The buttplates were either hard rubber with Remington logo, or smooth steel color cased. Mine is smooth steel, but no color left on it. It actually looks identical to the smooth steel buttplate on my Ballard #7 Long range in .44-100 caliber. Maybe some supplier built them for both companies?

I have read Wingate's treatise, and the Amateur Rifle Club was made up in large part of military officers, who also made up the team. The team was exactly half Remington and half Sharps shooters. Not sure how they determined who shot which maker's guns? Hepburn, Bodine, and Fulton all shot Remington rifles made by Hepburn.
The shooters on the first team were Major Henry Fulton, Colonel John Bodine, General George Wingate, Louis L Hepburn, Major General TS Dakin, and Colonel HA Gildersleeve. Hepburn being the only non military man on the entire US Team the first year. Wingate was the team Captain.
Ron Peterson was the winning bid on Fulton's gun, and I didn't see the hammer price? Beyond being fulton's gun, it is also only one of three known full octagon barrel Creedmoor rifles! Custer's was also full octagon.
The team did indeed get their new Creedmoor rifles in March of 1874, but those weren't the first of the Creedmoor rifles built, as Remington built some (like mine) in 1873. The unknown is how many were built in 1873, and who were those built for? Since Hepburn designed and assembled all the early guns, and the guns used in the Creedmoor match, I'd guess he got an early gun in 1873. But that's only a guess on my part, and just based on him having easier access to these rifles before anyone else.
I've seen these Creedmoor rifles at various quality larger gun shows around the US, and more often than you'd think considering the small number made? But some appeared to be restored, or possibly built up guns. And not always in a serial number range that should fall into the 1873-1878 manufacture date. So I've passed on some. Others that were most certainly correct were just either on display, or extremely high priced, so beyond what my wallet could cover!

Last edited by Vall; 07/04/21 10:21 PM.