Guns of the Old West – August 2019

78 GUNSOFTHEOLDWEST FALL 2019

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Given a task and the technology to support
it, we make our visions into reality. Since
the first recorded use of a firearm in1364,
people have strived for firearms perfection
while overcoming failures and setbacks
along the way. Without the firearmsofthe
past, we wouldn’t have the advancedweap-
ons we have today, and as the old saying
goes, “Getting there is half the adventure.”
America is a relative newcomer inthe
invention and manufacturing of firearmsas
measured by the sands of time, but freedom
has a very encouraging effect on creativ-
ity. America has played host to someofthe
greatest visionaries in firearms history,such

asSamuelColt,JohnMosesBrowningand

JohnGarand.Whatmakesthesemeneven

greaterwasthattheirfirearmsplayedpiv-

otalrolesinwritingAmericanhistory.

ThisbringsustoChristianSharpsand

BenjaminTylerHenry,wholeftindel-

iblemarksontheworldbyinventingtwo

famousrifles.Andif youwanthandsome

replicasoftheseguns,youcanlookto

Uberti,a companybasedinthevillageof

GardoneValTrompiaintheItalianAlps

thatspecializesinrecreatinghistoricguns.

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Christian Sharps was born January 2, 1810, in

Washington, New Jersey, and began hiscareer

at the Harpers Ferry Arsenal as an apprentice

in 1830. It was there that he was introduced

to the Hall rifle, an early breechloader, while

working for John H. Hall himself. It didn’t

take long for Sharps to develop his own

breechloading rifle, and on September 12,

1848,hewasissueda patentforhisdesign.

TheSharpsriflewasbasedonanaction

with a vertical dropping block that was

operated by a lever that doubled as a

triggerguard. It was a strong action that lim-

ited the release of gas when fired. Sharps’

first rifle, the Model 1849, saw limited pro-

duction. Fewer than 100 were made, and

they were manufactured in .36 or .44 cali-

ber. Today, these guns are worth anywhere

from $5,000 to more than $50,000.

The Sharps rifle saw growing use in the

Civil War, and was so successful it was cop-

ied by the South and saw use with troops

on both sides. In 1867, many Sharps rifles

were converted to fire the then-new .50-

70 metallic cartridge. Along with the later

models that fired many calibers, including

the Model 1874 Meacham Conversion to

.45-70, all were blackpowder cartridges. The

Springfield Model 1873 rifles ushered in

the .45-70 blackpowder metallic cartridge.

GUN TEST

By NORM GRAY Uberti’s Sharps and Henry replicas