This very rare brass mold is marked "Sharps Rifle Co, Bridgeport Conn" and is for the 500 grain 45 caliber paper patch bullet. Sharps marked brass molds are sometimes seen with wooden handles, but this peculiar variant has a flat, bare handle. The Bridgeport address line suggests this mold was made, or at least distributed, when the company had taken up residence there. According to Sellers, in Sharps Firearms, the company began to use the Bridgeport address line in correspondence beginning January 25th, 1876. Of course, earlier production was undertaken at the Hartford, Connecticut plant. Many iron Bridgeport marked molds are known, why this brass mold would have been made so late is not clear.