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Sheldon’s constant companion on his expeditions was his rifle, custom made by W.J. Jeffery on a Dutch 1895 Mannlicher action built by Steyr in 1899. It was chambered in 6.5x53R, a cartridge also known by its British designation of .256 Mannlicher. The Jeffery record from the rifle’s 1901 build noted its 24-inch Krupp steel barrel with raised sighting rib, its engraved action and its weight of 7 pounds, 10 ounces.

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Charles Sheldon's rifle is a custom 1901 W.J. Jeffery build on a Dutch 1895 Mannlicher action built by Steyr in 1899, chambered in 6.5x53R. Its barrel is engraved with Jeffery's London address, circa 1901, and features a matted rib with a three-leaf express sight. Today, the rifle is part of Denali National Park's historic archive, on display from time to time in temporary exhibits. Photo Courtesy Denali National Park.
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The Mannlicher-type magazine of Sheldon’s rifle required the use of an en-bloc clip of cartridges. Its advantage was quick reloads under pressure; several times in his writing Sheldon tells of rapidly refilling his magazine: “Quickly putting in a fresh clip of cartridges and running forward, I saw the dark bear laying dead, twenty feet below in the thick brush” (The Wilderness of the North Pacific Coast Islands).

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