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The Beginning of Sharps Rifles
Christian Sharps is a man who created Sharps guns in 1848. Sharp Rifles were a series of large bore single shot rifles. These types of rifles have been historically renowned for long range and high accuracy. Overtime, Christian Sharp designed four Sharps rifle models throughout the Civil War era. -
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Sharps Rifles Overtime
During the Civil War, Sharps rifles were one of the most widely used shoulder arms, with an estimated 100,000-plus Sharps in service. -
Sharps 1849 Model Rifle
The 1849 model rifle, is a rare and important rifle that is a true standout piece. This model is a 44 gauge rifle with a 30 inch long barrel. In total, it is believed that only about 50 to 75 Model 1849 rifles were ever made. One of the most interesting features found on the Model 1849 Sharps is its wheel primer. -
Sharps 1850 Rifle Model
After the 1849 model, the 1850 Sharps model emerged. It is said that approximately 150 of these rifles were constructed. This rifle was sported in either a .36 or .44 caliber. The barrel length of this gun is the same as the 1849 model, 30 inches long. The model 1850 Sharps rifle can be distinguished from the previous 1849 model by the Maynard priming mechanism on the right side of the breech. -
Sharps 1852 Rifle Model
By comparing the 1852 model to both the 1849 and 1850 model, there are a lot of different features. The1852 model was the earliest Sharps having the distinctive relief contoured slanting breech on the frame. In all, approximately 600 1852 rifles were produced. An even rarer feature of the gun, is that it has a double set triggers. -
Sharps 1859 Rifle Model
The Berdan Sharpshooter's 1859 Sharps rifles were specially fitted with double set-triggers. The barrel length of this rifle was 30 inches, and it was a 52 percussion gauge. The Berdan Sharps Rifles are among the most desirable Civil War long-arms. One downfall to the 1859 Sharps rifle was that it was expensive to manufacture, so only 11,000 guns of the 1859 model were produced.
