Sharps & Hankins Model 1862
Sharps & Hankins · Carbine · Discontinued · 1862
Also known as: Sharps & Hankins Carbine, Sharps and Hankins Model 1862, Sharps-Hankins Navy Carbine
Overview
The Sharps & Hankins Model 1862 is a single-shot, breech-loading carbine designed by Christian Sharps and William Hankins and built by their partnership in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during the American Civil War. Pulling down the trigger-guard operating lever slides the entire barrel forward to expose the breech, into which a self-contained .52-caliber metallic rimfire cartridge is inserted; an external hammer then strikes the cartridge rim to fire. Chambering a modern metallic cartridge made it weatherproof and faster to load than the era's paper-cartridge carbines, and a trained trooper could manage roughly eight to nine aimed shots per minute. The most numerous Navy variant carried a distinctive leather sleeve over the barrel to protect the firer's hand from heat and the metal from salt spray.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3400 g (119.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 981 mm (38.62") |
| Barrel Length | 609 mm (23.98") |
| Action Type | Breech Loading |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 365 m/s (1198 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 1512 J (1115 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 200 m (219 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 550 m (601 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
- .56-52 Spencer Rimfire · primary — also known as .52 Rimfire, .52 RF, .56-52 Spencer, .52-caliber rimfire
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Single Shot
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock Hammer
- Features: Sliding Barrel Breech, Metallic Rimfire Cartridge, Saddle Ring, Leather Barrel Sleeve Navy Model, Operating Lever Trigger Guard
Service history
Operators
- United States Navy · adopted 1862
- United States Army · adopted 1862
- United States Cavalry · adopted 1862
Conflicts
- American Civil War (1861-1865)
Production
Estimated total produced: 8,000 · Production years: 1862-1865
Approximately 8,000 produced in Philadelphia: roughly 500 Army carbines, 6,686 Navy carbines with leather barrel sleeves, and a smaller number of short Cavalry carbines.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Christian Sharps, William Hankins
Discontinued: 1865
Notes
Produced in three forms: an Army carbine (about 500 made), a Navy carbine (about 6,686 made, fitted with a leather barrel cover), and a short Cavalry carbine with a roughly 19-inch barrel and saddle ring. Total production was approximately 8,000 units. The barrel-sliding breech mechanism was patented by Christian Sharps and is mechanically distinct from the falling-block action of the better-known Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company carbines made at Hartford.
Background
The Sharps & Hankins Navy carbine was prized aboard Union warships and gunboats because its self-contained metallic cartridge shrugged off the damp and salt air that ruined paper-cartridge arms, and the leather barrel sleeve became the model's signature feature. It saw use with Union landing parties and blockade squadrons throughout the Civil War.