Sharps rifle found in closet.

TofNC

Cadet
Joined
Aug 11, 2017
I'v been trying to find some information recently regarding Sharps rifles. I've come across an old Sharps rifle and have been trying to track down the history of it if possible. I've done some research based off of the information I've been able to pull off the gun and from the internet. Like I said was hoping someone may be able to give me a little bit more detail into the history of this particular rifle. Thanks for your time. -T
-1859 New Model Military Sharps
-Serial #36686
-36 inch barrel
-53 inch length
-Lever/breech and hammer/trigger are operational
-Smooth bore
-T brace bayonet lug
-Seems to be some surface rust but nothing terribly deep.
-Wood is in excellent condition minus a 1-2 inch crack on hand gaurd where it meets the breech.
 

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Was it possibly an infantry model with a new forestock? 36" barrel and 53" overall sounds more like the infantry model.
 
Be careful of the term, 'smooth bore'. I presume you mean that there is no roughness or rust or corrosion in the barrel but in firearms parlance that term means no rifled grooves, something like a shotgun barrel and in any Sharps that term 'smooth bore' could mean s later modification that would greatly decrease its value.
 
Lucky you. Yours falls outside the serial # of those issued to Berdan Sharp Shooters.

I'd use coconut oil and a nickel (five cent piece) to remove any rust. This will preserve the patina. Afterward treat the entire rifle with Renaissance Wax.
 
Be careful of the term, 'smooth bore'. I presume you mean that there is no roughness or rust or corrosion in the barrel but in firearms parlance that term means no rifled grooves, something like a shotgun barrel and in any Sharps that term 'smooth bore' could mean s later modification that would greatly decrease its value.

I do understand what you mean and I've tried to be careful in my terminology. When I say "smooth bore" I am trying to reference that the barrel does not seem to have any rifling or twist on the inside just as a shotgun. Which makes me think this particular firearm would maybe fall more into the musket range and less into the rifle range? That's where I'm kinda confused because from what I've gathered I thought the sharps where some of the first with rifling?
 
I'v been trying to find some information recently regarding Sharps rifles.
-36 inch barrel

-Smooth bore .

Nice! Check this out
http://rockislandauction.com/detail...l-sharps-new-model-1859-military-rifle#detail

Hearsay only, but I've read in passing where only 600 of these made with the extra length barrel, and most of them were issued to CT regiments.

If it has truly been rebored smooth (for whatever reason), I can fully recommend Bobby Hoyt to install a rifled barrel liner.
 
Nice! Check this out
http://rockislandauction.com/detail...l-sharps-new-model-1859-military-rifle#detail

Hearsay only, but I've read in passing where only 600 of these made with the extra length barrel, and most of them were issued to CT regiments.

If it has truly been rebored smooth (for whatever reason), I can fully recommend Bobby Hoyt to install a rifled barrel liner.

That's awesome. Thanks for the info and the listing. I just had the realization that I found this rifle in deep south ga. Wasn't it pretty well only used by the north? Wonder how it wound up here
 
I do understand what you mean and I've tried to be careful in my terminology. When I say "smooth bore" I am trying to reference that the barrel does not seem to have any rifling or twist on the inside just as a shotgun. Which makes me think this particular firearm would maybe fall more into the musket range and less into the rifle range? That's where I'm kinda confused because from what I've gathered I thought the sharps where some of the first with rifling?
As far as I know all of these arms were issued as rifled and yours does have a rear sight which makes no sense on a smooth bore. It is possible the arm was shot so often that the rifling has been worn smooth. See if you can check the bore from the opened breech. You may be able to detect faint rifling at that end of the bore using a bore light. I hope that some farmer did not have a rifled barrel bored out to make himself a scatter gun.
 
As far as I know all of these arms were issued as rifled and yours does have a rear sight which makes no sense on a smooth bore. It is possible the arm was shot so often that the rifling has been worn smooth. See if you can check the bore from the opened breech. You may be able to detect faint rifling at that end of the bore using a bore light. I hope that some farmer did not have a rifled barrel bored out to make himself a scatter gun.

Thank you for the insight. I'll have to check the barrel out a bit better. It was an original quick glance and I didn't notice the rifling.
 
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