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Product Details
AN HISTORIC 500/450 (W/R No.2 MUSKET) SHARPS-BORCHARDT MODEL 1878 MILITARY RIFLE, serial no. 353,
made for the British Team competitor Sergeant-Major Gilder in 1877, with reblued tapering round 32 1/4in. barrel, the top marked 'SHARPS RIFLE CO. BRIDGEPORT CONN.' and 'OLD RELIABLE'. London proofs and an additional South African registration number at breech, reblued slab-sided receiver marked on the left side 'BORCHARDT PATENT' over 'SHARPS RIFLE CO. BRIDGEPORT CONN.' over 'USA', polished falling-block hammerless breech, chequered walnut butt-stock with chequered iron heel-plate, blued finger-lever with sliding safe behind the plain trigger, chequered walnut splinter fore-end with cross-key fastener and horn fore-end tip
Provenance: This rifle Serial No. 353 was ordered by Sergeant Major Gilder during the British Team visit to the Creedmoor Match in the USA in 1877. This rifle cost $20, and he also ordered a match rifle at the same time at a cost of $60. Gilder competed with this rifle in January 1878 for the first time, shooting at 400, 500, 600, 800, 900 and 1000 yards with Sharps and his own loaded ammunition, only dropping 2 points at the first two ranges. He also shot an impressive 49 out of 50 at the 800 yard mark.
It retains the backsight that Gilder fitted to replace the narrower Lawrence sight that Sharps fitted to the early Borchardt Military Rifles. The new sight has uprights further apart and the slider is reversible (notch or flat with platinum lines), allowing better scope for 'aiming off' for wind. It resembles (and may actually be) a Martini-Henry rifle sight. Gilder mentions the need for a better backsight in correspondence published in the Volunteer Service Gazette in late 1877 and its arrival in January 1878.
The rifle was sporterised in period, rechambered to Westley-Richards 500/450 No 2 Musket and fitted with a Martini-Henry style underlever, pre-dating and possibly anticipating the "Jeffrey-Sharps" that Jeffrey's built using imported Winchester M1885 rifles.
A Sergt Major W H Gilder was reported in the South African newspaper, the Grahamstown Journal, attending a military funeral. It could be that it is the same Gilder, having emigrated to South Africa, taking the sporterised Military Rifle with him. The WR No. 2 Musket cartridge was very popular in South Africa. This rifle is talked about in the book 'Sharps Firearms' Volume IV by Roy Marcot, Ron Paxton & Edward W. Marron Jnr. and photocopies of the relevant pages are included in the lot
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Estimate £2,500-3,500
Sold as an exempt item under Section 58 (2) of the 1968 Firearms Act, to be held as a curiosity or ornament