Hello, everyone, I have a panelled action Sharps Borchardt # 17147.  Was wondering if someone could tell me when it was manufactured?   Can these things be pin-pointed down to month & year?  Thanks alot!

.22-5-40 wrote on Oct 23^rd, 2012 at 5:44pm:


Although designated the Sharps Model 1878 the first production actions were made in 1876. A friend of mine in the U/K has a high serial numbered panelled action Borchardt Long Range Rifle action that was bought by one of the English Creedmoor competitors or one of their supporters during a visit to the Sharps Factory in 1877. This action is also in the 17,XXX serial number range.

Dr. Labowsky who currently holds the Sharps Rifle records may be able to supply a date, however, it is likely to be the date the action was sold, rather than the date of production. I believe the current fee for a 'Letter' detailing what is known about the action (if a record does exist), is in the region of US$ 200.00, a lot of money for a single sheet of A4 paper.

The Sharps Factory went bust in 1881 even though it had (on it's reforming in 1876) a capitol of one million US Dollars. According to Sellars who wrote the definitive book on the Sharps Rifle Co, they couldn't pay their bills and their suppliers wouldn't give them any more credit. From my own personal research I believe the Sharps Rifle Co., thought they had a winning design with the Borchardt action and made it in very large numbers soaking up the capitol the company had. The large sales anticipated failed to materialise, and that sadly caused the demise of the company. Unfortunately the military of the major countries throughout the world were looking for a repeating rifle by then and the single shot rifle had, had it's day. 

My own opinion is it is the finest single shot action ever made during the 19th C., although modern made copies made of higher quality steels are undoubtedly much stronger.

Harry