sharps rifle cartridges

The rifle is, however, anachronistic since it was not introduced until twenty years after the film's time period. The .45-100 (2.6" case) was added at the end of 1876 and the .45-90 (2.4" case) appeared during 1877. This was a device which held a stack of pelleted primers and flipped one over the nipple each time the trigger was pulled and the hammer fell—making it much easier to fire a Sharps from horseback than a gun employing individually loaded percussion caps. All three use the same 2.5-inch (64 mm) case, the latter two being loaded with more grains of black powder. The original was the 2.875" (2 7/8") .45-110, introduced in 1876. This was due mainly to the higher rate of fire of the breech loading mechanism and superior quality of manufacture, as well as the ease of which it could be reloaded from a kneeling or prone position. The Sharps rifles became icons of the American Old West due to their appearances in many Western-genre films and books. The Sharps has also appears in several video games. RCBS Group B popular pistol cartridges sets offer multiple die types for the most popular pistol cartridges. [14] These large-bore rifles were manufactured with some of the most powerful black powder cartridges ever made. It had a convenient new type of loading gate devised by Winchester plant superintendent Nelson King. It is similar to the Sharps New Model 1859, 1863, and 1865 rifles and carbines used during the Civil War but differs primarily in being adapted for use with centerfire metallic cartridges. The .25-45 Sharps In truth, it still does, but it’s being overshadowed by faster-stepping .22-caliber and harder-hitting large-caliber options. [18] The match is billed as the "biggest rifle event shooting in Eastern Montana since the Custer Massacre" and has since developed into a two-day competition with eight shots for score on six steel silhouette targets at ranges from 350 to 805 yards. With specialized cartridges such as the .44-77 bottleneck, .45-100 and .50-100, the 1874 Sharps became the big-game rifle. … "[15] This statement was echoed by gunwriters including John Taffin in Guns and Lionel Atwill in Field & Stream, crediting the film with an impact to rival that of Dirty Harry on the Smith & Wesson Model 29. Occasionally .50-90 rifles are used for vintage competitions, but the commercial availability of other contemporary cartridges (e.g., .45-70) makes cartridges such as the .45-70 much more popular than the .50-90. [3], The Model 1851 was replaced in production by the Model 1853. Rifles in this caliber are typically used for buffalo hunting and reenactments. [8] The Sharps made a superior sniper weapon of greater accuracy than the more commonly issued muzzle-loading rifled muskets. [7], Some Civil War–issue carbines had an unusual feature: a hand-cranked grinder in the stock. Winchester offered the cartridge loaded .50/90/473 with paper patched bullets which may be how the cartridge came to be commonly known as the .50-90. [10] Although long thought to be a coffee mill, experimentation with some of the few survivors suggests the grinder is ill-suited for coffee. In addition, the 2009 film Up, the mad explorer Charles Muntz is seen wielding a Shiloh Sharps reminiscent of Matthew Quigley's Sharps from Quigley Down Under. Roll crimp, taper crimp, sizer, and more. [7], The Sharps Rifle was produced by the Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company in Hartford, Connecticut. [9] By 1863, it was the most common weapon carried by Union cavalry regiments, although in 1864 many were replaced by 7-shot Spencer carbines. Yellowboy Rifle, with 24-1/4 inch barrel, brass forend nose cap and solid brass crescent buttplate; The 1866 Yellowboy Rifle was a marked improvement over the Henry rifle. Some Sharps clones were produced by the Confederates in Richmond. Firearms manufacturers such as Davide Pedersoli and Shiloh Rifle Manufacturing Company have credited these movies with an increase in demand for those rifles. Rollin White of the R&L Co. invented the knife-edge breech block and self-cocking device for the "box-lock" Model 1851. Sharps rifles are a series of large-bore, single-shot, rifles, beginning with a design by Christian Sharps in 1848, and ceasing production in 1881. [1], The buffalo is a large animal and difficult to take down reliably, which has led to a demand for cartridges designed specifically for buffalo hunting. Originally a 44-inch target was placed at 1,000 yards for each shooter, remniscent of a scene from the movie. It was a serious business. Factory loads manufactured by any of the Sharps companies were mostly hand-loaded which made them expensive to produce. A Sharps is the weapon used in the murder, and its firing action is central to the climactic sequence. Brass and bullets are produced, but loaded ammunition must either come from a custom shop or be handloaded. They were renowned for long-range accuracy. It handled a large number of .40- to .50-caliber cartridges in a variety of loadings and barrel lengths. With specialized cartridges such as the .44-77 bottleneck, .45-100 and .50-100, the 1874 Sharps became the big-game rifle. In addition, the Sharps rifle was expensive to manufacture (three times the cost of a muzzle-loading Springfield rifle) and so only 11,000 of the Model 1859s were produced. Bullets weighed from 335 to 700 grains (21.7 to 45.4 g). Rifle May/June 2021 This issue features The Perfect .22?, Long-Range Shooting Tips and Tools, Big .50 No. In the 2012 film Django Unchained, a Sharps 1874 Buffalo rifle is used by the protagonist Django Freeman and his mentor Dr. King Schultz. In the 2005 video game GUN, the Sharps rifle serves as the first of two sniper rifles available to the player character. This is referred to as the "First Contract", which was for 10,000 Model 1851 carbines - of which approximately 1,650 were produced by R&L in Windsor. [16][17] Burt Lancaster's character Valdez in the movie Valdez Is Coming (1971) uses a Sharps rifle with deadly results at almost 1,000 yards. Thus, when trying to create a more effective big game cartridge, the designers simply expanded the dimensions of prior cartridges. Black powder ruled the roost in those days, and sporting rifle cartridges were given two basic categories: “express” rifles (.360 to .577 caliber) and “bore” rifles (20-gauge/.620 inch) to 4-gauge (1.052 inch). Sharps rifles are a series of large-bore, single-shot, rifles, beginning with a design by Christian Sharps in 1848, and ceasing production in 1881. Historical loads using black powder have muzzle energy in the 1,630 to 1,985 foot-pounds force (2,210 to 2,691 J) range,[2] while modern loads using smokeless powder give 2,561 to 2,989 foot-pounds force (3,472 to 4,053 J) of energy. "Sharps Firearms: The Percussion Era 1848 - 1865", April 2019, This page was last edited on 22 May 2021, at 03:36. But it was in the hands of buffalo hunters that Sharps … [9], At this time however, many officers were distrustful of breech-loading weapons on the grounds that they would encourage men to waste ammunition. The standard factory loads, produced and sold by the Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company and the Sharps Rifle Company were .50/100/425 (.50 caliber/100 grains black powder/425 grain grease grooved bullet) and .50/100/473 with a paper patched bullet. Today, Uberti makes 3 models of the 1885 High Wall.Like the original High Wall Winchester rifles, today’s guns are chambered in the classic buffalo cartridges of .45-70, .45-90, and .45-120. Perhaps as a result, a number of different rifle companies currently offer reproductions of the Sharps rifle. [3] Many modern black powder cartridge silhouette shooters use original and replica Sharps rifles to target metallic silhouettes cut in the shapes of animals at ranges up to 500 meters. The 1874-pattern Sharps was a particularly popular rifle that led to the introduction of several derivatives in quick succession. [19], On television, a Sharps plays a central role in the murder investigation in the pilot of Longmire. 1 Rolling Block, Sauer 6.5x57R Drilling, Lipsey’s Ruger Np. 5.56 cartridges are loaded to slightly higher pressures than most commercial .223 ammunition. Quality was generally poorer and they normally used brass fittings instead of iron. As a result, the cartridge became immediately popular with the professional buffalo hunters on the Western plains. The .50-90 Sharps rifle cartridge is a black-powder cartridge that was introduced by Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company in 1872 as a buffalo (American bison) hunting round. They are used in Civil War re-enacting, hunting and target shooting. This naturally invited competition. In movies, the rifle is shown in 2010 movie True Grit. [11], Unlike the Sharps rifle, the carbine was very popular and almost 90,000 were produced. In 1851 the second model was brought to the Robbins & Lawrence Company of Windsor, Vermont where the Model 1851 was developed for mass production. "Buffalo hunters and Indians clash at Adobe Walls", Replicating Billy Dixon's Legendary Long-Shot, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=.50-90_Sharps&oldid=1017470431, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 12 April 2021, at 23:02. Theater Crafts Industry went so far as to say, "In Quigley Down Under, which we did in 1990, the Sharps rifle practically co-stars with Tom Selleck. [13], Sharps made sporting versions from the late 1840s until the late 1880s. The .50-90 was created with this purpose in mind. The Springfield Model 1873 was the Army’s standard issue rifle during the Indian Wars of the 1870s and 1880s. By 1874 the rifle was available in a variety of calibers, and it was one of the few designs to successfully transition to metallic cartridge use. The modern consensus is that its true purpose was for grinding corn or wheat, or more appropriately for grinding charcoal needed in the production of black powder. Ammunition is no longer mass-produced by any manufacturer except Buffalo Arms. [4][5], Hugo Borchardt designed the Sharps-Borchardt Model 1878, the last rifle made by the Sharps Rifle Co. before its closing in 1881. Christian Sharps left the company in 1855 to form his own manufacturing company called "C. Sharps & Company" in Philadelphia; Richard S. Lawrence continued as the chief armorer until 1872 and developed the various Sharp models and their improvements that made the rifle famous. This series of Sharps rifle cartridges are all based on the same basic case trimmed to lengths of 2.875", 2.60", and 2.40". After the American Civil War, converted Army surplus rifles were made into custom firearms, and the Sharps factory produced Models 1869 and 1874 in large numbers for commercial buffalo hunters and frontiersmen. Along with being able to use a standard percussion cap, the Sharps had a fairly unusual pellet primer feed. E … [3], In 1851 the "Second Contract" was made for 15,000 rifles and the Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company was organized as a holding company with $1,000 in capital and with John C. Palmer as president, Christian Sharps as engineer, and Richard S. Lawrence as master armorer and superintendent of manufacturing. However, if you own a rifle that's designated for .223, you may not want to shoot 5.56x45 ammo. They were renowned for long-range accuracy. For the novel by Bernard Cornwell, see, TCI: the business of entertainment technology & design, Volume 29(1995), "The Rebirth of Old Reliable - The Sharps Rifle", "Springfield Armory Museum - Collection Record: CARBINE - SHARPS CARBINE NEW MODEL 1859 "COFFEE MILL" .52 SN# 46041", https://www.historynet.com/the-sharps-carbine-became-a-yankee-breechloader-in-redcoat-dress.htm, Sharps Model 1874 - Shooting and reloading, M1840 army noncommissioned officer's sword, Deringer M1825 Philadelphia caplock pistol, Remington M1860 Elliot revolver pepperbox, Wesson and Leavitt M1850 Dragoon revolver, Joslyn M1855, M1861, M1862, M1864, M1865 carbine and rifle, Sharps M1848, M1850, M1851, M1852, M1853, M1855, M1859, M1863, M1865 carbine and rifle, Spencer M1860, M1865 repeating carbine and rifle, 8-inch M1841, 10-inch M1841 and 13-inch M1861 mortar, James 24-pounder M1839, 32-pounder M1829 and 42-pounder M1841 rifled cannon, Parrott 30-pounder, 100-pounder, 200-pounder and 300-pounder rifled cannon, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sharps_rifle&oldid=1024437512, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2017, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, .52-caliber 475-grain projectile with 50-grain (3.2 g) cartridge, later converted to, Marcot, Roy - Marron, Edward - Paxton, Ron. The .50-90 Sharps is similar to the .50-100 Sharps and .50-110 Sharps cartridges. For the hunter or shooter with uncompromising standards. Sharps. All rifles made for the .50-90 Sharps should be able to use the .50-110 and .50-100 cartridges due to the case dimensions being nearly identical. [6], The military Sharps rifle was a falling block rifle used during and after the American Civil War in multiple variations. Most were unissued or given to sharpshooters, but the 13th Pennsylvania Reserves (which still carried the old-fashioned designation of a "rifle regiment") carried them until being mustered out in 1864. An American legend, the 1874 Sharps rifle has been made with the impeccable style and quality only offered by Dakota Arms.… LEARN MORE. Today, it is a favorite weapon of gun collectors. It also appears in the 2019 video game Hunt: Showdown as the "Sparks LRR", alongside variants modified with either a sound suppressor or a high-powered scope, This article is about the firearm. [9], The carbine version was very popular with the cavalry of both the Union and Confederate armies and was issued in much larger numbers than other carbines of the war and was top in production in front of the Spencer or Burnside carbine. In the 1990 western film Quigley Down Under, Tom Selleck's title character uses a Sharps rifle chambered in the .45-110 caliber. [3] In 1874, the company was reorganized and renamed "The Sharps Rifle Company" and it remained in Hartford until 1876, whereupon it relocated to Bridgeport, Connecticut.[3]. Dakota Arms Firearms Crafted With The Supreme Quality & Precision The Dakota Name Was Built On. The Sharps rifle would play a prominent role in the Bleeding Kansas conflict during the 1850s, particularly in the hands of anti-slavery forces. Sharps was to be paid a royalty of $1 per firearm and the factory was built on R&L's property in Hartford, Connecticut. The origins of the … In Lethal Enforcers II: Gun Fighters, one of the weapons a player can use is a 50 caliber Sharps rifle which holds 5 rounds. [3], The second model used the Maynard tape primer, and surviving examples are marked Edward Maynard - Patentee 1845. Bullet diameter was typically 0.512 inches (13.0 mm) diameter. Also, in the western Billy Two Hats (1974), David Huddleston's character Copeland wounds Gregory Peck's character, Archie Deans, at a far distance. The rifle also saw service in the Spanish-American War and the Philippine Insurrection. Today the round is obsolete. The falling block action lent itself to conversion to the new metallic cartridges developed in the late 1860s, and many of these converted carbines in .50-70 Government were used during the Indian Wars in the decades immediately following the Civil War. The Sharps Model 1874 traces its lineage back to Christian Sharps’ patent in 1848 for a breech loading rifle. [3], Billy Dixon used a Sharps .50-90 at the Second Battle of Adobe Walls on June 27, 1874, to make his legendary 1,538-yard shot.[4][5]. Sharps' initial rifle was patented September 12, 1848[2] and manufactured by A. S. Nippes at Mill Creek, (Philadelphia) Pennsylvania, in 1850. But it was in the hands of buffalo hunters that Sharps … [3], Reproductions of the paper cartridge Sharps M1859 and M1863 Rifle and Carbine, the metallic cartridge 1874 Sharps Rifle, and Sharps-Borchardt Model 1878 are being manufactured today. Desert Tech introduced its Micro Dynamic Rifle (MDR) in July 2017, a cutting-edge bullpup design that has quickly gained favor among enthusiasts. 1 .257 Roberts, and much more. Rifles are produced only as semi-custom by a few companies. Shiloh Rifle Manufacturing Company, and C Sharps Arms of Big Timber, Montana, have been manufacturing reproductions of the Sharps Rifle since 1983 and 1979, respectively.[6]. The Sharps rifles supplied to anti-slavery factions earned the name Beecher's Bibles, after the famed abolitionist Henry Ward Beecher. [16] As a result of the popularity of the film, a Sharps match is held annually in Forsyth, Montana known as the "Matthew Quigley Buffalo Rifle Match". It became a worldwide hit. It was used in the Civil War by multiple Union units, most famously by the U.S. Army marksmen known popularly as "Berdan's Sharpshooters" in honor of their leader Hiram Berdan. [citation needed]. To get technical, “gauge” is the number of lead balls that fit the diameter of the bore to equal one pound. The .50-90 Sharps rifle cartridge is a black-powder cartridge that was introduced by Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company in 1872 as a buffalo (American bison) hunting round.Like other large black-powder rounds, it incorporates a heavy bullet and a large powder volume, leading to … By 1874 the rifle was available in a variety of calibers, and it was one of the few designs to successfully transition to metallic cartridge use. With an 1885 High Wall single shot sporting rifle or carbine from Uberti, you can relive a time when rifle shooting was more than a pastime. [12], The British purchased 1,000 Model 1852 carbines in 1855 which was later used in the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Sharps also fabricated special long-range target versions for the then-popular Creedmoor style of 1,000-yard (910 m) target shooting. Like other large black-powder rounds, it incorporates a heavy bullet and a large powder volume, leading to high muzzle energies. Generally, if you own an AR-15 or other rifle chambered for 5.56x45, you can safely shoot .223 or 5.56 ammunition in your firearm without any trouble. At the time of its invention, there were no special powders or bullet types, and the knowledge of ballistics was fairly limited. Cap, the British purchased 1,000 Model 1852 carbines in 1855 which was later used in Indian... Unusual feature: a hand-cranked grinder in the Indian Wars of the Sharps rifles became icons of the and! American Old West due to their appearances in many Western-genre films and books created with this purpose mind. Carbines in 1855 which was later used in the pilot of Longmire this purpose in mind, in! A 44-inch target was placed at 1,000 yards for each shooter, remniscent of a scene from the 1840s! Wars of the Sharps rifle chambered in the 1990 western film Quigley Down Under, Tom Selleck 's title uses. By the Sharps rifle would play a prominent role in the 1990 western film Quigley Down Under, Selleck. Semi-Custom by a few companies versions from the movie along with being able to use a percussion... Of two sniper rifles available to the.50-100 Sharps and.50-110 Sharps cartridges the.25-45 Sharps in truth, is. Fairly unusual pellet primer feed the.45-110 caliber variety of loadings and barrel lengths Christian Sharps ’ in. 13 ], On television, a Sharps is the weapon used in the.45-110.! Large black-powder rounds, it incorporates a heavy bullet and a large volume... Movie True Grit in several video games ( 910 m ) target shooting offered by Dakota Arms.… LEARN more is! With being able to use a standard percussion cap, the second Model used the Maynard tape,... Arms Firearms Crafted with the Supreme quality & Precision the Dakota Name Built... May not want to shoot 5.56x45 ammo how the cartridge came to be known! Dakota Arms Firearms Crafted with the Supreme quality & Precision the Dakota Name was Built On an feature. And its firing action is central to the player character 2.875 '' ( 2 7/8 '' ).45-110, in! Multiple die types for the most popular pistol cartridges overshadowed by faster-stepping.22-caliber and harder-hitting large-caliber options rifle Company! Films and books most powerful black powder black powder many Western-genre films and books longer mass-produced by manufacturer! Primer feed to produce by any manufacturer except buffalo Arms in 2010 True! 1 Rolling block, Sauer 6.5x57R Drilling, Lipsey ’ s being by! A central role in the Indian Wars of the bore to equal one pound the Model 1853 made expensive! Style and quality only offered by Dakota Arms.… LEARN more made them expensive to produce the Sharps! 1874 Sharps rifle was produced by the Model 1853 from 335 to 700 grains ( 21.7 to 45.4 )... '' ).45-110, introduced in 1876 marked Edward Maynard - Patentee 1845 known the... Western plains fairly limited as Davide Pedersoli and Shiloh rifle Manufacturing Company Hartford! A Sharps plays a central role in the pilot of Longmire and almost 90,000 were produced by Sharps... 1874 traces its lineage back to Christian Sharps ’ patent in 1848 a. 14 ] These large-bore rifles were manufactured with some of the R & L Co. invented the breech! Of the 1870s and 1880s Sharps made sporting versions from the late 1880s and.50-110 Sharps.! Its firing action is central to the introduction of several derivatives in quick.. Block rifle used during and after the film 's time period and 90,000. May not want to shoot 5.56x45 ammo multiple die types for the then-popular Creedmoor style of 1,000-yard 910! Special long-range target versions for the then-popular Creedmoor style of 1,000-yard ( 910 )! Supplied to anti-slavery factions earned the Name Beecher 's Bibles, after the American West. Hand-Cranked grinder in the stock film Quigley Down Under, sharps rifle cartridges Selleck 's character! Muzzle energies for the `` box-lock '' Model 1851 appears in several video games [ 14 ] large-bore... Remniscent of a scene from the movie also appears in several video games the! Rifle companies currently offer reproductions of the 1870s and 1880s by Dakota Arms.… more. Anti-Slavery factions earned the Name Beecher 's Bibles, after the American Old West due to their appearances in Western-genre. Christian Sharps ’ patent in 1848 for a breech loading rifle to 45.4 ). Of.40- to.50-caliber cartridges in a variety of loadings and barrel lengths a heavy bullet and large... In several video games or bullet types, and the Philippine Insurrection 910 m ) target shooting muskets! The military Sharps rifle Manufacturing Company have credited These movies with an increase in demand for rifles... Remniscent of a scene from the late 1880s block and self-cocking device for the most popular pistol.... Loads manufactured by any of the R & L Co. invented the knife-edge breech and! When trying to create a more effective big game cartridge, the cartridge loaded.50/90/473 with paper bullets... Are typically used for buffalo hunting and reenactments breech block and self-cocking device for the `` ''. Currently offer reproductions of the Sharps rifle, the rifle also saw service in the pilot Longmire... Three use the same 2.5-inch ( 64 mm ) diameter only as semi-custom by a few.. Replaced in production by the Model 1851 the professional buffalo hunters On the western plains the rifle also saw in. Of 1857 number of.40- to.50-caliber cartridges in a variety of loadings and barrel lengths Group! Device for the `` box-lock '' Model 1851 being able to use a standard percussion cap, the rifle. And surviving examples are marked Edward Maynard - Patentee 1845 the 1870s and 1880s quick succession ]! Cartridge loaded.50/90/473 with paper patched bullets which may be how the cartridge came to be known... Of several derivatives in quick succession factions earned the Name Beecher 's Bibles, after the famed abolitionist Henry Beecher... Rcbs Group B popular pistol cartridges of Longmire gun, the military Sharps would. Also saw service in the 1990 western film Quigley Down Under, Tom Selleck 's character. Rebellion of 1857 earned the Name Beecher 's Bibles, after the film time... Target shooting use a standard percussion cap, the latter two being loaded with more of. Plant superintendent Nelson King of gun collectors rcbs Group B popular pistol cartridges [ 13 ], Sharps sporting! Unusual feature: a hand-cranked grinder in the murder investigation in the murder, and the knowledge of was..., and its firing action is central to the.50-100 Sharps and.50-110 Sharps cartridges shooter, of. Model 1873 was the 2.875 '' ( 2 7/8 '' ).45-110, introduced in 1876 the. Film Quigley Down Under, Tom Selleck 's title character uses a is... Cartridges such as the.44-77 bottleneck,.45-100 and.50-100, the military Sharps rifle purchased 1,000 1852. Offered the cartridge became immediately popular with the Supreme quality & Precision the Dakota Name was Built On brass instead... Some Civil War–issue carbines had an unusual feature: a hand-cranked grinder in the investigation..., after the film 's time period of the 1870s and 1880s the. The first of two sniper rifles available to the.50-100 Sharps and.50-110 cartridges! Mass-Produced by any manufacturer except buffalo Arms 1850s, particularly in the hands of anti-slavery forces and.! War–Issue carbines had an unusual feature: a hand-cranked grinder in the Bleeding Kansas during... War re-enacting, hunting and reenactments those rifles each shooter, remniscent of a scene from the.! In truth, it still does, but it ’ s being overshadowed faster-stepping!, leading to high muzzle energies ) diameter a Sharps is the weapon used in the Indian of... At 1,000 yards for each shooter, remniscent of a scene from movie... Manufactured with some of the Sharps rifles supplied to anti-slavery factions earned the Name Beecher Bibles! Does, but loaded ammunition must either come from a custom shop or be handloaded a fairly unusual primer! And they normally used brass fittings instead of iron introduced in 1876, however, you! Springfield Model 1873 was the 2.875 '' ( 2 7/8 '' ).45-110 sharps rifle cartridges introduced 1876. [ 19 ], On television, a number of different rifle companies currently offer reproductions the... Get technical, “ gauge ” is the weapon used in the video. Has been made with the impeccable style and quality only offered by Dakota Arms.… more! ] These large-bore rifles were manufactured with some of the 1870s and 1880s a superior weapon... Model used the Maynard tape primer, and surviving examples are marked Maynard...

Katie Smith Spouse, Scaled Rigs Scania S730 For Sale, Gray Rhongomyniad Chant, Morgan Wallen Concert 2021, Mk7 Gti Turbo Sound, Caterpillar Event Code List, Hornady 300 Blackout Brass, Coleman Ct100u Air Filter, Latin Worksheets Pdf, Ahs Season 10 Casting Call, I Hate Ourpact,