Original item: One of a Kind. Over the years, IMA has purchased many collections and groups of antique guns, in which case we need to take all of them, as we did in Nepal. While these collections were generally full of guns that relatively good condition, they also had some that were less complete and unfortunately would take more restoration time than we were able to give them. We kept them in storage, possibly for future products, but have now decided to offer these "As Found" antique firearms to our customers as restoration projects. These are all original and as we received them, except for cleaning the dirt and grime off the exterior.

Please note that these are still real antique guns, and are being sold in "As is" condition at a significant discount from what they would sell at if we were to fully restore them. We will do our best to photograph and describe them and know that our customers will know exactly what they are getting. Some of these, such as this example, look to have possibly been project or parts guns, and are missing a significant amount of parts. These are being sold in "Grade 2" condition, and on these ALL SALES ARE FINAL.

This is a Grade 2 "As Found" example of exactly what the Mississippi gamblers carried on the River Boats after the Civil War for self protection. Featuring FOUR barrels, each in .32 Rim Fire that fired individually by way of a single action hammer with a rotating firing pin. Easy to conceal, these were very popular.

The barrel easily removed by pulling down the button on the left side of the frame and sliding the barrel off forwards for reloading with the hammer in the half cock position. The underside of the barrel is marked with serial number 6352 on the dovetail, which is also marked on the grip frame under the grip scales. This is an all-matching example of the rare Sharps Model 4A "Bulldog" Pistol, of which less than 2000 were ever made in this configuration. We have only had a handful of these rare pistols previously.

The pistol is marked on the side of the lower frame:-

Condition Notes:
- Overall condition shows wear from use, though the nickel plating is in fact very well retained.
- The stop that prevents the barrel from falling off the frame is missing.
- The pistol does not function well, only holding at full cock sometimes due to a weak trigger return spring.
- the rotating firing pin mechanism is completely missing.
- the barrel lock mechanism functions, but can stick closed.

A nice Grade 2 "As Found" example of an interesting stepping stone in 19th Century American firearms. This could be the start of a great restoration project, or parts for another!

Please make sure to look at all the high resolution (2000x2000) pictures before purchasing, as ALL SALES ARE FINAL.

Specifications: 

Year of Manufacture: circa 1860
Caliber:  .32 Rimfire
Ammunition Type: Rimfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 2.5 inches
Overall Length: 4 3/4 inches
Action: Single
Feed System: 4 Barrel Pepperbox. Rotating Firing Pin.

NOTE: International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.