Sharps M-1853 Slant Breech Saddle Ring Carbine.

Description du lot

Calibre : .52 PN. Numéro de série : 14935. Arme au même numéro. Numéro d’assemblage 26. Canon rond de 21 ½ inch avec intérieur légèrement mat. Canon avec bronzage d’origine éclairci et marquage commercial sur trois lignes : « SHARPS RIFLE / MANUFG. CO. / HARTFORD CONN. ». Hausse „Early pattern“ conforme (pre RS Lawrence patent). A gauche sur le tonnerre poinçon d’inspection profond „L“. Marquage « SHARPS/PATENT/1848 » ainsi que sur la platine « SHARPS/PATENT/1852 ». Anneau de cavalerie Sharps 1852 Patent Primer System. 9 inch. Parties en bois en noyer. Crosse avant avec grenadière conforme en laiton. Au talon de crosse, logement de patch, à l’intérieur du couvercle « 1126 », plaque de couche en laiton. Parties bois et métal avec diverses traces d’âge et d’usage. Mécanisme fonctionnel. Longueur : env. 95 cm. Sharps M-1853 Slant Breech Saddle Ring Carbine, .52Blackpowder. Seriennummer: 14935, nummerngleich, Montagenummer 26. Runder 21 1/2 inch Lauf mit leicht matter Seele. Lauf mit originaler, dünner Brünierung und dreizeiliger Firmierung: « SHARPS RIFLE / MANUFG. CO. / HARTFORD CONN. » Korrektes  » early pattern » (pre RS Lawrence patent) Visier. Links an der Laufwurzel tiefe Inspektorenmarke « L ». Auf dem oberen Schwanzschraubenblatt Patentinschrift: « SHARPS/PATENT/1848 » sowie links auf der Schlossplatte: « SHARPS/PATENT/1852 ». Sharps 1852 Patent Primer System. 9 inch Reitstange mit Ring. Nussholzschäftung. Vorderschaft mit korrektem Laufring aus Messing. Am Kolben Messing Patch box, im Deckel Nummer: « 1126 ». Kolbenkappe aus Messing. Holz- und Metallteile mit diversen Alters- und Gebrauchsspuren. Mechanisch in Ordnung. Länge: circa 95 cm.This Sharps Model 1853 Slanting Breech Carbine is in about fine condition. The gun shows use, but no abuse and remains extremely crisp and sharp throughout. The gun is clearly markedon the lock plate, to the rear of the hammer: « SHARP’s / PATENT / 1852 » This is the earlier patent marking. The tang of the carbine is marked « SHARPS / PATENT / 1848 » along with the serial number 14935. The matching serial number is present under the barrel. The top of the barrel is marked in three lines: « SHARPS RIFLE / MANUFG. CO. / HARTFORD CONN. ». The left flat of the barrel is marked with a military style sub-inspectors mark, a single « L ». Overall this is a very crisp and fine displaying example of a fairly scarce and very collectible Sharps carbine. These guns often show up in very rough condition, as they tended to see heavy use both before and during the Civil War. Many of these guns went west with early settlers and pioneers and saw double duty both protecting and feeding those hearty Americans. Although this gun is within the range of potential John Brown carbines, it is not listed as one of the known John Brown guns. A rare example of the Sharps Model 1853 Slanting Breech Carbine. About 10,500 of the carbines were produced between 1854 and 1857. The Sharps family of breech loading carbines is probably the most famous and recognizable breech-loading percussion arms to be developed during the American Civil War era. The “Sharps’ was the invention of Christian Sharps who was born in New Jersey sometime in 1811. In 1830 Christian went to work at the famous US Armory at Harpers Ferry, under the direction of firearms inventor and interchangeable parts pioneer John Hall. Sharps worked at Harpers Ferry for over a decade, learning the arms making trade, as well as the early concepts of assembly line production. In 1848 Sharps received his first patent for a breech-loading carbine. A.S. Nippes of Mill Creek, PA produced the first Sharps patent firearms in 1849 and 1850. By 1851, Sharps formed the Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company in Hartford, CT. As the company was not yet ready to produce arms, Sharps entered into an agreement with Robbins & Lawrence of Windsor, VT to manufacture arms for him. By 1852 RS Lawrence (formerly of Robbins & Lawrence) moved to Hartford and became the master armorer of the new Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company. The transition to the production of guns at the Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company was rather slow, and many of the Model 1853 carbines were produced by Robbins & Lawrence. The Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company finally took over production in Hartford in October of 1856. Like most of the Sharps produced arms, the guns were serial numbered consecutively, with all models in production at that time within the same serial number series. Each model did not begin with serial number “1”, but instead received a number representing its place in the production of all Sharps firearms. This means that other models do appear within the serial number range of the M-1853 carbine, which is generally considered to be from about 9,000 to 19,000. The Sharps M-1853 Carbine was produced with a variety of sling bar and ring arrangements, and the sporting models were often produced without the sling bar system. All of the M-1853 “Slant Breech” carbines were .52 caliber, single-shot, percussion breechloading carbines. They had 21.5” round barrels, and the large majority of the production run was brass mounted. Sharps received only a very small US military contract for the M-1853 “Slanting Breech” Carbine, with some 250 guns being contracted for. These guns saw service with the 1st and 2nd US Dragoons on the western frontier in the years prior to the Civil War. The majority of the carbines were sold privately, with some going to state militias. The biggest claim to fame of the M-1853 Carbine was its association with abolitionist John Brown. Brown and his supporters purchased approximately 900 of the guns during the mid-1850s. Many of those guns were used (and subsequently captured) during Brown’s famous raid on the US armory at Harper’s Ferry in 1859. Theguns involved in that raid were in the 10,XXX range, as well as the 12,XXX “ 18,XXX range. Due to the association with Brown, these guns are often referred to by collectors a “John Brown Sharps”.