Originally Posted by
Bent Ramrod
The cartridge was the "Big Fifty" Sharps of legend.
Your rifle looks to be a very well-made replica of the 1877 Sharps. I think it was also known as the "English Model." It was lightened up in the action and lock plate to allow more weight in the barrel for target shooting under the Creedmoor rules. The rifle couldn't weigh more than 10 lb; the trigger pull couldn't be lighter than 3 lb.
Some were made with set triggers (which disqualified them for that particular contest, but obviously the customers didn't care), and a lot of Shiloh replicas have them now as well.