rustyrelx wrote on Mar 11
th, 2009 at 1:54pm:
MORE INFORMATION UNCOVERED;
THE US PATENT OFFICE SAYS;
DFC= DESIGN FOR CHANGE
WELL THATS CERTAINLY INTERESTING ALSO;SO AS IT STANDS NOW
PAT.=PATENT
DFC=DESIGN FOR CHANGE
1876=1876 YEAR OF PATENT
DON'T WE LIKE CHASING THESE OLD THINGS, WHAT FUN
DON rustyrelx
Hello Don,
Borchardts original 'Patent' for the 1878 Model Sharps Rifle was actually patented in 1876. See:-
(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links) There are three pages of drawings and two of description. The patent application was filed on October 17th. 1876 and was granted on December 26th. 1876.
The patent drawings are very interesting, as they show the 'Borchardt' in its original design format, rather than the later production version. The most notable difference is that the original design had a slant breech.
There are in fact many design changes throughout the action as anyone familiar with this design will immediately recognise.
A second 'Patent' applied for on the 20th. July 1877, which was granted on 23 July 1878 is much closer to the final production model, only the safety catch needed modification. See Patent No. 206,217. See:-
(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links) It would appear that the lettering in the original query is therefore correct, however, it is not mentioned by Sellers in his monograph on Sharps Firearms. The only trace of the 'DFC 1876' I can find is in this forum. I have been researching Borchardts for more years that I like to remember and the number of Borchardt Rifles so marked must be very few indeed, which gives it added collector value.
Still, it's yet another snippet of information to add to the growing list of Borchardt data.
Harry
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