ATTIC CONDITION UNRESTORED SHARPS NEW MODEL 1863 CAVALRY CARBINE

$2,450.00

Quantity Available: 1

Item Code: 622-433

This untouched, unrestored attic condition Civil War Sharps carbine is typical of the finds we used to make years ago in the attics of veterans or their families. It shows wear and field use, is missing a couple of parts, but has escaped the attentions of the well-meaning basement gunsmith who so often tried to turn a battlefield veteran brought home by a discharged soldier that might rate good into a mint example and ended up with something that was neither.

This is a standard configuration New Model 1863, successor to the New Model 1859, omitting the patchbox in the stock and using a larger clean-out screw, and introduced in late July 1863. It shows definite signs of issue and field use. The wood shows lots of small dings and scratches, a couple of hairlines on either side of the wrist at the comb, some chipping, etc., but also preserves the outlines of the inspection cartouches behind the saddle bar. Some of the wear is plainly from active field and campaign use, like the rubbing to the left buttstock from the motion of the trooper’s carbine sling swivel and buckle against the stock from carrying it on his carbine sling while mounted.

There is also some pitting to the top of the breechblock from firing percussion caps, indicating a good deal of action, but the remaining metal is generally smooth, the barrel showing gray in the middle from handling and darker at the muzzle and breech. The action, however, is crisp and the bore is dirty, but shows good rifling. The front sight is in place. The rear sight ladder and the barrel band are missing, but the metal preserves very good, fully legible markings: R.S. LAWRENCE PAT. / APRIL 12th, 1859 behind the hammer; C. SHARPS’ / OCT. 5th 1852 on the lockplate, and SHARPS PAT / SEPT 12th 1848 on the left receiver. The top of the barrel is marked NEW MODEL 1863 in front of the breech and SHARPS’ RIFLE / MANUFG. CO. / HARTFORD CONN. in front of the rear site. The rear site base, which shows some good blue, is marked in three horizontal lines: R.S. LAWRENCE / PATENTED / FEB. 15th 1859. The sling bar and ring are in place, the former showing an E.A.W. inspection stamp.

The .52 caliber breech-loading Sharps percussion carbine was one of the best liked and widely used carbines of the war and the NM1863 was produced from mid-1863 into 1865, numbering about 60,000 guns total, and falling in the serial number range of about 71000 to C49000 (i.e. 149000.) This one is numbered 88809 on the tang and Sharps were not assembled or shipped sequentially after the receiver was marked, but three carbines with numbers under 91,000 are recorded on a November 1863 delivery, making this likely a Fall 1863 product, and we find a NM1863 just twenty-five numbers higher than this in the hands of the 10th Ohio Cavalry in January 1864. The number needs to be an exact hit to establish a regimental identification, but the dating of those issues supports a Fall 1863 production and issue for this one- in time for some of the great cavalry actions and campaigns of the war.

Take a look at our photos so you are comfortable with the condition. We have not made any effort to “pretty it up,” and think it should be left undisturbed, though that is up to the next owner. As it is, it is a great example of a mid-war cavalry carbine that certainly saw action and was likely brought home by a veteran who valued its wartime service.    [SR] [ph:L]

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