Sharps Carbine Question

[61stNY]

Hi Guy's, new guy here. I just bought a Sharps carbine, serial # C9950. The barrel serial # matches. It Looks like .50 caliber. Can anyone advise if this has a Unit history? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

 

[JOHN42768]

Welcome, enjoy. Please post some photos. If original percussion it is .52 cal. and if converted to metallic cartridge it is .50 cal.

 

[61stNY]

Also has a 3 groove barrel and does not have a patch box stock but has the notched patch box butt plate.

 

[TheRealMrHoward]

11th OVC has an app that might be helpful...

 

[61stNY]

thanks

 

[bobinwmass]

Looks like it falls into (and only 3 guns away from one gun in) the range of carbines issued to Company B 10th Illinois Volunteer Cavalry. However, that does not really mean anything, because as seen below, that range covers about 5000 guns. This means the guns were not issued to regiments/units sequentially, as a company of men numbered about 100. So most of the guns in the range went somewhere else, we just don't know where, just like we don't know where your gun went.

C 9471 C 010165CO B 10TH ILL VOL CAV
C 9493 C 010165CO B 10TH ILL VOL CAV
C 9524 C 010165CO B 10TH ILL VOL CAV
C 9556 C 010165CO B 10TH ILL VOL CAV
C 9743 C 010165CO B 10TH ILL VOL CAV
C 9821 C 010165CO B 10TH ILL VOL CAV
C 9845 C 040164CO B 10TH ILL VOL CAV
C 9845 C 010165CO B 10TH ILL VOL CAV
C 9913 C 010165CO B 10TH ILL VOL CAV
C 9947 C 010165CO B 10TH ILL VOL CAV
C10037 C 010165CO B 10TH ILL VOL CAV
C10090 C 010165CO B 10TH ILL VOL CAV
C10090 C 101465CO B 10TH ILL VOL CAV
C10157 C 010165CO B 10TH ILL VOL CAV
C10357 C 010165CO B 10TH ILL VOL CAV
C10387 C 010165CO B 10TH ILL VOL CAV
C10392 C 010165CO B 10TH ILL VOL CAV
C10433 C 010165CO B 10TH ILL VOL CAV
C14781 C 010165CO B 10TH ILL VOL CAV

Would still like to see pictures though.

 

[61stNY]

will do asap
Thanks v much for the info

 

[UCVRelics]

Hi Guy's, new guy here. I just bought a Sharps carbine, serial # C9950. The barrel serial # matches. It Looks like .50 caliber. Can anyone advise if this has a Unit history? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

If you could post photos we would love to see your Sharps and then we can see just what we can find out for you.

 

[bayonet]

Hi Guy's, new guy here. I just bought a Sharps carbine, serial # C9950. The barrel serial # matches. It Looks like .50 caliber. Can anyone advise if this has a Unit history? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

The "C" in the serial # means 100,000. So the actual serial # is 109950

 

[Jeff in Ohio]

If it has the buttplate notched for a patchbox, but the stock does not have a patchbox, I would guess that this is no longer a percussion Sharps, as made, but was converted to a cartridge gun back in the late 1860s.

 

[61stNY]

Yes, that's what I was thinking...

 

[Papabyrd]

Look where the nose of the hammer hits. If it is still percussion, there will be a nipple for a percussion cap to fire the gun. If it is a cartridge conversion it will have a firing pin block and when you open the breach, you will see a cartridge extractor at the left side of the barrel.

 

[bayonet]

Look where the nose of the hammer hits. If it is still percussion, there will be a nipple for a percussion cap to fire the gun. If it is a cartridge conversion it will have a firing pin block and when you open the breach, you will see a cartridge extractor at the left side of the barrel.

Or he can just post some photos of the Carbine and 3/4 of his questions will be answered right away!

 

[61stNY]

It's a cartridge gun.

 

[JOHN42768]

OK, so it is a 50-70 early conversion since the barrel serial number matches. Would not have been relined.

 

[61stNY]

Sharps Photos

If you could post photos we would love to see your Sharps and then we can see just what we can find out for you.

Photos added

 

[johan_steele]

You have a Sharps Carbine that was converted to .50-70 that any collector would be quite happy to have. It's been through at least one arsenal rebuild. The butt plate if off an M1859 Sharps carbine which is fine as these were interchangeable arms and the armorer really didn't give two figs about collectability. He just wanted it out the door.

 

[UCVRelics]

Sharps Photos

Photos added

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Nice looking old CW period Sharps, Thanks for posting the photos and I see you have gotten some great info so far.