Here is a very nice looking untouched piece! It is an original Civil War Sharps military rifle that has a straight out of the attic tone and patina. Upon 1st look they look like a regular Sharps carbine on steroids. It has a longer barrel and forestock as well as two extra barrel bands and sling swivels. This one has the serial number of C,34024 on the tang of the frame which was the Sharps Company's way of marking 134,024. This rifle was manufactured in 1864 and many were issued to Veteran Reserve Corps units as incentive for battle weary veterans to re-up with the promise of being able to keep one of these advanced Sharps rifles they were issued. This S# is clustered in the middle of about 200 rifles issued to the 4th VRC garrisoned at Rock Island Illinois November 1863 to January 1866. The mechanics of the lockplate works well on both positions. On the lockplate it has the correct Sharps patent marks and dates of 1852 and 1859. The barrel is full-length with the original front and rear sights intact. The rear sight has the base and half of the ladder itself as you see in the images. Inside the barrel it has the lands and grooves still present and there is dark tone all the way down. At the breech of the barrel it has the Sharps manufacturing mark and Hartford, Connecticut production location. Behind the rear sight it proudly reads "NEW MODEL 1863". On the side flat at the breech of the barrel it has the remnants of the inspector initials "M.N.M.". These are the initials of Moses N. Marshall who approved the barrel for military use. The wood on the gun has a beautiful grain to the walnut. On the flat of the stock opposite of the lockplate it has the pair of inspector cartouches visible. This mark let us know that the gun was approved for military use by the Government inspector. One is "A.W.M." for the inspector Allen W. Mather and the other is "T.W.R." which stands for Thomas W. Russell. On the shoulderstock it has the iron style patchbox still present. This is a very nice looking Civil War production Sharps military rifle that is better than most of the ones that you encounter these days.