH 1852

Sharps patent on the lockplate is complete visible.

The left side of the receiver still has a clear marking as well:

SHARPS PAT
SEPT 12TH 1848

Good as period modified with a mix of dark brown and grayish patina with some traces of case colors left on the receiver and lockplate, scattered patches of mild oxidation, and nicks, in the wood typical of a rugged working gun.
To make things a bit complicate, this gun was originally made has a Model 1865 Military percussion carbine with a 22-inch barrel in .52 caliber. Then it was converted with the 1868 type conversion to adapt the 50-70 Government cartridge. Then it has had the Meacham modification they re-barreled this gun with a 25-inch barrel (not manufactured by Sharps) in the “SHARPS 40-70 STRAIGHT” caliber, which they stamped on top of the barrel, after that somewhere in time this gun is probably re-lined (hard to see) to adapt the 45-70 Government cartridge. This gun is all original expect for the rear sight which is a replacement. The bore is in excellent condition, the mechanically perfect.

This "frontier used" Sharps sporting rifle has the desirable "been there done that" look of a true working gun that saw some interesting things and have had 4 different calibers.
Great gun in very good condition which will fit in “Old West” collection.