The Sharps Buffalo Gun

The Sharps buffalo rifle was one of the most iconic firearms of the American frontier, particularly during the great buffalo hunts of the late 19th century. Produced by the Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company, which was founded by Christian Sharps in the 1840s, these rifles earned a legendary reputation for their long-range accuracy, reliability, and devastating power. By the 1870s and 1880s, the Sharps became the weapon of choice for professional buffalo hunters, scouts, and marksmen on the Great Plains.

The earliest Sharps models were percussion rifles, but by the time buffalo hunting reached its height, the company was producing metallic cartridge breechloaders, most notably the 1874 Sharps. The “Model 1874” was not a single-year design, but rather a designation retroactively applied to rifles produced from the late 1860s through the 1880s. It was a single-shot falling-block rifle, meaning the shooter operated a lever to drop the breechblock, insert a cartridge, and close the action for firing. While this was slower than repeating rifles, the trade-off came in accuracy and power — traits highly valued by buffalo hunters.

Calibers for the Sharps varied, but some of the most famous were the massive .50-90, .45-110, and .45-120 cartridges. These heavy, large-bore rounds could deliver massive energy at distances exceeding 1,000 yards, making them ideal for killing large game like American bison with a single well-placed shot. The rifle’s exceptional accuracy allowed hunters to take down multiple animals from a single position before the herd scattered, as they could fire without moving closer and alarming the buffalo.

Sharps rifles became a critical tool in the mass slaughter of the buffalo herds during the 1870s, a period when the animals were hunted to near-extinction. Professional hunters like William “Buffalo Bill” Cody, Billy Dixon, and others used Sharps rifles to harvest thousands of hides for the booming leather industry. In the infamous Second Battle of Adobe Walls in 1874, Dixon famously used a Sharps rifle to make an incredible 1,538-yard shot, killing a Comanche warrior and cementing the weapon’s place in frontier legend.

The construction of a Sharps rifle reflected its role as a precision instrument. They were typically fitted with heavy octagonal barrels to improve stability and absorb recoil, and many were equipped with sophisticated tang-mounted vernier sights or globe front sights for precise shooting. Weighing 12 to 16 pounds, they were not light firearms, but this weight helped manage the punishing recoil of large cartridges.

The Sharps rifle’s role in buffalo hunting also tied it directly to the broader history of the American West. By enabling hunters to kill bison in massive numbers, it contributed to the collapse of the Plains tribes’ way of life, as the buffalo was central to their economy, diet, and culture. The weapon’s effectiveness made it both a marvel of engineering and a symbol of the environmental and cultural destruction of the era.

Today, original Sharps buffalo rifles are prized collector’s items, and reproductions remain popular among black powder cartridge rifle enthusiasts. The gun’s combination of frontier history, craftsmanship, and legendary performance ensures its place as one of the most storied firearms of the Old West.

To learn more about the Sharps rifle in the Old West, including its iconic use at the Battle Of Adobe Walls, check out the HOKC episode linked below!