Sharps rifle
| Sharps rifle | |
|---|---|
| Type | Falling-block rifle |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1850 – Present |
| Used by | United Kingdom United States Confederate States China Argentina Peru Bolivia Japan Australia Canada Mexico |
| Wars | Sepoy Rebellion Bleeding Kansas American Civil War Indian Wars Fenian Raids War of the Triple Alliance (Limited) Boshin War Taiping Rebellion Argentine Civil Wars War of the Pacific First Sino-Japanese War Mexican Revolution Second French intervention in Mexico |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Christian Sharps |
| Designed | 1848 |
| Unit cost | $30 (1861) |
| Produced | 1849–1881 |
| No. built | 120,000+ |
| Variants | Single set trigger (regular army) Double set trigger |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 9.5 lb (4.3 kg) |
| Length | 47 in (1,200 mm) |
| Barrel length | 30 in (760 mm) |
| Cartridge | .52-caliber (0.52" dia.) 475-grain (30.8 g) projectile with 50-grain (3.2 g) charge, later converted to .50-70 in 1867. The Model 1874 rifles and carbines were available in a variety of calibers, including .45-70, .45-110, and .45-120. |
| Action | Falling block |
| Rate of fire | 8–10 shots per minute |
| Muzzle velocity | 1,200 ft/s (370 m/s) |
| Effective firing range | 1,000 yd (910 m) |
| Maximum firing range | 3,000 yd (2,700 m) |
| Feed system | Breech-loading |
| Sights | Open ladder type |
Sharps rifles are a series of large-bore, single-shot, falling-block, breech-loading rifles, beginning with a design by Christian Sharps in 1848 and ceasing production in 1881. They were renowned for long-range accuracy. By 1874, the rifle was available in a variety of calibers, and it was one of the few designs to be successfully adapted to metallic cartridge use. The Sharps rifles became icons of the American Old West with their appearances in many Western-genre films and books. Perhaps as a result, several rifle companies offer reproductions of the Sharps rifle.