Sharps carbine 50-70

Those that look "good" were likely unissued. Those that were look as though they were "ridden hard and put away wet". The serial number range of issued arms can be researched, often through regimental records.

Thousands of CW arms were sold off as surplus, many of them winding up in the Bannerman warehouse. I have a reprint copy of the 1927 Bannerman catalog and it would break your heart to see the giveaway prices these arms were going for. All manner of rifles, handguns, US, foreign, military kit, etc., etc.

Of course wages were a lot lower back then, so even then, they weren't exactly give-aways.
 
I was lucky back in February 1990 when I got the Sharps and Spencer carbines.
I really did not know much about the background of the post CW conversions of these two carbines.
I bought the books in 1990 and started to learn.





I tend to be a ‘condition’ collector. (I tend to like cartouches and stock markings.)
These two carbines seem to fit (somewhat) into that category.

Following the conversions of both the Sharps and Spencer there are stock markings that survived.

On the Spencer the stock ‘ESA’ cartouche for Erskine S. Allin is very visible as well as the other two CW period inspector’s cartouches.



Twenty seven years (September 17 2017) after acquiring the Sharps carbine I found a New Model 1859 Sharps rifle. (Quite an early serial number --37337 )
Now I need to find a bayonet.







 
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I've got the Shiloh '63 and '74 repros in both carbine and Military Rifle configuration. Just something about them .....

I have the Marcot book on Sharps as well as Sellers. A US friend has gifted me with a copy of the Marcot book on Spencers. They start at $200 on amazon or ebay.

He has asked me for pics of your carbines. Would you mind sending them to me in a PM and I'll forward them. He collects original and Romano Spencers.
 
Sharps '74 said:
Those that look "good" were likely unissued. Those that were look as though they were "ridden hard and put away wet". The serial number range of issued arms can be researched, often through regimental records.

Thousands of CW arms were sold off as surplus, many of them winding up in the Bannerman warehouse. I have a reprint copy of the 1927 Bannerman catalog and it would break your heart to see the giveaway prices these arms were going for. All manner of rifles, handguns, US, foreign, military kit, etc., etc.

Of course wages were a lot lower back then, so even then, they weren't exactly give-aways.
Click to expand...


In the 20s and 30s a days wages were around $3 a day. Even in the 1960s, I can remember 303 enfields available for $10 each. I also remember that one of my first jobs in the late 60s was for $1.50 per hour or about $12 per day. That would be $150 to $200 today.

cheers mooncoon
 
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