Hello Thop,

I would agree with you in that the cartouche doesn't match up. I have seen pictures of Sharps 1878 Borchardts handled by J.P.Lower in his capacity as a distributer of Sharps Rifles in the Denver, Colorado, area.

These were usually stamped on the barrel with either J.P.Lower. Denver. Col. or J.P.Lower Den. Col.

Lower owned at least three 1878 Borchards (of various models) himself and used them in sales demonstrations and competition.

Whilst Lower may have liked the 1878 Borchardt personally, he found them difficult to sell them on, and indeed wrote to the Sharps Factory asking that they "send him no more of the hammerless models as they didn't sell", purchasers apparently liking the earlier Sharps models with the side hammer.

Cartouches on the stocks are, more often than not, marks applied by the inspectors of military issue weapons. These could either be the Inspectors initials,  Regiment markings, or something similar, although it's not beyond the bounds of possibility they could be a commercial distributers mark. 

However, none of the bulk sales of the military 1878 listed by Sellers  in his book Sharps Firearms (some 17 in all) have the initials L & B. in their name.

Yours is an interesting query, I hope someone can come up with a verifiable answer.

Harry 

just an offhand comment:  I imagine that most if not all the markings stamped or branded into the stocks of military arms are various gvt. inspectors acceptance stamps.  There may be some unit markings on a few and perhaps a few individual owners marks

Hello Thop,

According to Sellers book on Sharps Firearms, 11,858 Military Rifles and 284 Military Carbines were manufactured.

300 of these went to China and have Chinese script on the barrel, which when translated reads 'Old Reliable' a Sharps Trademark. Another 3,220 were bought for export to South America in 1878 and 1879.

In all some 22,000 model 1878's were manufactured in several variants. The Sharps Factory records are somewhat sketchy for this model and the records are not complete.

Your correct in that the US Government did not adopt this rifle but several State Militia's did. The largest order being one of 1,300 rifles for Michigan.

When the Sharps Factory closed, it would appear that the remaing stock was bought up by surplus arms companies. I have a copy of a cataloge from Hartley and Graham of New York, undated but apparently circa 1900 where surplus 1878 Military Borchardts could be had for  $11.33 cents each or at $9.50 each if purchased in cases of 10 rifles. If they were offering discounts for cases of rifles they must have had a large number of them

This company must have bought most of the Sharps Factory weapons remaing when the factory closed as they also offered all the Sharps reloading tools, numerous spare parts for the 1874 Sharps, sights etc. 

Harry

I cannot remember where I ran across it but the cartouche mentioned above is one placed there by an inspector at the Sharps factory.  I believe the lettering inside the circle was his initials.  If I can find my source of information I'll pass it along. 
ole pizen slinger

The small scripted "L" on the barrel and receiver is an inspector's mark, inspected by L.L. Hepburn who was employed by the Sharps before goinh to Remington.

I doubt it. Cartouches are just that. Borchardts were sold to police departments, national guard units, governments. The Sellers book give hints at where and who bought them. My musket has CP in a circle for the cartouche. How many Borchardts were actually produced is still open to question since records at the end are hazy.

Joe,

There is a very small "B" inside a circle immediately ahead of the rear sling swivel.  THOP