Over the years I have been fortunate enough to collect 3 original Sharps rifles that have Montana Territory providence. I got my first 15 -20 years ago just by chance, a Walter Cooper gun shipped to Montana in august of 1877.
Then I lucked out and got another Sharps marked "A.D. McAusland" from Miles City, Montana Territory. When I lettered it, it was shipped to J.G. Dow in Bozeman, a banker that bought sharps rifles for Walter Cooper after sharps rifle company quit shipping directly to Cooper.
Later I found another Walter Cooper marked gun and bought it. When I lettered it, it had been shipped in the same shipment to Cooper in August of 1877. Fascinating to think that these guns came to the buffalo fields in Montana, went their separate ways and then back together almost 150 years later.
I put a display together to take to the Cody Gun Show in July, and got the best Sharps display award. It would have been a more satisfying award had there been many more displays, but still nice to be recognized...