Guns International #: 102330227

Category - Sharps Rifles - Antique - Civil War Carbines

Category
Sharps Rifles - Antique
Civil War Carbines

Sharps Model 1859 Saddle Ring Percussion Carbine from Civil War

Description:
This little 1859 Sharps Carbine is pretty rough but one thing I know from looking at it is this:  IT WAS THERE!  I just wish it could talk because the guns made in the early part of the Civil War saw the most use and have the lowest survival rates.  This one is 53,040 and is very close to the range that the famous Berdan Sharpshooter rifles were made with the unauthorized double set triggers that got Berdan in a bit of trouble.  In fact, the little dimple you see on the inside of the patchboxes of Berdan rifles is also of this carbine too.  You can see where a cavalryman's sling hook wore a semi-circular pattern into the left side of the wood.  The metal is very frosty and someone went to some trouble to have rust removed long ago.  You look at the wood and my immediate impression is that this was probably dropped on a battlefield and picked up after the war...it has so much open grain and delignification on the surface of the original stock and forend which are American black walnut.  Someone went to a lot of time and trouble to bring this one back because they replaced a number of screws, the lever link, etc...trying to get it functioning again.  They did a pretty good job.  On the wood, they repaired a chip above the lockplate just behind the hammer and on the left side of the forend, they repaired a blown out section of wood from a powder explosion...which was extremely common on Sharps carbines and rifles where the gun would misfire (usually a clogged spark channel in the breech mechanism) and the soldier would open the action thus spilling loose powder down into the action.  The next time they fired it, an errant spark would ignite the powder down below the breech and blow out a chunk of the forend on the left or right side.  Some collectors like these blowouts the same as a rifle that might have been struck by a bullet or piece of shrapnel because it reflects use in the heat of battle.  At any rate, someone repaired that blowout on this one and they did a decent job.  The markings are pretty decent...you can read the 2 patents on the breech block, the 2 patents on the lock...all of the patent stuff on the rear sight base.  The only marking that is lacking is the one on the barrel just forward of the rear sight...that one is mostly gone but you can still make out some of the letters.  Frankly, for one that saw this much used and natural history, I'm amazed it has most of its markings.  The serial number is quite clear too and the upper tang is not cracked or broken at the stock screw holes like so many sharps you find.  The action is pretty snappy and smooth thanks to someone bringing it back and the bore is surprisingly good...it has a few pits but no rings or bulges and the rifling is very strong.  You wouldn't expect that from looking at the outside.  Even the primer feeding system below the hammer appears to be all there...usually they're gutted or missing parts.  History-wise, the serial number 53,040 falls close to a number of cavarly regiment and sharpshooter regiments in the Civil War.  The unit that seems to have the most in the 53,000 range was the 2nd Illinois Cavalry and the closest one to this was issued to a James M Cole of Comapny C...his was 53,001.  Then there is 53,020 and that one was issued to James Kelly of Company K of the 9th Illinois Cavalry. Both of these regiments served in the Western theater of the Civil War.  To put these records into perspective...surviving documents are just from 1 or a few companies in these regiments...so when you find a gun in this range, you can put a little more weight on the assumption that it could have been issued to one of the adjacent companies BUT a lot of issues during the war are pretty random so it could have gone to some other  unit that kept no records almost as easily.    For example there are some records from the 8th Michigan Cavalry who were assigned to Sherman's Army and sustained heavy losses in Stoneman's Raid on Macon with many being killed, wounded, and captured.  They only have records for Companies K and L, and there is a Henry Swartz of Company K who was carbine 53,128.  One of the issues cavarlyman faced was capture and given the advanced weapons they carried such as the Sharps, Spencer, and 1860 Colt Revolver, it was usually a good idea to dispose or disable them rather than to allow them to fall into enemy hands.  But 53,128 is more interesting because it also shows up having been issued to a Samuel B Malcom of Company C of the 4th Ohio Cavalry which also served in the West and participated in the Atlanta Campaign. It is very rare to find a serial number in the National Archives but to find one twice and to two different units is very special...less than 100 numbers from this carbine. Finally, we found a 53,044 being issued right at the end of the war to Joseph Gillison of Comapny B of the 2nd Veteran Volunteer US Infantry.  These were Federal units comprised of hand-picked veterans who were to be used as shock troops against Lee and the Confederate Army.  They were issued brand new Sharps Infantry Rifles or Henry Rifles which they were allowed to keep.  However, some received Sharps and Henry Rifles in lower serial ranges that had been issued earlier in the War which were cleaned up so as not to anger the soldiers who saw others being given brand new ones.  Most of these units never saw action as the War ended before they could be deployed. That rifle is just 4 numbers from this carbine which makes me suspect is was one of the Berdan Sharps with Double Set Triggers.  If only these could talk, what stories they would tell and having been in this for quite a few years, I can say that oftentimes the guns in the worst shape that collectors usually thumb their noses up at...were the real workhorses in our history.  This is one of those guns and it while it would look great hanging on the wall or on display.  It is much more interesting to look at a gun like this and study its wear and use than to own one that was never issued and sat in a crate for 50 years in the back of an armory.  Antique, No FFL required under Federal Law.  Please know your local and state laws before contacting us as we cannot ship where this is prohibited.  $40.00 shipping.  Sorry, no international sales.

SOLD

Antique: Yes
Manufacture Date: 1861-62