I will not attempt a complete history on the Sharps carbine nor its development, but wish to familiarize those readers who are unfamiliar with the weapon before I start my story. For those seeking a more in depth study of Christian Sharps and his various weapons I recommend reading Winston O. Smith's book " The Sharps Rifle " or " Sharps Firearms " by Frank Sellers.

After testing several caliber's (.45, .52 and .56), the Sharps Carbine as issued fired a .52 caliber lead conical bullet weighing 450 grains and when fired with a 50 grain charge of powder traveled approximately 950 feet per second. A trained soldier on foot could fire 12-14 aimed shots per minute compared to an infantryman armed with a rifle musket firing 3-4 aimed shots per minute. The Sharps carbine was the most popular single shot breech-loading carbine used during the American Civil War with nearly 87,900 issued. Of the various models issued, the most numerous were New Model 1859's and New Model 1863's.

Upon reaching 100,000 rifles and carbines, the letter "C" was used to denote 100,000. Sharps carbine serial number C,7999 is a New Model 1863 carbine and is the 107,999th Sharps carbine or rifle made. Springfield Research Service documents C,7976 (just 23 numbers away) as being manufactured in August 1863 so C,7999 was manufactured no later than early September of 1863.

Possession:

Christmas day 1979, surrounded by family and loved ones, I was given the last package from under the tree. With feigned indifference to hide my excitement, I unwrapped the package thinking it might hold a rifle or shotgun but it couldn't, could it? People were murmuring and jockeying for position and clearly there was some excitement building. I could not for one moment figure out what was going on until I stuck my hand inside the box. There was no mistake about it, my hand was wrapped around a muzzle, the muzzle of a Sharps carbine!

I must have been seven or eight years old when I first held this Civil War carbine. I asked grandpa if he had ever shot it and he replied, "Just once." The puzzled look on my face encourage him to continue, he had loaded a handful or two of black powder down the barrel and found a round ball that fit sort of snug. He rammed it home to the breech, put a percussion cap on the nipple, took careful aim and fired. His hat blew 15 feet into the air and he was sitting on the ground staring at all the smoke through singed eyebrows. As a kid, the story was funny and exciting. As an adult, I can tell you about the only thing my grandfather did correctly were put a percussion cap on the nipple and take an aimed fire. Pvt. Nelson's carbine is a little loose in the breech from lots of use and not much cleaning which allows gas to escape upwards. Compound that problem with too much black powder and a bullet much too tight for the bore, my grandpa is very fortunate he didn't suffer much worse.

The web site Civil War Minutes discusses eleven different Civil War topics in Part One of their four part excellent and highly acclaimed DVD and Video series. One of the eleven topics in Part One demonstrates the proper method of loading and firing a Sharps carbine. Had this video been available for my grandfather, it would have saved both his pride and eyebrows.

As often as I could, I'd ask my grandpa to hold that carbine. I would go over it inch by inch trying not to over look the slightest of details. I memorized the serial number, and always worked the action. Each time I lifted it to my shoulder and sighted down the barrel, I couldn't help but think of the stories this little old cavalry carbine could tell. Even as a young child, I knew this carbine had seen lots of use but all I could do was imagine where and how it served its country. With Gettysburg, Pa. then as my hometown, I didn't need much help visualizing the kind of service it rendered. Every school kid in town knew it was Union cavalry armed with carbines such as this Sharps that opened up the Battle of Gettysburg against Confederate infantry armed with rifles and muskets. I found myself roaming the battlefield with friends "Jethro" & "Lurch" looking for monuments that depicted cavalrymen holding Sharps carbines and always wondered if grandpa's carbine had seen action here.

I often wondered why my grandfather kept that old carbine. It wasn't like him to keep something he didn't use and the only time I ever saw him hold it was when I would ask to fondle it. Maybe he too thought this old war-horse had a story to tell and couldn't part with it. Maybe it was for a sentimental reason he kept it all those years, I just don't know. I never bothered to ask him how he came into possession of it because it was a question that never really mattered until now because you see, this carbine does have a story to tell, a story I hope you'll enjoy.

Serial Number Connection and Search:

January 2001 found me in company with two friends at a gun show in Indianapolis, Indiana. This is a 1500 table show and if you shop hard and have done your homework, you can pick up some bargains. The three of us had been to this show many times and we each have earned "bragging rights" for the three hour ride home for getting the deal of the day. This particular show found TJ stocking up on supplies, Dutchman of House of Karlina fame buying a nice Colt revolver from a mutual friend (recently promoted to Brig. Gen., congratulations Craig!!) which normally would have earned bragging rights but the find of the day, in my mind, belonged to me. Looking over a table stacked with books, one titled Civil War Sharps Carbines & Rifles by the authors Earl J. Coates & John D. McAulay caught my attention. The back cover stated that inside were listed over 4000 serial numbers of various Sharps, who they were issued to and where. I started to thumb through the book knowing that out of over 80,000 Sharps issued to soldiers and sailors, the prospect of finding my serial numbered carbine was remote.