Probably every person who is interested in weapons has heard about Sharps carbine. It is not surprising, after all, this is without exaggeration the legendary weapon that was at one time if not the most common in the United States, then at least one of those. So to learn more about it will be interesting to any lover of weapons.
History
Christian Sharps developed his own weapon model in 1849 and immediately patented it. One of the main advantages was the use of Spencer's bracket and the ability to charge a carbine from the treasury.
Spencer's bracket made it possible to instantly open the treasury, at the same time throwing out the fired cartridge case, without spending a few precious seconds on it. Well, immediately after that, a new cartridge was manually inserted into the barrel - both in paper and in a metal sleeve. Immediately after this, the shooter could make a shot.
As a result, the rate of fire increased sharply - from an average of 2 rounds per minute to 10. Of course, the army suppliers complained - they had to spend much more money on the purchase of ammunition. But the arrows became much more convenient to fire on the enemy. However, hunters (who also actively used weapons) were also not upset by this rate of fire.
Various modifications were produced, differing primarily in caliber - from .40 to .56, that is, from 10 to 14 millimeters. Accordingly, the range of the battle also seriously varied. Rifles were also produced, but they received much less distribution due to their greater length and weight. In addition, the range of the battle of compact and light carbines was more than enough.
But the Sharps carbine of the 1859 model became a real legend. With a .52 caliber, it was a successful compromise between recoil force and battle range. Well, the holes that he left in the opponents left a little chance of survival.
How the shot was fired
As mentioned above, the Spencer bracket was used for charging - a very convenient invention. Lowering the bracket, the shooter opened the charging chamber. A cartridge was inserted here. Then the bracket returned into place, and the cartridge was reliably fixed.
Then it was necessary to take an amendment - such scenes can be seen in some old westerns. However, when shooting at a short distance (up to 200-300 meters), they usually did without it. But if the target was located at a distance of half a kilometer or more, the aiming bar was used. The shooter had to have a good eye to roughly estimate the distance to the target. Then the aiming bar was raised, adjusted by a special slider. Only after this the shooter was marked, took corrections for the wind and speed of movement (if the target was moving) and fired.
Then the bracket was lowered, the empty sleeve was thrown out, and the process was repeated. Needless to say - it took much less time than using muzzle-loading weapons, although it required unitary cartridges that were scarce at that time.
Using
Of course, the Sharps carbine was most widely used during the Civil War in the United States. The northern states immediately ordered a large batch - almost 2 thousand carbines. However, the Confederates, who skillfully used it in battle, lacked such weapons.
The famous Colonel Hiram Berdan himself (who later created the world famous rifle) highly appreciated Sharps carbine for its fighting qualities: reliability, simplicity, rate of fire and monstrous range. It occurred to him to create a separate squad of snipers. Having selected experienced shooters, he armed them with the best carbines (some even had optical sights installed - an unprecedented luxury for those times). Perhaps this was one of the most (if not the most) combat-ready units of the northern army, in which, frankly, discipline and the desire to fight were severely lame.
However, weapons were used not only in the Civil War. They actively used it during the development of the Wild West, during the hunting and defense of their homes. Carabiners and rifles were produced from 1849 to 1882. After that, Sharp's company ceased to exist, but in 33 years about 9 thousand rifles and more than 80 thousand carbines were produced. This, I must admit, for its time was a kind of record.
The most successful shot
Sharp's most famous weapon shot, no doubt, belongs to the adventurer Bill Dixon. And it was made in 1874. It is not known what Sharps carbine was used for - under a paper cartridge or metal, but the fact remains.
He participated in land development in the Wild West and, of course, was repeatedly attacked by the Indians. The enemy was once again preparing for an attack, but was at a great distance, quite reasonably not going to expose himself to the pale-faced bullets ahead of time. While the Indians conferred, Bill Dixon slowly loaded his weapons, took corrections and ... made the best shot in nineteenth-century history. He hit the head of the Indian War at a distance of almost 1,500 meters. The rest chose not to take risks and quickly retreated.
It is worth saying that in this case I had to take huge corrections - at a low bullet speed it should have flown for about 5 seconds. Imagine how much distance an Indian could ride on a horse during this time!
It is no coincidence that Dixon competitions are held in the USA to this day. The target is at a great distance, and is used when shooting exclusively smoky gunpowder.
Carabiner with coffee grinder
Perhaps this is more like a historical incident, but Sharp's company at one time released a small batch of carbines with ... a coffee grinder built into the butt.
Knowing full well that travelers and soldiers, homesick, love to treat themselves to fresh coffee, the creators decided to give them the opportunity to grind grain, sitting right next to the campfire.
Conclusion
That's all. The article is drawing to a close, and now you know a lot of interesting facts about the famous Sharps carbine. So, you can show off erudition among friends, telling about its characteristics, interesting features and even the best shot of the nineteenth century.