The 45-caliber 3 1/4-inch case is the largest Sharps cartridge of this caliber. It was introduced in 1878-79 for the Sharps-Borchardt rifles. It is a very powerful black-powder cartridge adequate for any North American big game. 

This text is based on information from “Cartridges of the World”, Hodgdon reloading manual, the cartridge designer and/or own resources.