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Sharps New Model 1859 Percussion Carbine
The Sharps, which used a nitrated linen or paper cartridge, was available in rifle or carbine models. Approximately 3,000 New Model 1859 Carbine produced early in the production run featured brass furniture and a brass patchbox. Many of these saw service with Georgia troops during the Civil War. About 30,000 more were produced with iron furniture and an iron patchbox. All featured a pellet priming system as part of the lockplate. The New Model 1863 and New Model 1865 Carbines were essentially the same as the earlier model, the differences being confined to barrel markings. SN 32532
This popular Civil War carbine in .52 caliber fired a linen
cartridge by either disc primer or percussion cap. It was
manufactured by Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company, Hartford,
Connecticut. The breechblock drops down to open the chamber on
lowering the trigger guard lever. Early model Sharps carbines are
brass trimmed and later models are iron trimmed. The principal
single-shot carbines of the Civil War were "NEW MODEL 1859" and
"NEW MODEL 1863". The only noticeable difference is that many New
Model 1859's, but not all, have patch boxes.
The New Model 1863's were made without patch boxes, a wartime
procedure to do away with extras. It has a 21 1/2-inch barrel,
measures 37 1/2 inches overall, and has a two- piece walnut stock.
The barrel and, on some, the buttplate were blued. The frame, lock,
and barrel band were casehardened in mottled colors. The fact that
the Confederates manufactured copies of the Sharps carbine in
Richmond, Virginia, in quantity testifies to its general
popularity. This carbine was based on Christian Sharps' patents of
1848 and 1852 and on Richard S. Lawrence's patents of 1859.
Christian Sharps (1811-1874) was the originator of a line of
sturdy, practical, and popular military and sporting rifles and
handguns that were associated with several events that shaped
American history in 19th century, including armed conflict in
Kansas during the 1850s, the Civil War, the era of the Plains
buffalo hunter, and the rise of modern long-range competition
shooting during the 1870s. Sharps worked at John Hall's Rifle Works
in Harpers Ferry, Virginia, where he learned the principles of arms
manufacturing. His first breechloading rifle design was patented in
1848, and the toggle-linking trigger guard and vertically operating
sliding wedge breechblock of later Sharps rifles and carbines date
from that patent. These features are still with us today, and have
seen use in both rifle and artillery breech mechanisms. The spring
lever-toggle-breech mechanism of the Borchardt-Luger semi-automatic
pistol also had its roots in Christian Sharps' lever-linked
breech.
In 1850, Sharps moved to Mill Creek, Pennsylvania, near
Philadelphia, and contracted with the firm of A. S. Nippes to
manufacture two of his sporting rifle designs, which became known
as the Model 1849 and Model 1850. Faced with difficulty in
obtaining financing for further ventures, Sharps left the
Philadelphia area in 1851 and relocated to Hartford, Connecticut,
where he formed the Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company. Lacking
production facilities, he contracted with the Windsor, Vermont firm
of Robbins & Lawrence to manufacture his new breechloader. This
venture continued until 1855.
Among the Sharps-designed firearms manufactured under this
association were the Model 1851 "Box Lock" Carbine, which featured
the Maynard tape primer system, and the Model 1852 and Model 1853
"Slanting Breech" Carbines, which were equipped with the
Sharps-patented pellet primer system as an integral part of its
breech mechanism. Model 1853 Carbines were nicknamed "Beecher's
Bibles," after noted New York clergyman and abolitionist Henry Ward
Beecher. Approximately 900 of these arms were shipped in heavy
crates marked BIBLES for use by anti-slavery "Free Soil" settlers
who were fighting against pro-slavery forces in "Bleeding Kansas"
during the 1850s. One of the most famous Free Soilers was John
Brown, who later used 300 Model 1853 Carbines in his ill-fated
attempt to capture the U.S. Armory at Harpers Ferry, Virginia in
1859. Christian Sharps served as technical advisor to the Sharps
Rifle Manufacturing Company, receiving royalties on the manufacture
of their firearms. His relationship with the company was a rocky
one, and in 1853, Sharps severed all connections with the firm.
There is no evidence that he ever had any further association with
the company that continued to bear his name.
In 1855, the Sharps company introduced the Model 1855 Carbine.
These arms retained the slanting breech and buttstock patch boxes
of earlier models, but featured the Maynard tape primer system.
Approximately 800 .54 caliber carbines were manufactured for the
U.S. government, and an additional 6,000 Model 1855s in .577
caliber were purchased by Great Britain. While these carbines were
in production, both Robbins & Lawrence and Sharps suffered
serious financial losses. The latter corporation went bankrupt, and
their operations were taken over by Sharps and moved to Hartford.
The Sharps New Model 1859, introduced in that year, was available
as a carbine, and in round-barrel military rifle or
octagonal-barrel sporting rifle versions.
Its straight-breech design is credited to Richard S. Lawrence,
formerly of Robbins & Lawrence, who had become the
superintendent of the Sharps Rifle Company. This design, in
conjunction with a breechblock-mounted plate capable of slight
rearward movement when under pressure, created a moderately
effective gas seal. New Model 1859 arms also employed an improved
version of the Sharps pellet primer system which allowed the pellet
feed mechanism to be disengaged. Ordinary percussion caps could
then be used, with the supply of pellet primers held in reserve.
Like earlier Sharps designs, the Model 1859 fired a glazed linen
combustible .52 caliber cartridge. When closed, the breechblock
sheared off the rear of the cartridge, exposing the
propellant.
During the Civil War, the Federal government bought over 80,000
Sharps carbines and nearly 10,000 Sharps Rifles. These arms were
highly regarded by the troops who used them. Sharps Carbines found
favor with Federal cavalry troopers, and New Model 1859 Rifles were
used with great success by famous infantry units such as Colonel
Hiram Berdan's U.S. Sharp Shooters, perhaps the first specialty
troops in the history of modern warfare, as well as the 5th New
York (Duryea's Zouaves) and the 13th Pennsylvania Reserves
(Bucktails). Even the Confederate government recognized the
superiority of the New Model 1859 Carbine, contracting with the
Richmond firm of S.C. Robinson for the production of 5,000
copies.
The New Model 1859 was followed by the New Model 1863 and New
Model 1865 Carbines and Rifles. These were nearly identical to the
New Model 1859, differing primarily in barrel stampings, the
omission of buttstock patchboxes, and in the design or absence of
bayonet lugs. Many versions of all three arms were later converted
for use with .50-70 and .52-70 caliber metallic cartridge
ammunition in the years following the Civil War. The New Model 1869
Carbine and Rifle, available in .44-77, .50-70, and .60 calibers,
were the first Sharps arms designed for use with metallic
cartridges. In 1874, the firm was reorganized as the Sharps Rifle
Co., with operations remaining in Hartford.
In 1876, manufacturing was moved to Bridgeport, Connecticut, where
it remained until 1881. This period saw the manufacture of some of
the more notable of Sharps longarms, beginning with introduction of
the Model 1874 Rifle. Nicknamed "Old Reliable," this arm, available
in a variety of calibers, barrel lengths, sights, and other
features, became a favorite with both Plains buffalo hunters and
competition shooters. Many Fancy-Grade models featured engraving
which ranged from simple scrollwork to elaborate hunting or western
scenes on their surfaces. The Sharps Model 1877 shared in the
popularity of its predecessor. These deluxe-grade heavy-barreled
.45 caliber rifles were designed specifically for Creedmoor and
other long-range target shooters. Only 100 of these were produced,
and they are as sought-after today by collectors as they were by
competitors at the time of their introduction.
The last rifle to be produced by the Sharps Rifle Company was the
Model 1878 Sharps-Borchardt Rifle. This arm was developed by Hugo
Borchardt, who later became famous for his automatic pistol
designs. These rifles, with their flat-sided frame and hammerless
appearance, differ notably from earlier Sharps designs. Like the
Model 1874, the Sharps-Borchardt was available in a variety of
stocks, barrel lengths and weights, sights, calibers, and other
features, including deluxe grade models. These popular rifles were
produced until 1881, when the Sharps Rifle Company went bankrupt
and ceased operations.
Although his association with the Sharps Rifle Manufacturing
Company ended in 1853, Christian Sharps continued to work as a
designer and manufacturer of firearms. He returned to Philadelphia
and formed C. Sharps & Co., a manufacturer of percussion
revolvers, breechloading single-shot pistols and pistol-rifles, and
four-shot pepperbox pistols. In 1862, Sharps entered into a
partnership with William Hankins. Their new company, known as
Sharps & Hankins, continued to produce pepperbox pistols, as
well as the single-shot .52 caliber Model 1861 Navy Rifle and the
Model 1862 Carbine, both of which featured sliding breech actions.
The partnership was dissolved in 1866, and Sharps reverted to the
C. Sharps & Co. name. This firm ceased operations in 1874 with
the death of Christian Sharps on March 12 of that year.