The name “Sharpshooter” is usually tagged for someone who is an excellent marksman. But how did that title come about so many years ago? Thanks to Christian Sharps who patented his iconic rifle in the late 1840’s. His Model 1851 “box-lock” was developed in conjunction with Samuel Robbins and Richard Lawrence and produced thousands for the military.
Sharps left that company in 1853 and formed the Sharps & Hankins Rifle Manufacturing Enterprise. Their company produced over 100K firearms during the Civil War for the Union Armies. A Sharps carbine was known for firing the first shot at the Battle of Gettysburg knocking a Confederate officer off his horse. The Sharps carbine and rifle would become legends for the roles they played in the Civil War, for buffalo hunters and the Southwest Indian Wars.
They were just very durable, fast loading and accurate at long distances. A soldier with practice could load and fire his single shot Sharps ten times in a minute, so much faster than a musket and less confusing. The Sharps rifle and carbine became the weapon of choice for the Berdan Sharpshooters, a famous group on the Union side called which made the Sharps rifle famous and probably the first to use the title of sharpshooter.
Before a new member was accepted into the Berdan unit, he had to prove his marksmanship skills and hit a target 10 inches in diameter at a distance of 200 yards consistently. The Berdan’s like other sharpshooters then and now singled out high value targets, but had the highest percentage of casualties of any unit in the war. After the Civil War, buffalo hunters like the famous “Buffalo Bill” Cody armed themselves primarily with the large caliber Sharps and sometimes were outfitted with scopes using a .50-.90 caliber bullet. This 11 pound rifle with its octagonal barrel absorbed much of the recoil and heated up very slowly.
That setup was the greatest cause of the elimination of the mighty buffalo and the end of the Plains Indian way of life. The Indians targeted these hunters and attacked them often, but the Sharps rifle saved the hides of the buffalo hunters with its long range abilities. The Indians were disheartened when their brothers dropped dead from shots from at least a half mile away. The Indians who faced the Sharps rifle in a battle referred to it as “the gun that would shoot today and kill tomorrow”.
The Sharps rifle and carbines were also the choice of those heading out West after the Civil War. Eventually the single shot carbines and rifles were replaced by the invention of repeating arms. The day of the single shot rifle was over. Today’s gun collectors treasure a Sharps rifle or carbine originals and are just about as hard to find as hens’ teeth. But you can purchase a good reproduction through Shiloh Rifle Manufacturing and C. Sharps Arms Co. Inc. Both are located in Big Timber, Montana.
Stay tuned for another chapter in the Guns that made America by following the Rockwall Gun Club located at 15950 State Hwy 205 in Terrell, Texas or by calling the 80 plus private gun club at (972) 551-0470.
Rockwall Gun Club 