New Model 1863 Sharps carbine conversion to 50-70 after the Civil War in 1867.

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This New Model 1863 Sharps carbine was originally percussion and after the Civil war in 1867 it was converted to 50-70 center fire.

Following the Civil War, the U.S. Government in 1867 decided to convert certain percussion military arms to metallic cartridge breechloaders. The Sharps carbine and rifle muskets were some of those selected for conversion and contracts were given to Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Co. to alter carbines/rifle muskets of their manufacture.

A total of approx. 44,000 Sharps carbines and rifle muskets (of all three styles i.e., New Model 1859, 1863 and 1865) were converted. In addition to the normal inspector markings found on Sharps percussion carbines, an extra inspection stamp (initials DFC in a ribbon cartouche) was marked in the center of the left side of the buttstock.

Conversion carbines are of two major types; (A) Original six-groove bores. (B) Relined bores with three-groove rifling. Conversions were refinished by the factory; when condition of the original stock required that it be replaced, a buttstock with no patchbox was used in all cases, regardless of the original model designation.

These carbines were re-issued and saw substantial use during the Indian Wars.













DFC stock cartouche---for David F. Clark.



50-70 Sharps cartridges on top.



50-70 Sharps cartridges in a converted Civil War cartridge box.





Frank Sellers in his book on Sharps Firearms describes this conversion event in substantial detail.
Published 1978-88.






David
 
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That's a very nice Sharps and in excellent condition. You need to take it one step higher and get the gun lettered. Contact Dr. Richard Labowske at 215 748 1376. He has all the Sharps Factory Records. You can also contact the Springfield Archives for it's Military history.
 
Thanks ryan----no, I do not plan to shoot it.

Thanks Road King for the suggestion.
I spoke to Richard this afternoon in Philadelphia.
He does not have any records for these carbines.
He said they were mostly purchased by the Government in 1863/64.

In poking around regarding these Sharps Letters on the Internet I learned something that I did not know.

From U.S. MILITARY ARMS, Dates of Manufacture, From 1795, Collectors Edition, By George Madis: Sharps 1859-1865 MODEL: Over 100,000 guns of these models were purchased by the U.S. between 1860 and 1865. Serial numbers from near 3000 to 100000. Thereafter the letter "C" indicates 100000, for example, "C 200" would be the serial number 100200.

Therefore my serial number would be 109371-- the number on my carbine is C, 9371.










David
 
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It is interesting the information that the Springfield Archives has on these rifles but you have to be a member now in order to search. It used to be free and that was when I used to get the information on these carbines along with , Spencers and a few more carbines of the Civil war era.
 
Think of all the time a gun like that spent in a house with no central heating, air conditioning or electricity. Your burning candles for light, then oil, then kerosene and god knows what that leaves on an exposed surface. All this is AFTER it spent its fighting years in a tent or outside, and riding next to a sweaty horse.

And it still doesn't look much more worn then my Shiloh, what a time capsule. Think of all the hands that touched that gun, all of them took very good care of that carbine.
 
I've got two Shiloh '63's - a carbine and a Military Rifle. It's nice to see an original with the primer feed mechanism intact. I've matched them with the same in 50-70.

I recommend getting a copy of "Civil War Carbines - Myth vs Reality" by Peter Schiffers. The author test fires twelve original CW carbines with ammunition as close as he could get to original specs. He tested for reliability and accuracy at 50m to 200M. The results may surprise you .....

The '63 Sharps placed third overall, behind the Burnside and the Sharps & Hankins.
 
I got the Sharps carbine in February 1990.
It came with six original 50-70 cartridges and a converted CW cartridge box with the wooden block drilled for twenty cartridges.
At some point I bought ten 50-70 cartridges that originally came from Dixie Gun Works.





J. DAVEY & CO
NEWARK NJ (Faint marking on front flap)






One of the carbine accessories that I don’t have is a CW carbine sling.
In June 2001 at the Gettysburg Civil War Show I came very close to purchasing a really nice well marked sling but purchased a very decent ‘60 Colt Army instead.

Maybe one day I will find one that doesn't break the bank.

Regulation U.S. CW carbine sling.






CW carbine sling altered for the Indian War period.




Some period photos.

Unidentified Union soldier with a Sharps carbine and a Colt pistol.






The photo above and the images below came from this book published in 1996.










I only have three carbines---the carbine sling would be 'possibly' applicable to all of them.
Spencer, Smith and Sharps.




David
 
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The Indians were better armed with the Spencer. So were Custer's troops before they were re-equipped with the Trapdoor Springfield.

Historians can't figure out why the US Ordnance people didn't twig on to chambering the Sharps for the Spencer cartridge. That would have been a winner and eliminated one cartridge from the inventory.
 
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