Welcome to The Forum DRM2M,
That is very nice clean looking Sharps, amazing, no one has boogered up the screw heads in a Century and a half. The stamping shown on the stock is almost certainly the initials of the Government Inspector who examined the rifle before acceptance into service. You should be able to trace his name and the period he worked as an inspector.

If you look at Sharps Firearms by Frank Sellers you will find out more info about your rifle and how many original  paper cartridge carbines were converted to 50/70. This work was done by the Sharps Factory and the carbine was almost certainly refinished at that time. A very nice example to own.

Harry

drm2m

A very very nice Carbine. I have seen many at auction that were nice, but yours is really nice.

ron

Very nice carbine. SRS does not record that number the closest is C9338 issued as a percussion carbine in 1861 to CO.C 5th ILL. volunteer cav. Note the C is roman numeral for 100 so your serial number is 109338. That is the closest number for refrence only and does not indicate anything as to use for your carbine which I would guess saw very little service on horseback. Hope this helps.

The primary variations in these are as follows:  Rimfire vs centerfire, 

lined barrel (3-groove rifling) vs unlined (6-groove original Sharps rifling--earliest, and I believe all the rimfires and some early centerfires)

some very early ones, including the rimfires, have a firing pin return spring.  Most just have a cam lobe on the front of the firing pin that engages a corresponding cutout in the receiver and retracts the pin as the block is lowered.   

Common to find buttplates with cut-out for patchbox on non-patchbox guns.  Apparently there were cutout buttplates in abundance and it was deemed expedient to use them up as they have no effect on function.
Otherwise markings, fixtures, and sights are identical to Model 1859 and 1863 Sharps, but usually somewhat lighter impressions on the markings as these guns were all refinished at the arsenal when converted.

they're fun to shoot, but beware large firing pin holes and lack of provision for gas diversion away from your face should a primer pierce.  Wear shooting glasses!!

If you like to research acceptance stamps, here are some pictures of them from a Sharps stock of mine.
They might help you with what is under your sling bar.  Bob

Old-Win

Superb markings----it does not get better than that!
Thanks for posting those photos.

The cartouches around the sling bar on my carbine are too obscure to try and identify.

The only CW pieces that I have with clear cartouches are shown below.
'58 Remington Army revolver---OWA--for Orville W. Ainsworth.

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Inspectors acceptance stamp on an 1858 Starr DA Army revolver----I have no idea who the inspector was.

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David

Old-Win.

I don't know if anyone wrote a book with photos of inspectors cartouches.

I was able to find photos of Orville W. Ainsworth's cartouche on other guns as he was a well known and active inspector during that period.

Inspector’s marking “O.W.A.”   (Orville W. Ainsworth) 1831-1870.
Smith & Wesson American 1869, Remington’s, Colt Percussion and conversion revolvers 1831-70.

It was Ainsworth that inspected the Colts used by Col. G.A. Custer's 7th Cavalry at the Little Bighorn.

Orville W. Ainsworth served as an Ordnance Sub-inspector at the Colt plant from mid October, 1873 through November 7, 1874. 
It was Ainsworth who actually inspected the guns in the serial range of 200-14,343. This was the block of guns which were used during the height of the Indian wars, including Custer’s famous Last Stand. (June 25 and June 26, 1876)


The cartouche used by Erskine S.Allin.

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His cartouche is shown on the stock of this Model 1860 Spencer carbine together with two other CW inspectors stamps.

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My understanding is post CW conversion Sharps carbines had a DFC-David F. Clark cartouche on the stock.

Post CW Spencer conversions had an E.S.A -Erskine S. Allin cartouche on the stock.

David