Basically, these Sharps guns were all the same design, based on the New Model 1859. Sharps was to be paid a royalty of $1 per firearm and the factory was built on R&L's property in Hartford, Connecticut. The rifle that shooters today most recognize as the Sharps thanks to recent movies like Quigley Down Under, is the Model 1874, which actually saw its earliest production in 1871. Painted patterns were nicely done and varnished. According to the book Civil War Sharps Carbines & Rifles by Earl J. Coates ( former N-SSA commander ) and John David McAuley, when the Sharps company reached 100,000 in 1863, they incorporated the Roman numeral "C" for 100,000 and started to renumber with 1.So that would mean yours is the 116,731 Sharps produced. For all Sharp parts and accessories please call our toll free number 1-800-BE SHARP Affected units have serial numbers in the ranges below. 10-05-2021 #5. This was attributed to the higher rate of fire of the breech loading mechanism and superior quality of manufacture, as well as the ease with which it could be reloaded from a kneeling or prone position. A true Berdan Sharps rifle falls in the serial number range. We just sent you an email. For all Sharp parts and accessories please call our toll free number 1-800-BE SHARP Affected units have serial numbers in the ranges below. Sharps made sporting versions from the late 1840s until the late 1880s. When I get home I'll check my Sharps books. LAWRENCE PAT. CO./HARTFORD CONN'. Breechblock, lever mechanics, hammer and trigger mechanics all operate smoothly. One was a relatively new U.S. firm known as Shiloh Products, Inc., the other a well-established Italian manufacturer of high quality double shotguns known as IAB Arms. [13], At this time however, many officers were distrustful of breech-loading weapons on the grounds that they would encourage men to waste ammunition. Their new company, known as, Sharps Hankins, continued to produce pepperbox pistols, as, well as the single-shot. Shiloh manufactured the Sharps rifle that Americans are now most familiar with, thanks to the movie featuring actor Tom Selleck Quigley Down Under. While these carbines were, in production, both Robbins Lawrence and Sharps suffered, serious financial losses. Through 1973 the 1974, Len Mule devoted much of his life to researching Sharps breech-loading rifles and carbines. This, period saw the manufacture of some of the more notable of Sharps. Those makers featured here are the companies that have worked hard to build and market quality copies of the big and famous drop-block single shots that are so often simply referred to as Old Reliable.. That is an early one. Cavalry Model has a ring and slide to accept the carbine sling swivel. These bayonets are hand fitted by our gunsmith to fit the Berdan and Infantry Rifles. Even though his records indicate that there was an inventory of 1859 carbines at the arsenal and in the serial number range of my carbine, my serial number was not listed on any of the inventory sheets that he had. After the war, the Sharps designs were easily modified for use with metallic cartridges, especially powerful, long-range cartridges, and in many ways the M1874 rifle in 45-70 and larger calibers was responsible for the taming of the American West, due their devastating effectiveness against the North American Bison. The New Model 1863 was the pinnacle of the Sharps Rifle Company's beech-loading, percussion-ignition military rifle designs. There is a crack at the butt, running from the lower buttplate screw along the grain to the bottom swivel. Quality was generally poorer, and they normally used brass fittings instead of iron. The rifles featured a 30' round barrel, secured by three spring-retained barrel bands and a combination front sight / bayonet lug that allowed a socket bayonet to be secured to the rifle. Today, C. Sharps Arms has full manufacturing capability and is noted for the extremely high quality versions of the Model 1874 Hartford- and Bridgeport-produced Sharps originals. The 6thVeteran Volunteers were organized at Camp Stoneman in Washington D.C. during March and April of 1865, as the war was winding down. [7], In 1851, the "second contract" was made, for 15,000 rifles, and the Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company was organized as a holding company with $1,000 in capital and with John C. Palmer as president, Christian Sharps as engineer, and Richard S. Lawrence as master armorer and superintendent of manufacturing. end. And in mid-1976, he purchased an original Model 1874 Hartford-made Sharps sporting rifle, then began researching and working on the blueprints of the cartridge models Shiloh would put into production. The left side of the forearm, just forward of the first barrel band, has a 1.50 x 0.75 inch nick or gouge that has been filled with wood putty. The Sharps-Borchardt Model 1878 is a single-shot hammerless falling-block action rifle designed by Hugo Borchardt and made by the Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company.It closely resembles older Sharps Rifles but has a firing mechanism that uses a hammerless striker rather than a hammer and firing pin like the old Sharps Rifle. Stock features a steel patch box. Sharps Rifles Serial Number Ranges; Smith & Wesson - Single Action Pistols, First Model .22, Second Model .22, New Departure Safety Hammerless, Ladysmith 1902-1911+ Spencer . Its straight-breech, design is credited to Richard S. Lawrence, formerly of Robbins, Lawrence, who had become the superintendent of the Sharps, This design, in conjunction with a breechblock-mounted plate, capable of slight rearward movement when under pressure, created a, moderately effective gas seal. The suppliers are holding back purchasing from Italy, because the prices are changing constantlyArmi Sport Sharps' Rifles and Carbines. And much like the rifles produced at the original Sharps plants in Hartford and Bridgeport, Connecticut, its often hard to recognize one of the Shiloh rifles as one particular version or another due to all of the optional custom features available. Serial numbers of the New Model 1863 ranged from approximately 75,000 to 140,000. R) Burnside carbine, 3rd Model, serial number is in the range of the 2nd Texas Vol. Over 900 of these Beecher s Bibles, named for abolitionist, preacher Henry Ward Beecher, were purchased by New England, abolitionists and shipped in crates marked BIBLES for the purpose, of arming Free Soil settlers in Kansas during the 1850s. Sharps' initial rifle was patented September 12, 1848,[6] and manufactured by A. S. Nippes at Mill Creek in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1850. The Sharps rifles became icons of the American Old West with their appearances in many Western-genre films and books. There is a crack at the butt, running from the lower buttplate screw along the grain to the bottom swivel. Overall Length: 41 inches, .58 cal, Barrel length 25 inches, Sights are 2 leaf military style, Walnut Stock, White Satin finish with Brass Butt Plate and Brass Nose Cap$885.00 - Call. With a few optional upgrades, this great-handling beauty could set you back more than $10,000! The Sharps manufacturers just covered are the primary makers of todays modern Sharps breech-loading rifles and carbines. CO. / HARTFORD, CONN. All of the markings remain crisp, clear and fully legible. According to Flayderman's Guide, serial numbers of the New Model 1859 ranged from approximately 30,000 to 75,000. I have a repro Sharps, marked US SHARPS RIFLE CO. MERIDEN CONN It is a CARBINE WITH A SADDLE RING. The bayonet is a Springfield style, with correct US markings and an inspectors stamp 'C'. / SEPT. 12th1848. their operations were taken over by Sharps and moved to Hartford. TheSharps New Model 1863 Rifleoffered here is inVERY FINEoverall condition and were it not for the fact that the case hardened finish on the receiver has faded, it would rate about excellent. How to choose the proper equipment as as care and feeding for cowboy shooters revolvers, rifles and shotguns as well as specialty firearms. The company produced its first Sharps, a Sporting Rifle model in 45-70 Government, back in January, 1993. A well rounded guide for anyone interested in modern day Cowboy Shooting..$19.95, To Check Out our Civil War and Cowboy Cartridge Rifles-Click HereWarranty information on all of our products - Click Here, Warranty information Specifically for Rifles and Revolvers- Click Here, Shipping: Determined by Method & Location of buyer, To Order: Call 717-334-0347, Fax 717-334-5016, or E-mail. Soft cover, 55 pages complete with pictures. Based upon the markings and the serial number, I would guess that it was manufactured in the 1862-1863 time frame. Easily the most authentic copy of the New Model 1863 percussion Sharps carbine ever shot by the author was imported by a company known as Garrett Arms during the mid-1980s. The Model 1874 markings were not used on the rifle until after several years production. The Sharps carbine was the most significantly utilized carbine of the Civil War. The barrel retains most of its original finish throughout its length with just some scattered areas where it has thinned a bit. The company also offered quality lead furnaces as well, along with a few other bullet casting products. Lawrence (formerly of Robbins & Lawrence) moved to Hartford and became the master armorer of the Sharps Rifle Company. However, all the future success of the business was without the namesake of the company at its helm. Serial numbers of the New Model 1863 ranged from approximately 75,000 to 140,000. The kneeling man fires at the enemy, as the man standing behind him is feeding a new cartridge into the chamber. Stock features a steel patch box. Christian Sharps left the company in 1855 to form his own manufacturing company called 'C. Ordinary percussion, caps could then be used, with the supply of pellet primers held in, reserve. The overall length is 39'. CLICK ON CONTACT US' AT THE TOP OF ANY PAGE ON THE SITE. These deluxe-grade heavy-barreled. This hammerless dropping-block breech-loader was based on a patent . If you need info regarding the care and feeding of your weapon, this is it!.$12.95, The Cowboy Shooter's Black Powder Guide. No other official military arm of the Civil War went on to remain as popular with civilian shooters and hunters, not even the Remington rolling block rifles. In all, the Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company converted 31,098 carbines and 1,086 rifles to accept one or the other of the experimental 52-70 rimfire, 52-70 centerfire or 50-70 centerfire cartridges. There appear to be two separate serial ranges for Berdan special order rifles. Based upon the markings and the serial number, I would guess that it was manufactured in the 1862-1863 time frame. The rifles were serial numbered sequentially with other Sharps long arms then in production and not in their own serial number range, with the NM-1859 rifles appearing in the serial number range 36,000-60,000. Sharps Carbine Serial Numbers. 11/2/2019. These arms were, highly regarded by the troops who used them. One letter is from R.L. I also checked the book Civil War Sharps Carbines & Rifles for the serial number, with no luck. This Sharps feature a 22' Round Blued Barrel. This model differs from the 1859 Infantry in that this model is equipped with double set triggers. Today, the company catalogs the most complete selection of Sharps rifle and carbine models available from a single manufacturer. Sharps rifle was presented to Richard Barnett who served with the 2nd Rhode Island Volunteers and would be woun .Click for more info. Sharps famous Old Reliable trademark began to show up on the barrels in 1876, after the company, then known as just Sharps Rifle Company, had moved to Bridgeport, Conn. [7], The second model used the Maynard tape primer, and surviving examples are marked Edward Maynard - Patentee 1845. Left side has another Sharps patent stamp. Unlike the Sharps rifle, the carbine was very popular and almost 90,000 were produced. A true Berdan Sharps rifle falls in the serial number range. The top of the barrel is markedNEW MODEL 1863between the breechblock and the rear sight, and forward of the rear sight it is marked in three lines:SHARPS RIFLE / MANFG. A number of dings and wear as is usual. (At that time, the author was working there as an antique arms buyer and Dixies catalog editor.) The hope was that they would re-enlisted to serve in a special Corps of veteran soldiers. Covers all aspects of CW period military weapons- Revolvers, Muskets, carbines, etc. [14] Although long thought to be a coffee mill, experimentation with some of the few survivors suggests the grinder is ill-suited for coffee. At that time, the company relied heavily on the early Shiloh operation in Farmingdale, New York to do their manufacturing. The fact that the owner was in a regiment composed entirely of proud veterans who were allowed to keep their weapons at the end of their service explains the rifles excellent condition. RECORD for 1859 as a result of its association with that event. The 115,000 rifles and carbines produced from 1859 to 1866 represented approximately 65 percent of the total number of Sharps breechloaders ever manufactured. Sharps' markings on lockplate and tang. Sharps rifles are a series of large-bore single-shot rifles, beginning with a design by Christian Sharps in 1848, and ceasing production in 1881. Book- The Civil War Reenactor's Black Powder Guide. Russell's script TWR cartouche is also present on the reverse wrist of the rifle, along with the script NSP cartouche of civilian sub-inspector Nathan S. Possons. IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS retrieved 20 September 2008 from Google. According to Flayderman's Guide, serial numbers of the New Model 1859 ranged from approximately 30,000 to 75,000. Presented here is a New Model 1859 Sharps rifle that features serial #40225. On the left side of the buttstock you will see the initials D.F.C. The second model used the Maynard tape primer, and surviving examples are marked Edward Maynard - Patentee 1845. 1875 Sharps. During the Civil War, the Sharps Rifle Company produced thousands of carbines and rifles for the US government with more than 77,000 of their carbines being purchased for use by the US military! According to Flayderman's Guide, serial numbers of the New Model 1859 ranged from approximately 30,000 to 75,000. In addition, the Sharps rifle was expensive to manufacture (three times the cost of a muzzle-loading Springfield rifle) and so only 11,000 of the Model 1859s were produced. longarms, beginning with introduction of the Model 1874 Rifle. 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