Welcome to immediately’s Picture of the Day! Right here we’ve an early instance of Hugo Borchardt’s work. It is a Sharps-Borchardt Mannequin 1878 Single Shot Rifle chambered in 45/70 Gov. To these of you who might not know, Hugo Borchardt designed what is taken into account the primary commercially profitable autoloading pistol, the Borchardt C93. Not solely was that pistol profitable sufficient to earn that title but it surely additionally served as an inspiration to Georg Luger to simplify and compacted the design into what would change into the much-beloved Luger. The Sharps-Borchardt Mannequin 1878 Single Shot Rifle comes from his early years in america when he assisted the Sharps rifle firm in its try and put out one other profitable rifle. Sadly, the glossy and easy look to the design was not attention-grabbing sufficient for shoppers and the rifle solely ever noticed small navy and police makes use of each at residence and overseas.
“The serial quantity suggests this instance was made in late 1877 or early 1878. It has the navy type blade/stud entrance and a Lawrence notch and folding ladder rear sight with out patent marking, manufacturing unit markings with “Outdated Dependable” on barrel, lengthy navy forearm, and clean buttstock with checkered iron buttplate numbered “446/A” on the again on the toe. There aren’t any authorities acceptance markings, however these rifles have been bought by quite a lot of state governments, the Nationwide Rifle Affiliation, and the governments of China and a few South American nations.”
Lot 3226: Sharps-Borchardt Mannequin 1878 Officer’s Mannequin Single Shot Rifle – Early Manufacturing Sharps-Borchardt Mannequin 1878 Industrial Single Shot Navy Fashion Rifle. (n.d.). Rock Island Public sale Firm. {photograph}. Retrieved September 21, 2022, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/element/71/3226/sharpsborchardt-model-1878-officers-model-single-shot-rifle.
