Colt Deluxe Sharps Sporting Falling Block .30-06 Sn# CS56 Rifle, Scope, Paperwork & Case Ca. 1970

SOLD FOR: $4,550.00
LSB#:
 171117MA04

Make: Colt

Model: Deluxe Sharps Sporting Rifle

Serial Number: CS 56

Year of Manufacture: Circa 1970 (502 were manufactured from 1970-1977)

Caliber: .30-06 Springfield

Action Type: Lever Operated Falling Block Single Shot with Single Set Trigger

Markings: The left side of the receiver is marked with a Sharps logo and “SHARPS SPORTING RIFLE / CALIBER 30-06 sp’gf’ld.”. The right side of the receiver is marked “SHARPS ARMS COMPANY / HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT U.S.A.” and with a Sharps Arms Co. logo. The underside of the receiver is marked “CS 56”. The trigger guard and the cover over the ammunition storage holes in the belly are floral engraved, and the ammunition cover is also marked “SHARPS”.

Barrel Length: The barrel is 26” in length.

Sights / Optics: There are no provisions for iron sights. There is a Leupold VARI-X II 3X9 variable power scope mounted to the receiver and barrel with a one-piece Redfield style scope base and Redfield rings. The reticle is a full duplex and the lenses are clear and free of distortion. The power ring turns freely through its normal range. There are no handling marks in the scope. The scope is in about Excellent condition.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The stock is a beautiful fancy checkered walnut with a lacquered finish over prominent burl patterns in the wood. The stock has a pistol grip, cheekpiece, wide beavertail forend and a hinged engraved cover in the belly over holes for four rounds of ammunition. The butt has a black thin solid rubber recoil pad with a basketweave pattern in its rear face marked “SHARPS”, sling swivel studs mounted at the front of the trapdoor and on the front underside of the forend, and smooth fleur-di-lis patterns in the checkering. The checkering shows extremely light wear with no mars. There are no handling marks in the wood. he LOP measures 13 5/8” from the front of the trigger to the back of the recoil pad. This thin pad is hard, but probably came from the factory that way. There is minimal wear in the basketweave pattern on the back of the pad. The pad is in about Excellent condition, as-is the stock.

Type of Finish: The finish is a polished blue.

Finish Originality: All Original

Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion in the bore. Our bore gauge measures a ME of 1.0.

Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 99% of its metal finish. There is a tiny spot of pinprick surface erosion in the top of the barrel at the front scope. One of the small scope ring screws is disfigured. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle rates in about Excellent condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The single trigger can be used as a normal trigger, or as a set trigger, and the pull weights are adjustable. When used as a normal trigger, the trigger weight is 3 lbs. 11 ozs. The trigger is set by pushing it forwards, at which point a narrow trigger emerges from the center of the wide trigger. Pressing on the narrow trigger with 4.5 ozs. of pressure trips it. The only annoying fact about this rifle is that the safety comes on automatically and must be pushed-off each time. We did not fire this rifle. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This rifle comes with a green fiberglass case, accessories and paperwork. The case is made by Challenger and has a small plaque on the front of the lid with a Rampant Colt logo and the serial number of this rifle. The case has a lid with a full-length hinge that is secured at the front with three latches, two of which are lockable. The inside of the case is free of any padding = our guess is that it rotted with age and was removed. There are 5 plastic feet riveted to the back side of the case, plus one that broke off and is being supplied with the case, along with one key for the front latches. The case is in about Fine condition not considering the lack of foam interior. The accessories include a leather rifle carrying sling, a cleaning rod and three small cases. The sling is one-piece brown leather and includes two quick-connect sling swivels. The sling is lined on the inside and has a 502handle. It is also unused. The cases are hinged and have a textured cloth covering marked with the Sharps Arms Company logo. The insides of the cases are lined with black foam. One contains a Chapman style screwdriver set with a jeweler’s screwdriver, another contains a set of jags and tips for the cleaning rod and the third holds cleaning patches, a cloth and oil. The markings are clear on the first two, and the tools appear unused. We would rate them in Fine condition. The markings are worn from the 3rd case, and we rate it in Very Good condition. The paperwork consists of a factory test target, an instruction sheet and parts list for the rifle, a note from Colt on the trigger system adjustment, and warranties for the case, scope and rifle. The test target shows a 5 shot group of 1.31” shot at 100 years from a sandbag rest using Remington factory 150 grain ammunition.

Our Assessment: This is a Deluxe Sharps Sporting Rifle from Colt made in the early 1970’s. There were only 502 of these manufactured. The deluxe version included a Leupold 3×9 scope, a fancy checkered walnut stock with an engraved hinged cover in the belly over holes for storage of extra ammunition, a green fiberglass carrying case serialized to the rifle, a carrying sling, cleaning equipment, and a screwdriver set. Please see the Accessories section above and our pictures for more detail. This is a beautiful rifle with no handling marks in the wood, metal or scope, so if it was shot outside the factory, it couldn’t have been very many times. There is, however, a tiny spot of pinprick surface erosion in the top of the barrel from being stored too long without being oiled. This one tiny blemish can barely be seen, and does not detract from the beauty of this rifle, so again, please see our pictures. The rifle comes with all of its factory accessories and will make a great addition to any collection of single shot rifles or Colt long guns.

Colt Deluxe Sharps Sporting Falling Block .30-06 Sn# CS56 Rifle, Scope, Paperwork & Case Ca. 1970
Colt Deluxe Sharps Sporting Falling Block .30-06 Sn# CS56 Rifle, Scope, Paperwork & Case Ca. 1970