Sharps New Model 1859
Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company · Rifle · Discontinued · 1859
Also known as: Sharps Model 1859, New Model 1859 Rifle, Sharps Berdan Rifle
Overview
The Sharps New Model 1859 is a single-shot, breech-loading falling-block rifle designed by Christian Sharps and produced by the Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company of Hartford, Connecticut. The breechblock is dropped by the trigger-guard operating lever to expose the chamber, where it fired a .52-caliber paper or linen combustible cartridge ignited by a Maynard tape primer or percussion cap; on closing, the breechblock sheared the rear of the cartridge to expose the powder. A trained soldier could fire 8 to 10 aimed shots per minute and reload from a prone position, far surpassing contemporary muzzle-loaders. Most famously issued to Berdan's Sharpshooters during the American Civil War, many were converted after the war to fire .52-70 rimfire and .50-70 centerfire metallic cartridges.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3856 g (136.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1194 mm (47.01") |
| Barrel Length | 762 mm (30.00") |
| Action Type | Falling Block |
| Firing Mechanism | Percussion |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Magazine Type | None |
| Muzzle Velocity | 370 m/s (1214 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 1996 J (1472 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 457 m (500 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 900 m (984 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 9 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .52-70 Sharps · primary — also known as .52 Sharps, .52-70, 52 caliber Sharps
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Single Shot
- Features: Falling Block Breechblock, Trigger Guard Operating Lever, Maynard Tape Primer, Three Barrel Bands, Set Trigger Option
Variants
- Sharps New Model 1859 Carbine — Carbine
Service history
Operators
- United States Army · adopted 1859
- Berdan's Sharpshooters (1st and 2nd U.S. Sharpshooters) · adopted 1862
Conflicts
- American Civil War (1861-1865)
- American Indian Wars (1865-1891)
Production
Estimated total produced: 11,000 · Production years: 1859-1866
Roughly 9,000 to 11,000 New Model 1859 rifles produced; the U.S. government purchased nearly 10,000 Sharps rifles and over 80,000 Sharps carbines of the period.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Christian Sharps
Discontinued: 1866
Notes
Originally a percussion paper/linen cartridge breechloader; from 1867 over 30,000 carbines and around 1,000 rifles were converted under government contract to fire .52-70 rimfire or .50-70 Government centerfire metallic cartridges by sleeving the chamber, replacing the breechblock and adding a firing pin and extractor.
Background
Colonel Hiram Berdan's elite U.S. Sharpshooters carried the New Model 1859, picking off Confederate officers and artillerymen from over 500 yards and reloading while prone behind cover. The Sharps name later became a byword for long-range accuracy through the .50-caliber buffalo rifles of the 1870s.