Sharps Model 1859 Carbine

About the Sharps Model 1859 Carbine

The Sharps Model 1859 Carbine is a single-shot, breech-loading falling-block carbine designed by Christian Sharps with the straight-breech action credited to Richard S. Lawrence, produced by the Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company of Hartford, Connecticut. Dropping the trigger-guard operating lever lowers the breechblock to expose the chamber, where a .52-caliber paper or linen combustible cartridge is loaded and ignited by a Maynard tape primer or percussion cap; closing the action shears the rear of the cartridge to bare the powder charge. Its short 22-inch barrel, light weight and saddle-ring bar made it the most widely issued cavalry carbine of the American Civil War, allowing a mounted trooper to fire eight to ten aimed shots per minute and reload from the saddle far faster than with a muzzle-loader. Tens of thousands were converted after the war to fire .52-70 rimfire and .50-70 Government metallic cartridges.

The saddle-ring Sharps was the iconic Union cavalry carbine, its falling-block breech letting troopers reload at a gallop and lay down rapid aimed fire that outpaced any muzzle-loading musket. Captured examples armed Confederate horsemen as well, and surplus conversions soldiered on into the Indian Wars frontier.

Sharps Model 1859 Carbine specifications

The carbine variant of the New Model 1859 used a single barrel band and saddle-ring bar in place of the rifle's three bands and sling swivels. Early carbines (to roughly serial 36,000) carried brass furniture and patchbox; later examples used iron. Sharps carbines of the 1859, 1863 and 1865 patterns were by far the most numerous Union cavalry carbines, and many were converted under government contract from 1867 to fire .52-70 rimfire or .50-70 centerfire cartridges.