I have an 1863 but with a 34 in barrel in 54/110. When I first bought it I spent a long time trying to make it actually fire. Almost gave it up like you. Then one day I took it apart one last time and noticed the two screws in the side of the block that are hidden when assembled. I carefully removed the stuck screws and noticed a massive amount of black goop on them. I used carburetor cleaner and it cleared a massive block of old burnt/sticky powder out of it. then used a sonic cleaner on it several times, one last carb cleaner and That gun fired after that and from then to now a few decades later still shoots marvelously. I clean those chambers every year and never again did I have a problem with spark reaching the powder. Anyway, wanted to mention this in case anyone else has an issue with firing. The chambers in the block are not straight through. They are almost two 45 degree tunnels and they plug up. I am so happy I tried that one last time and didn't sell my baby... I do just make paper cartridges. I do not use the brass cartridges ever. I also load with 110 grains of no2 black powder with no fillers. It was made to shoot this way. That 800 yard mark is not off. IF you load with factory 110 or 120 grains and the 540 gr bullet, using only 50 grains answers why your shots are spread as they are. It is trying to move a massive bullet with a 32 cal. load.my 34 inch barrel can hit out to 1200 plus accurately. Amazing machines these were.
I love the variety of these guns they outlived paper cartridges and made it to the brass cartridge era not alot of guns did that most just got replaced few bridged the gap thank you very much for all your videos
I have a friend that found one of these in almost. Mint condition an estate sale. Gave the lady $50. This rifle was in her husbands family. No rust and only a couple little nicks in the wood. His is a metal cartridge model.
That gun was made on what is now Capitol Avenue in Hartford, Ct. The factory later on was used to make Columbia bicycles, Pope EVs, and then the P&W Wasp aircraft engine. Alas, it was torn down in 1966 to make way for I-84.
The good old Sharps M1863. This must have been one of the most popular rifles (actually carbines) in the US Civil War. I own a replica of it myself (converted to a Robinson or Richmond) and love shooting it on the range. The gun is very accurate for an original piece, but I am not sure I would put the full 60 grain of powder on such an old treasure. In any case, these are impressive pictures of the shot pattern at 30 and also 50 metres. An entertaining but in any case also very instructive video. Thanks for sharing, mate. Stay healthy and keep up the good work. Greetings from Cuxhaven on the German North Sea shore. 😎👍🏼🇭🇺✌🏼🇩🇪👍🏼🤠
Outstanding video. I have two repro Sharps paper ctg guns and one original 50-70 conversion. My grouping with the carbine did not improve until I started using a two handed grip, resting my forehand against the bag and holding the fore-end of the rifle. That eliminated the diagonal stringing I was getting. My 1863 Sporting rifle is heavy enough that it didn't matter. Wonderfully researched video. Kudos.
I have a wonderful Sharps Rifle with set trigger (cannot prove it was a Berdan SS rifle, but same configuration). Amazingly accurate for a 150 year old rifle.
Every time I get interested in a new black powder firearm the first thing I look for is a Cap and Ball video detailing shooting this new to me firearm. I have not been disappointed yet! Thanks!
I am a grown up old man and remember when RWS caps were packaged in Shiny tinplated metal containers that you did not throw away because they could be repurposed to keep other things in, much like Altoid tins.
Post Civi War the sharps got the record for longest confirmed kill shot of the 19th century. The Shot was made by Billy Dixon at the 2nd battle of adobe walls. Shot was made with a Sharps in .50-90 sharps. Distance 1,538-yard (1,406 m)
Outstanding. What a joy. Great information. I’ve been shooting black powder guns since before you were born. I learn a gold nugget of information from every video you make. They are each a treasure. My thanks.
Most of us shooting Sharps in competition use either paper or cardboard tubes least we squander the speed advantage afforded by eliminating the time needed to extract a brass casing. Great video keep them coming!
@@johnhiers9405 About double. Oddly enough it depends on the time of the season. Early when I'm holding and squeezing that tends to level the times a bit. If I get good enough I start to snap shoot, then the total time is more about the loading without a longer aiming cycle.
@@billsweeneybama2251 I said there's no need to extract a case. Some breechloaders such as the Maynard and Burnside used brass casings (Smith used rubber) that had to be withdrawn or extracted by hand which consumes time. The Sharps paper cartridge gets combusted when things go bang thus eliminating a step.
The Sharp's had an important role in the Civil War, but it also played a critical role in the pre war era, particularly in 'bloody Kansas' where it was the predominant weapon of choice of the anti-slavery settlers in the state. Abolitionist organizations in New England made a real effort to assure that European immigrants on their way to Kansas got a Sharp's rifle before they got there.
@@YakubibnEsau Senator Andrew Butler of South Carolina once demanded in the Senate that the government serve a writ of Habeas Corpus on all Sharp's rifles in the state of Kansas. :-) True. It's in the record.
Thank you for doing this video I have just entered the world of the percussion sharps patiently awaiting someone to have a mold in stock. Enjoyed seeing what these can do when they are running properly.
It's actually a myth that Brigadier General Buford's 9th Cavalry Division of only 9,000 troopers held off three, Confederate infantry Divisions in the preliminary battle just right before Gettysburg using SPENCER repeating cavalry carbines. It's true that the 9th held off three, Confederate divisions but they were using SHARPS cavalry carbines. While the Sharps advertised a possible fast firing rate of 9 to 12 shots per minute, the practical battlefield rate was six, maybe seven. The reason is that the Union trooper had to spend more time plucking out a copper percussion cap and seating it on the ignition nipple at the breach. This took at least three seconds for an experienced shooter. Then the trooper had to aim the carbine which took another two seconds or so. The whole process of pulling the trigger back to half-cock, lowering the breech block, retrieving a paper or linen cartridge, inserting it into the breech, levering up the breech again, pulling the trigger back to full cock, retrieving and seating a percussion cap, taking careful aim and firing took up at least ten seconds for an experienced shooter under combat conditions. But the advantage was that the shooter could use his Sharps carbine from a kneeling or prone concealed position, which meant less Union casualties and more men firing their carbines. Given that the practical battlefield combat firing rate was six rounds per minute, maybe seven, that is twice the practical three rounds for a muzzle-loading black gunpowder percussion musket rifle, standard at the time. The Union troopers were outshooting the Confederate infantry, two-to-one, and surviving more since the troopers did not have to stand in line formation but could take protected, semi-concealed positions. Artillery would be more dangerous to the Union troopers. In any event, the 9th Cavalry did hold off three Confederate infantry divisions, but at great cost. History records the 9th Cavalry Division was shattered and had to be withdrawn for reconstitution. But at least the 9th was not overrun and totally destroyed en masse as it would have been had its weapons been muzzle-loading musket rifles.
I’d much rather have Sharps thumb over Garand thumb 😉 Thank you for these wonderful videos, and the opportunity to time travel. This channel is one of my “go to” places for gun knowledge.
A wonderful video project on a beautiful rifle. I'm always amazed at the innovation of firearms between cap and ball to cartridges. I really enjoy the history provided on each weapon. Great work.
One thing which I really enjoy about your videos, you always appear to be having a great time shooting these old beasties. Thanks for another very pleasant and informative video.
I recently acquired an 1859 Sharps carbine built in Italy by IAB . It was imported by Sile. It came with a small box of factory made paper cartridges. The odd thing is the bullets look more like 54 caliber full wad-cutter bullets. I happen to have a mold in my collection very much like it. I am hoping to get an Eras Gone mold the next time they run a batch of them. It's going to be a lot of fun working up loads for this carbine. Thanks for all you do.
I have an original (authentic) Sharps percussion carbine conversion to .50-70 cartridge. The conversion was done by Sharps for the US military using specimens without too much wear. Loaded with a hollow pointed semi-wadcutter bullet it is a very serious and quite effective deer hunting carbine. I would suggest a re-crowning of your carbine muzzle and see if that improves the accuracy.
I think the barrel and the crown are not bad. I will try other bullets, and I am just working on the brass cartridges. I believe that will improve accuracy.
Looks as if the eyewear was getting fouled as well! That is black powder shooting. I find your content to be AMAZING in its historicity and in the details you typically include in every video. I am 76: when I was a boy, 'frontier' books featured Sharps rifles and their exploits of accuracy. Your video offers us so much MORE than was previously available. I have followed your work for the last few videos. It is TIME to CONTRIBUTE.
I'm the same age and I seem to remember that when I was a kid, you could order this carbine (or maybe it was the rolling block?) from an ad in the back of Popular Mechanics magazine for $25.00 plus postage. I think the firing pin was removed but otherwise in good condition. I thought about it but decided to save my money for a guitar instead!
l live 1 mile from a Civil War battle ground fought here 4 different times on the same ground here in Cumberland Gap Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia....All three states meet here.....Thanks my friend excellent video as always...!
What a wonderful video thank you. I am going to have to set some time aside to watch all of your videos, very nice. At 32:59 the bullet you are using has grooves in the bullet for lubrication, what have you tried for lube? I seem to be a little short on tallow. I have another question that is not on the sharps but may have been used on the sharps due to the time it was in service and it has bothered me for a while. I have read a few books on people who used smooth bore rifles during and before the time of the sharps and to improve accuracy and fouling they talk about using sweet oil to clean and lube the barrel. What is sweet oil? I think it is olive oil but I am only guessing. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Love every episode! I have a collection of original muzzle loaders and early breechloaders with my faves including my Dreyse M1862, my 1845 Potsdam, and my Sharps carbine. Want to get a Maynard as my great, great grandfather carried one in the 2nd FL Cavalry.
A quick comment on your English, sir, if I may. I am an American, and attended college in Florida. Your English is better and clearer than some of my American class mates. I look forward to your next video whether or not it includes your Sharps. I had been wanting a Sharps, until I learned about the Smith carbine. I bought a reproduction Smith, first version with the sling swivels. I am now learning how to cast bullets.
If the action becomes too fouled to function rapidly, pour a little water down the action/barrel from your canteen. If you're out of water, step behind a tree and improvise. This will loosen the fouling enough to get the gun running again and the heat of sustained firing will dry it enough to insure good ignition.
Your work is very inspiring, and I hope for your continued success. Thanks to you, I am looking into getting some black powder firearms, to get a better appreciation of the history of firearms.
i love your outlook on cap and ball weapons. thank you for your time and effort. great videos. very good information and entertaining to watch. may god keep you safe.
I can imagine Union cavalrymen at Gettysburg on July 1st furiously spitting on their Sharps carbines and jacking the lever up and down to keeping firing. It’s not something I would have envisioned without this demonstration.
You can tell he really loves his 1852 Sharps carbine and he truly enjoys firing it. The enjoyment he gets is different than if he was shooting a modern, brass cartridge rifle or carbine. It's the fun of shooting an old-fashioned weapon and one which is genuinely an antique. I saw the October 1852 production date on the breech of his carbine. He must have paid good money for that genuine Sharps. For its time, the Sharps breechloader rifles and carbines were indeed revolutionary but that time was short. It proved to be an interim breechloading design awaiting the introduction of the true, metallic cartridge. The Prussians would introduce their Dreyse needle cartridge breechloader in time for the 1866 Austro-Prussian war and the 1870 Franco-Prussian War. The Dreyse and the French Chassepot breechloader cartridges did not need a separate percussion cap. Though effective, both were a step in the wrong direction. The unitary, metallic brass cartridge with a center-located integrated primer was the optimum solution and still remains so today, baring its replacement with caseless ammunition in the future.
I take a break from the the gun side of the internet then I wanna buy something cool and old so I come here and you always have a vid in it I sooo appreciate that, now I'm gonna binge watch everything new
Love the Sharps, I have a repro Pedersolli 1874 Silhouette in .45/70. What’s not to like about that 32 inch octagonal barrel. I’m very drawn to single shot under lever rifles as I have three Ruger No 1s.
Excelente carabina sharps y gracias por mostrarnos una parte de la historia de esta arma sus componentes y el armado de los cartuchos hoy aprendí un poquito más. Saludos desde Argentina 🇦🇷🇦🇷👍👍👍
Beecher's Bibles - "He (Henry W. Beecher) believed that the Sharps Rifle was a truly moral agency, and that there was more moral power in one of those instruments, so far as the slaveholders of Kansas were concerned, than in a hundred Bibles. You might just as well. . . read the Bible to Buffaloes as to those fellows who follow Atchison and Stringfellow; but they have a supreme respect for the logic that is embodied in Sharp's rifle."
I love my repro and it shoots great. Biggest problem now is finding caps that actually work. The CCI 4 wing will work but only if I prime the nipple first will a little powder.
Wasnt the first pattern slant breech the ones that snipped the end of the cartridge off? Or was it all models of the sharps minus the metallic cartridge models?
I have heard of people lubing the gas plate to keep it moving a bit longer. Maybe that helps. Muzzle velocity seems really low. Wikipedia is wrong once again. The Wiki page on the Sharps rifle claims that its muzzle velocity is 370 m/s. They must refer to the brass cartridge Sharps then, correct?
I just added a Sharps Carbine serial # C14429 to my Civil War cavalry arms collection. Have wanted to get a hold of one for quite a while and luckily just came across one in great condition at a good price. Really like you videos. Keep up the great work.
I always thought the original paper cartridges were such that when you closed the breech, it tore off the back of the cartridge. I remember seeing a guy use one and the cartridges had a twisted paper end which tore off as he closed the breech. It is really amazing you have a shootable original there in Magyarország. The other carbine I remember having seen a lot of use was the Spencer but it used a rim fire metallic cartridge. As for your thumb bite, yep, that is the other reason the gun is called a 'Sharps"..... I got a chance to see a lot of weapons from the Civil War since my father's family lives near Gettysburg and I spent a lot of time in that area. I love your videos with these vintage rifles.
Great video! The offhand shooting location is gorgeous. Makes me want to move to Hungary! Are there designated places like that to shoot, or is that public land? Part of a shooting range? Thanks from California.
That's a very good group for a 160 year old carbine. The sharps has always been a favourite of mine but I have never seen an original. Very cool to see one that has been cared for well enough that it is still in use today.
WONDERFUL!!!.....Great video on a wonderful carbine. I especially loved your comment on the Quigley rifle. C. Sharps Rifle Co. still builds rifles by hand in Montana.
Thanks again for another outstanding video of the firearms of our Civil War here in the USA....l live here in Cumberland Gap Tennessee and the Gap changed sides 5 times during the Civil War...... Shoe🇺🇸
I loved the video..............great job. It certainly shows what an improvement the model 74 was. That sticky, dirty breech on the 63 must have been difficult to clean in the heat of battle.
This was one of the greatest arms ever made. Did anybody remember that during the US Civil War, the Sharps remained very popular. Even after the introduction of the very iconic Spencer,, the Sharps was popular with both sides. And after the War also. Great video and I love the channel.
The closest I've come to shoot a sharps like action is a Martini Henry decades ago as well as a .56 Spencer carbine at the range. The owners graced me the privilege to shoot a round. I had .54 Hawken rifle I wish I still had now.
Did you ever get a premature detonation of the cartridge as you inserted it into the breech? (I noticed you sometimes blew out the old smoke before loading, which seems prudent but I wonder if during the rush of combat that could happen.) Also at 30:37 am I interpreting that right, the cartridge was a compressed pellet of blackpowder with no paper or linen? Like a modern pydrodex pellet glued to a bullet?
It gets a bit gummy after a few shots and it bites; sounds like a candidate for metallic cartridges and a feed mechanism. I would think that in the Civil War one would have to change out carbines often. Very nice exhibition and hair. At 16:02 that is a massive amount of gas blow back. At 20:59 and 21:49 one can see the bullets go into the target at one o'clock. Very good camera work! I wonder what the rifling looks like? Must say it was better than a muzzle loader when charging on a horse.
when the block starts to have trouble opening for you after a while put some water down on the top of it where you load at not a whole lot just a few drops another to lubricate it and it will open smoothly again
Nice! Isn't there a risk there would be burning paper left when you're loading a new paper cartridge? That wouldn't be too bad, I guess, since the new powder would burn and not explode, right? (free air, not closed space)
Is there a source for info on reducing the trigger pull on an original Sharps 1874 carbine? My rifle shoots nice but it would be a much better shooter if it didn't have a 10-12 lb trigger pull. This is a BP cartridge gun in .50-70.
Wasn't there a priming system on some of those that was like a roll of caps that children use in cap guns ? I saw one with a snail like box on the side so I wondered
I own an original Sharps rifle that is now a 50-70 caliber. I am not sure which model it originally was because it was at some point it was converted to brass cased ammunition. All the markings are the same as the rifle in the video and there is no patch box on the stock but any markings in the wood are no longer there. The serial number is C, 1279. The rifle is in operating condition but alas I have no brass to load for it, yet.
I compete in the usa with a repo sharps in the N SSA, we have a floating sleeve with an o ring installed and it will shoot all day without jamming. Check out Charlie Hahn machine shop on line, hes in Maryland usa.
Hey, could I use some clips from a few of your videos for a video I'm making on Pirate Firearms? Naturally I'd credit you on screen and in the video description
I have an 1863 but with a 34 in barrel in 54/110. When I first bought it I spent a long time trying to make it actually fire. Almost gave it up like you. Then one day I took it apart one last time and noticed the two screws in the side of the block that are hidden when assembled. I carefully removed the stuck screws and noticed a massive amount of black goop on them. I used carburetor cleaner and it cleared a massive block of old burnt/sticky powder out of it. then used a sonic cleaner on it several times, one last carb cleaner and That gun fired after that and from then to now a few decades later still shoots marvelously. I clean those chambers every year and never again did I have a problem with spark reaching the powder. Anyway, wanted to mention this in case anyone else has an issue with firing. The chambers in the block are not straight through. They are almost two 45 degree tunnels and they plug up. I am so happy I tried that one last time and didn't sell my baby...
I do just make paper cartridges. I do not use the brass cartridges ever. I also load with 110 grains of no2 black powder with no fillers. It was made to shoot this way. That 800 yard mark is not off. IF you load with factory 110 or 120 grains and the 540 gr bullet, using only 50 grains answers why your shots are spread as they are. It is trying to move a massive bullet with a 32 cal. load.my 34 inch barrel can hit out to 1200 plus accurately. Amazing machines these were.
I love the variety of these guns they outlived paper cartridges and made it to the brass cartridge era not alot of guns did that most just got replaced few bridged the gap thank you very much for all your videos
Love to have one in 45-70.
You are genuinely one of the happiest youtubers I have ever seen, in every one of these videos you have a smile on your face, it's amazing
reloading makes one happy
That's a Sharp looking Carbine you got there.
I saw what you did there. You have a sharp whit.
The carbine is not the only thing looking sharp.
And I suppose that is why the users were known as 'Sharp(s)shooters!
a weapon of uncanny power and precision
Never a DULL moment in the comments.
{I will see myself to the door now...😉}
Cant agree more. I have a 45-110 Shiloh that i adore.
What a nice looking rifle. Love the videos and cheers to Hungary from Estonia.
I would still follow you if you did videos about squirrels. Cap&Squirrels now that has a good ring to it.
Hunting squirrels with a muzzle-loading squirrel rifle.
@@Hammerli280 Exactly.
Cap and Squirrel? How about Squirrel Caps?
Squirrels are tough with a rifle since they never stop moving and easily blend in.
@@657449 yeah, I agree with you on that one.
I have a friend that found one of these in almost. Mint condition an estate sale. Gave the lady $50. This rifle was in her husbands family. No rust and only a couple little nicks in the wood. His is a metal cartridge model.
A deal of the century if you ask me
Because of you I'm getting into black powder firearms! Thank you Sir. Friend from South Africa
That gun was made on what is now Capitol Avenue in Hartford, Ct. The factory later on was used to make Columbia bicycles, Pope EVs, and then the P&W Wasp aircraft engine. Alas, it was torn down in 1966 to make way for I-84.
The good old Sharps M1863. This must have been one of the most popular rifles (actually carbines) in the US Civil War. I own a replica of it myself (converted to a Robinson or Richmond) and love shooting it on the range. The gun is very accurate for an original piece, but I am not sure I would put the full 60 grain of powder on such an old treasure. In any case, these are impressive pictures of the shot pattern at 30 and also 50 metres. An entertaining but in any case also very instructive video.
Thanks for sharing, mate.
Stay healthy and keep up the good work.
Greetings from Cuxhaven on the German North Sea shore.
😎👍🏼🇭🇺✌🏼🇩🇪👍🏼🤠
Outstanding video. I have two repro Sharps paper ctg guns and one original 50-70 conversion. My grouping with the carbine did not improve until I started using a two handed grip, resting my forehand against the bag and holding the fore-end of the rifle. That eliminated the diagonal stringing I was getting. My 1863 Sporting rifle is heavy enough that it didn't matter. Wonderfully researched video. Kudos.
Really glad that I found your channel back a couple years a go great content and because of that it got me to shooting black power guns recently.
I have a wonderful Sharps Rifle with set trigger (cannot prove it was a Berdan SS rifle, but same configuration). Amazingly accurate for a 150 year old rifle.
Every time I get interested in a new black powder firearm the first thing I look for is a Cap and Ball video detailing shooting this new to me firearm. I have not been disappointed yet! Thanks!
Capandball doing these videos:
Aaahhh, the lovely smell of black powder.
I am a grown up old man and remember when RWS caps were packaged in Shiny tinplated metal containers that you did not throw away because they could be repurposed to keep other things in, much like Altoid tins.
I also have a few of those in my gun cabinet!
Post Civi War the sharps got the record for longest confirmed kill shot of the 19th century. The Shot was made by Billy Dixon at the 2nd battle of adobe walls. Shot was made with a Sharps in .50-90 sharps. Distance 1,538-yard (1,406 m)
Excellent. I like how you can clearly see the 30 meter hits start walking upward as the barrel heats up.
Outstanding. What a joy. Great information. I’ve been shooting black powder guns since before you were born. I learn a gold nugget of information from every video you make. They are each a treasure. My thanks.
Most of us shooting Sharps in competition use either paper or cardboard tubes least we squander the speed advantage afforded by eliminating the time needed to extract a brass casing. Great video keep them coming!
So I’ve got to ask. How many rounds can you get out of a sharps in a minute? I’m assuming double or almost triple that of say an enfield musket?
@@johnhiers9405 About double. Oddly enough it depends on the time of the season. Early when I'm holding and squeezing that tends to level the times a bit. If I get good enough I start to snap shoot, then the total time is more about the loading without a longer aiming cycle.
What do you mean... there is an extractor
@@billsweeneybama2251 I said there's no need to extract a case. Some breechloaders such as the Maynard and Burnside used brass casings (Smith used rubber) that had to be withdrawn or extracted by hand which consumes time. The Sharps paper cartridge gets combusted when things go bang thus eliminating a step.
Absolutely beautiful firearm, really enjoyed watching you shoot it. Thanks for another wonderful video!
Thank you for the squirrels. Very funny. I have an 1863 Springfield, I love it. Your channel and supplies keep her working well.
5:35 I've never heard a bird like that, it sounds pretty
Great tit :) Common bird throughout Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia.
Dandelions flowers in the background, nice.
The Sharp's had an important role in the Civil War, but it also played a critical role in the pre war era, particularly in 'bloody Kansas' where it was the predominant weapon of choice of the anti-slavery settlers in the state. Abolitionist organizations in New England made a real effort to assure that European immigrants on their way to Kansas got a Sharp's rifle before they got there.
Good ole “Beecher’s Bibles!”
@@YakubibnEsau Senator Andrew Butler of South Carolina once demanded in the Senate that the government serve a writ of Habeas Corpus on all Sharp's rifles in the state of Kansas. :-) True. It's in the record.
Wonderful! Someone who keeps the history alive by doing and saying what they do for another generation!
Not a lot of gas leak! Your sharps is in beautiful shape! Wow I never saw the pellet primer actually functional for demo... Very nice
Thank you for doing this video I have just entered the world of the percussion sharps patiently awaiting someone to have a mold in stock. Enjoyed seeing what these can do when they are running properly.
My second favorite next to the Krag. Great video most enjoyable!
It's actually a myth that Brigadier General Buford's 9th Cavalry Division of only 9,000 troopers held off three, Confederate infantry Divisions in the preliminary battle just right before Gettysburg using SPENCER repeating cavalry carbines. It's true that the 9th held off three, Confederate divisions but they were using SHARPS cavalry carbines. While the Sharps advertised a possible fast firing rate of 9 to 12 shots per minute, the practical battlefield rate was six, maybe seven. The reason is that the Union trooper had to spend more time plucking out a copper percussion cap and seating it on the ignition nipple at the breach. This took at least three seconds for an experienced shooter. Then the trooper had to aim the carbine which took another two seconds or so. The whole process of pulling the trigger back to half-cock, lowering the breech block, retrieving a paper or linen cartridge, inserting it into the breech, levering up the breech again, pulling the trigger back to full cock, retrieving and seating a percussion cap, taking careful aim and firing took up at least ten seconds for an experienced shooter under combat conditions. But the advantage was that the shooter could use his Sharps carbine from a kneeling or prone concealed position, which meant less Union casualties and more men firing their carbines. Given that the practical battlefield combat firing rate was six rounds per minute, maybe seven, that is twice the practical three rounds for a muzzle-loading black gunpowder percussion musket rifle, standard at the time. The Union troopers were outshooting the Confederate infantry, two-to-one, and surviving more since the troopers did not have to stand in line formation but could take protected, semi-concealed positions. Artillery would be more dangerous to the Union troopers.
In any event, the 9th Cavalry did hold off three Confederate infantry divisions, but at great cost. History records the 9th Cavalry Division was shattered and had to be withdrawn for reconstitution. But at least the 9th was not overrun and totally destroyed en masse as it would have been had its weapons been muzzle-loading musket rifles.
I’d much rather have Sharps thumb over Garand thumb 😉 Thank you for these wonderful videos, and the opportunity to time travel. This channel is one of my “go to” places for gun knowledge.
Excellent video, very nice place and landscape, the birds singing. Regards from Argentina, South America!
Another great video! And, a beautiful old war horse...good to see you putting it to use!
A wonderful video project on a beautiful rifle. I'm always amazed at the innovation of firearms between cap and ball to cartridges. I really enjoy the history provided on each weapon. Great work.
I don't know what's more impressive, the carbine or your accuracy with it. Great video.
One thing which I really enjoy about your videos, you always appear to be having a great time shooting these old beasties. Thanks for another very pleasant and informative video.
I have a conversion to the.50-70 cartridge as used by the early Texas Rangers after the American Civil War. Wonderful video! Thank you.
That's what mine is, a carbine love it
I found your channel and now I can't stop watching. I'm hooked to the beautiful, bright, Hungrish language
I recently acquired an 1859 Sharps carbine built in Italy by IAB . It was imported by Sile.
It came with a small box of factory made paper cartridges. The odd thing is the bullets look more like 54 caliber full wad-cutter bullets.
I happen to have a mold in my collection very much like it.
I am hoping to get an Eras Gone mold the next time they run a batch of them.
It's going to be a lot of fun working up loads for this carbine.
Thanks for all you do.
I have an original (authentic) Sharps percussion carbine conversion to .50-70 cartridge. The conversion was done by Sharps for the US military using specimens without too much wear. Loaded with a hollow pointed semi-wadcutter bullet it is a very serious and quite effective deer hunting carbine. I would suggest a re-crowning of your carbine muzzle and see if that improves the accuracy.
I think the barrel and the crown are not bad. I will try other bullets, and I am just working on the brass cartridges. I believe that will improve accuracy.
Looks as if the eyewear was getting fouled as well! That is black powder shooting. I find your content to be AMAZING in its historicity and in the details you typically include in every video. I am 76: when I was a boy, 'frontier' books featured Sharps rifles and their exploits of accuracy. Your video offers us so much MORE than was previously available. I have followed your work for the last few videos. It is TIME to CONTRIBUTE.
I'm the same age and I seem to remember that when I was a kid, you could order this carbine (or maybe it was the rolling block?) from an ad in the back of Popular Mechanics magazine for $25.00 plus postage. I think the firing pin was removed but otherwise in good condition. I thought about it but decided to save my money for a guitar instead!
@dooleyfussle8634 same age and I own one, wouldn't sell it if I had to!!!
Once again a fantastic video. Thank you from Chancellorsville Virginia.
Excellent video, your research and history on this Sharps rifle is outstanding.
Not only about shooting...but a history lesson as well. This is what I like about this channel. Bravo-Zulu C & B.
I just always enjoy your videos. And I must say t hat your English is very good. Thank you for tacking the time to do this.
l live 1 mile from a Civil War battle ground fought here 4 different times on the same ground here in Cumberland Gap Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia....All three states meet here.....Thanks my friend excellent video as always...!
What a wonderful video thank you. I am going to have to set some time aside to watch all of your videos, very nice. At 32:59 the bullet you are using has grooves in the bullet for lubrication, what have you tried for lube? I seem to be a little short on tallow. I have another question that is not on the sharps but may have been used on the sharps due to the time it was in service and it has bothered me for a while. I have read a few books on people who used smooth bore rifles during and before the time of the sharps and to improve accuracy and fouling they talk about using sweet oil to clean and lube the barrel. What is sweet oil? I think it is olive oil but I am only guessing. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
You’re correct about sweet oil.
Love every episode! I have a collection of original muzzle loaders and early breechloaders with my faves including my Dreyse M1862, my 1845 Potsdam, and my Sharps carbine. Want to get a Maynard as my great, great grandfather carried one in the 2nd FL Cavalry.
As always your wit and wisdom make for informative and entertaining viewing.
A quick comment on your English, sir, if I may. I am an American, and attended college in Florida. Your English is better and clearer than some of my American class mates. I look forward to your next video whether or not it includes your Sharps. I had been wanting a Sharps, until I learned about the Smith carbine. I bought a reproduction Smith, first version with the sling swivels. I am now learning how to cast bullets.
Many thanks Douglas! The Smith is a very good construction. The rubber cases had a much better seal, than the Sharps breech.
I believe that you will find some very good videos on the Smith carbine on this very channel. This is the most awesome channel for these old firearms.
If the action becomes too fouled to function rapidly, pour a little water down the action/barrel from your canteen. If you're out of water, step behind a tree and improvise. This will loosen the fouling enough to get the gun running again and the heat of sustained firing will dry it enough to insure good ignition.
:D
Your work is very inspiring, and I hope for your continued success. Thanks to you, I am looking into getting some black powder firearms, to get a better appreciation of the history of firearms.
Great stuff, as always!
Finally!! Been waiting, cracked a cold beer...
i love your outlook on cap and ball weapons. thank you for your time and effort. great videos. very good information and entertaining to watch. may god keep you safe.
I can imagine Union cavalrymen at Gettysburg on July 1st furiously spitting on their Sharps carbines and jacking the lever up and down to keeping firing. It’s not something I would have envisioned without this demonstration.
You can tell he really loves his 1852 Sharps carbine and he truly enjoys firing it. The enjoyment he gets is different than if he was shooting a modern, brass cartridge rifle or carbine. It's the fun of shooting an old-fashioned weapon and one which is genuinely an antique. I saw the October 1852 production date on the breech of his carbine. He must have paid good money for that genuine Sharps. For its time, the Sharps breechloader rifles and carbines were indeed revolutionary but that time was short. It proved to be an interim breechloading design awaiting the introduction of the true, metallic cartridge. The Prussians would introduce their Dreyse needle cartridge breechloader in time for the 1866 Austro-Prussian war and the 1870 Franco-Prussian War. The Dreyse and the French Chassepot breechloader cartridges did not need a separate percussion cap. Though effective, both were a step in the wrong direction. The unitary, metallic brass cartridge with a center-located integrated primer was the optimum solution and still remains so today, baring its replacement with caseless ammunition in the future.
I take a break from the the gun side of the internet then I wanna buy something cool and old so I come here and you always have a vid in it I sooo appreciate that, now I'm gonna binge watch everything new
A buddy who owns a pawn shop got one in. Its been converted to a line throwing gun. They were sold that way out of the old Bannerman's catalog.
Love the Sharps, I have a repro Pedersolli 1874 Silhouette in .45/70. What’s not to like about that 32 inch octagonal barrel. I’m very drawn to single shot under lever rifles as I have three Ruger No 1s.
Excelente carabina sharps y gracias por mostrarnos una parte de la historia de esta arma sus componentes y el armado de los cartuchos hoy aprendí un poquito más. Saludos desde Argentina 🇦🇷🇦🇷👍👍👍
You mention brass cartridges were not authentic. Yes they were, although, a little later.
Beecher's Bibles - "He (Henry W. Beecher) believed that the Sharps Rifle was a truly moral agency, and that there was more moral power in one of those instruments, so far as the slaveholders of Kansas were concerned, than in a hundred Bibles. You might just as well. . . read the Bible to Buffaloes as to those fellows who follow Atchison and Stringfellow; but they have a supreme respect for the logic that is embodied in Sharp's rifle."
I love my repro and it shoots great. Biggest problem now is finding caps that actually work. The CCI 4 wing will work but only if I prime the nipple first will a little powder.
You should keep a can of ballistol nearby to prevent fouling and jams.
Wasnt the first pattern slant breech the ones that snipped the end of the cartridge off? Or was it all models of the sharps minus the metallic cartridge models?
All percussion Sharps rifles were designed to cut the cartridge.
I have heard of people lubing the gas plate to keep it moving a bit longer. Maybe that helps.
Muzzle velocity seems really low. Wikipedia is wrong once again. The Wiki page on the Sharps rifle claims that its muzzle velocity is 370 m/s. They must refer to the brass cartridge Sharps then, correct?
I just added a Sharps Carbine serial # C14429 to my Civil War cavalry arms collection. Have wanted to get a hold of one for quite a while and luckily just came across one in great condition at a good price. Really like you videos. Keep up the great work.
I always thought the original paper cartridges were such that when you closed
the breech, it tore off the back of the cartridge. I remember seeing a guy use one and the
cartridges had a twisted paper end which tore off as he closed the breech.
It is really amazing you have a shootable original there in Magyarország.
The other carbine I remember having seen a lot of use was the Spencer
but it used a rim fire metallic cartridge. As for your thumb bite, yep, that is
the other reason the gun is called a 'Sharps"..... I got a chance
to see a lot of weapons from the Civil War since my father's family
lives near Gettysburg and I spent a lot of time in that area.
I love your videos with these vintage rifles.
I enjoy your videos they are to the point
Great video! The offhand shooting location is gorgeous. Makes me want to move to Hungary! Are there designated places like that to shoot, or is that public land? Part of a shooting range? Thanks from California.
Hi, that's a shooting range newar Budapest. 40 minutes drive. It is an old rock mine.
That's a very good group for a 160 year old carbine. The sharps has always been a favourite of mine but I have never seen an original. Very cool to see one that has been cared for well enough that it is still in use today.
WONDERFUL!!!.....Great video on a wonderful carbine. I especially loved your comment on the Quigley rifle. C. Sharps Rifle Co. still builds rifles by hand in Montana.
Google Flees Sharps Breechblock. My sporting rifle was reworked with this system. No more gas leakage. Thirty shots, no cleaning
Thanks again for another outstanding video of the firearms of our Civil War here in the USA....l live here in Cumberland Gap Tennessee and the Gap changed sides 5 times during the Civil War......
Shoe🇺🇸
Не знал, что ручья 18-го века такие убойные. Спасибо за обзор.
A great video and a great rifle with the history that is a pleasure to watch you shoot these rifles
I loved the video..............great job. It certainly shows what an improvement the model 74 was. That sticky, dirty breech on the 63 must have been difficult to clean in the heat of battle.
This was one of the greatest arms ever made. Did anybody remember that during the US Civil War, the Sharps remained very popular. Even after the introduction of the very iconic Spencer,, the Sharps was popular with both sides. And after the War also. Great video and I love the channel.
No one here was alive during the us civil war. How could we remember that.
@@ojsefg by genetic memory? Passed life?
I have both the Spencer and sharps in carbine original and in great condition, my favorites
Always enjoy watching your work. God Bless you and your work.
The closest I've come to shoot a sharps like action is a Martini Henry decades ago as well as a .56 Spencer carbine at the range. The owners graced me the privilege to shoot a round. I had .54 Hawken rifle I wish I still had now.
With that 50gr load, I can watch the bullets fly.
That's a beautiful and deadly firearm! It passed all the way through the ballistic gel! Wow!
Üdvözlet! Az első mondat után gondolkodtam rajta hogy talán magyar lehetsz. Kiváló videó, csak így tovább!
The thought of having a hot cup of coffee while attacking your adversary is great. Sort of like the Brit's having 'tea time' at the front'.
Did you ever get a premature detonation of the cartridge as you inserted it into the breech? (I noticed you sometimes blew out the old smoke before loading, which seems prudent but I wonder if during the rush of combat that could happen.)
Also at 30:37 am I interpreting that right, the cartridge was a compressed pellet of blackpowder with no paper or linen? Like a modern pydrodex pellet glued to a bullet?
It gets a bit gummy after a few shots and it bites; sounds like a candidate for metallic cartridges and a feed mechanism. I would think that in the Civil War one would have to change out carbines often. Very nice exhibition and hair. At 16:02 that is a massive amount of gas blow back. At 20:59 and 21:49 one can see the bullets go into the target at one o'clock. Very good camera work! I wonder what the rifling looks like? Must say it was better than a muzzle loader when charging on a horse.
when the block starts to have trouble opening for you after a while put some water down on the top of it where you load at not a whole lot just a few drops another to lubricate it and it will open smoothly again
Could you perhaps do a review of a pedersoli capping sharps if you ever get the chance to handle one?
No problem, I have access to Pedersoli guns.
Nice!
Nice! Isn't there a risk there would be burning paper left when you're loading a new paper cartridge? That wouldn't be too bad, I guess, since the new powder would burn and not explode, right? (free air, not closed space)
There is always a bit of paper left in the chamber. You have to blow it out from the direction of the muzzle.
Yes it finally arrived he’s talking about one of my favourite rifles.
Is there a source for info on reducing the trigger pull on an original Sharps 1874 carbine? My rifle shoots nice but it would be a much better shooter if it didn't have a 10-12 lb trigger pull. This is a BP cartridge gun in .50-70.
Wasn't there a priming system on some of those that was like a roll of caps that children use in cap guns ? I saw one with a snail like box on the side so I wondered
I own an original Sharps rifle that is now a 50-70 caliber. I am not sure which model it originally was because it was at some point it was converted to brass cased ammunition. All the markings are the same as the rifle in the video and there is no patch box on the stock but any markings in the wood are no longer there. The serial number is C, 1279. The rifle is in operating condition but alas I have no brass to load for it, yet.
Loved your presentation
I compete in the usa with a repo sharps in the N SSA, we have a floating sleeve with an o ring installed and it will shoot all day without jamming. Check out Charlie Hahn machine shop on line, hes in Maryland usa.
It hit the gel pretty hard .
I like it .
Hey, could I use some clips from a few of your videos for a video I'm making on Pirate Firearms? Naturally I'd credit you on screen and in the video description
Excellent video! Thanks for the education on that beautiful firearm.
Where did you find the ,what looks like pre-made ammunition for the sharps?