Welcome to at the moment’s Picture of the Day! Most individuals have by no means heard of this Civil Warfare carbine, regardless of being one of many extra fascinating designs from that battle. The Sharps & Hankins Mannequin 1862 wasn’t made by the well-known Sharps Rifle Firm – it got here from a separate partnership between Christian Sharps himself and William Hankins after Sharps left his authentic firm. The falling block motion operated with a easy lever. Pull down on the lever guard, the breechblock drops, exposing the chamber. Push it again up and also you’re prepared to fireside. Easy, quick, dependable – precisely what cavalry troopers wanted preventing from horseback.
The .52 rimfire cartridge was stable for the period. Rimfire was nonetheless new within the 1860s, but it surely supplied quicker reloading than percussion caps and higher climate resistance than free powder. The large .52 caliber slug had sufficient energy to drop a horse or put a Accomplice trooper out of the combat. This one exhibits typical service put on. That brown-gray patina and stress line on the higher tang inform the story of a carbine that was carried arduous and utilized in earnest. The shortened barrel suggests somebody modified it later, probably for simpler dealing with or as a result of the unique muzzle was broken. The Sharps & Hankins partnership solely lasted from 1862 to 1866, making these carbines uncommon in comparison with Spencer or Henry repeaters. The U.S. authorities purchased round 6,000, principally for cavalry models. Troops preferred them, however the partnership dissolved earlier than they may set up themselves out there. This design influenced later falling block rifles. The mechanism right here was a direct ancestor of the highly effective single-shot rifles that dominated long-range taking pictures within the 1870s and Eighteen Eighties. You’ll be able to see the DNA of rifles just like the Sharps-Borchardt on this Civil Warfare carbine.
Civil Warfare Sharps & Hankins Mannequin 1862 Military Carbine | Rock Island Public sale, www.rockislandauction.com/element/5012/882/civil-war-sharps-hankins-model-1862-army-carbine. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
