Sharps and Hankins Navy Carbine

vmicraig

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Mar 12, 2018
Location
London, England
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One of my favorite carbines in my collection is the Sharps and Hankins .52 Navy Carbine. She ain't the prettiest, nor the cleanest, but I find her interesting and also have her brother, the 24" Army model, displayed next to her at home.

The carbine is a .52 caliber breechloader produced by the Sharps and Hankins Company, Philadelphia. The carbines were made between 1862-1865 with an approximate total of 8,000 produced in 4 variants:

- 19" barrel army cavalry carbine
- 24" barrel army cavalry carbine
- 24" leather covered barrel navy carbine
- 32 3/4" barrel army rifle

By official records, the Navy purchased 6,686 “Navy carbines.” The Navy model bears a 24” barrel that was originally covered in leather to protect against rusting from saltwater spray when used aboard ships. Although many leather covers remain intact in various conditions, the typical Navy carbine is often found with no leather cover, as many rotted off over the years and were never replaced. It was later determined that the leather covers caused more harm than good, trapping the salt and water underneath, resulting in pitting and damage to the barrels. The leather was secured by 2 screws at the breech of the barrel and a band of steel at the muzzle. It was believed to have seen extensive service aboard various vessels which may account for the lack of leather on many surviving models.

The .52 caliber rimfire carbine employed a metal cartridge which was loaded by sliding the barrel forward using a loading lever on the underside, secured by a small latch inside the lever which can be awkward to operate. Standard features include a brass buttplate, iron loading lever, unique hinged sight; the metal forearm is an extension of the block. Carbines had a single strap hook on the butt and a rifled bore with 12 lands & grooves.

Markings include "SHARPS / & / HANKINS / PHILADA" on the right side. Mark on left side: "SHARPS / PATENT / 1859". Serial numbers were located on the rear tang and inside on the loading lever. The Navy inspector mark "P / HKH" is found on the right side.

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And it even still has some good looking leather on the barrel, a very nice example.
 
The front band/sight does not hold the leather at all. The leather butts up to the band. There is no room for the band to go over the leather. The front sight has to be off to put the cover on. I had a leather worker make a new cover for mine. I roughed it up with sand and some gravel to give it some age. Yes it is still new but she looks a lot better!!
 
Very nice S&H thanks for sharing.
 
Very nice, also I learned something new, the barrel being covered in leather to protect from sea spray, it’s a shame they didn’t realise that the leather would cause more problems than it prevented. Thanks for posting.
 
It was later determined that the leather covers caused more harm than good, trapping the salt and water underneath, resulting in pitting and damage to the barrels.
Very nice, also I learned something new, the barrel being covered in leather to protect from sea spray, it’s a shame they didn’t realise that the leather would cause more problems than it prevented.

I'm assuming they had less than an advanced understanding of corrosion back in those days.

Also, I don't know much bout guns, but didn't the barrel get hot n the heat of battle (no pun intended), and didn't that singe the leather somewhat (maybe leather is more resistant to heat than I'm thinking)? Did they account for that somehow, extra oil on the covered portion maybe?
 
Was the .52 rim fire the same cartridge that the Spenser employed?

Apparently not, but certainly very close in dimensions. The first pic is the Sharps round; the second pic showing both the base and the casing is the Spencer. Per the chart, the diameter and chamber on the Spencer are larger by a couple thousandths of an inch, which I guess makes a difference. (Ignore the highlighting - it was already on the chart).

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There were several versions of the Spencer cartridge, not all of them interchangeable with each other. One of them may fit your carbine. I always had a few of them near my Spencer to illustrate the cartridge type.
 
Apparently not, but certainly very close in dimensions. The first pic is the Sharps round; the second pic showing both the base and the casing is the Spencer. Per the chart, the diameter and chamber on the Spencer are larger by a couple thousandths of an inch, which I guess makes a difference. (Ignore the highlighting - it was already on the chart).

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Might I ask where that info chart or book comes from. I'm trying to determine a Ballard 1862 (Army AKA 1864) cartridge info. Thanks
 
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