New Model 1859 Sharps Rifle With Original Scope

[Regimental Colours]

Did anyone see this Sharps Rifle on The Horse Soldier website? Does anyone think this might be a wartime original and not a postwar put together?

http://www.horsesoldier.com/products/firearms/longarms/4360

[Calum]

Re: New Model 1895 Sharps Rifle With Original Scope

'evening,

I'm sure that there are some others who are better able to comment based on the rifle itself, however, I would tend to think postwar put together. Possibly the rifle was issued to the USSS, but it's the scope that makes me question the set up.

Berdan's treasured their Sharps rifles because they were fast loading and accurate. The USSS weren't the snipers of today, rather, skirmishers were usually employed in front of or on the flank in battle - an over simplification is kind of as a moving picket line. Their primary job was first contact, then to take out the opposing skirmishers and finally start punching holes in the main line. There were some who preferred telescopic (or other improved sights) weapons. A prime example is "Old Seth" (believe he was 1st USSS, forget what Co) who is documented to have used a heavy barreled target rifle to "capture" a cannon by shooting any who came near it. There are other documented examples, but in each case it was a globe or telescopic sighted civillian target rifle. I've yet to see a period photo or read an account of a scoped Sharps used by the USSS.

Just my opinion and looking forward to reading responses by Brian White or any of the folks from 2nd USSS Co C.

Respectfully,
Calum

[Dan Wambaugh]

Re: New Model 1895 Sharps Rifle With Original Scope

Adam,

The mounts are 100% post war, which dates the modification nicely. As US government property the "Berdan contract" dst Sharps rifles would not be altered this way during the war for the simple fact that the soldiers did not own them.

That said, the USSS maintained a supply of target rifles in their regimental baggage. These were largely privately owned weapons or perhaps regimental property once the original owner passed on. Wyman White used a scoped breechloading Sharps target rifle during the Wilderness campaign. This would not have been one of the military models but instead a prewar civilian Sharps with a heavy barrel. A similar Sharps target rifle is on display at the Gettysburg VC. Other occasions when the USSS used their target rifles are well documented, and make for interesting reading.

Essentially, the USSS filled the dual role of "light infantry" and the modern role of the "scout-sniper", but generally not at the same time. The "heavies" didn't usually get deployed until the lines were rendered relatively static, and the dst Sharps was the standard day-to-day weapon. At no time would there have been a government issued Sharps with a scope added any more than an infantryman would have been permitted to add one to his 1861 Springfield.

[Regimental Colours]

Re: New Model 1895 Sharps Rifle With Original Scope

Thanks Dan and Calum.

Even though I'm well versed on Sharps Rifles, I know nothing about William Malcolm scopes. Dan what's the difference between wartime and postwar scope mounts?

[Dan Wambaugh]

Re: New Model 1895 Sharps Rifle With Original Scope

Adam,

I can't really tell you a difference between a design that was patented and used before the war and one that was patented and used after the war any more than I can tell you the difference between a type III P53 Enfield and an 1873 Winchester. Just different designs and features.

I'm certainly not an expert on scope mounts, but in discussing this rifle with a few folks a couple months back a ranking expert on 19th century scopes was able to identify the mounts as being post war. If you like I can check with him to see if he has an idea of the manufacturer of the mounts.

[Regimental Colours]

Re: New Model 1859 Sharps Rifle With Original Scope

Any additional information on the scope mounts would be greatly appreciated Dan. Thank you.

[Dan Wambaugh]

Re: New Model 1859 Sharps Rifle With Original Scope

Adam,

Apparently that model of rear mount does not appear in the Malcolm catalog until the buffalo hunting era of the 1870s. Hope this helps!

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: New Model 1859 Sharps Rifle With Original Scope

Hallo!

Agreed.

In my cynical and jaded opinion, the mounting of a telescopic sight on a Berdan Contract NM1859 Sharps was an attempt by someone to increase its "value" likely by a collector or dealer.
With the mortar like ballistics of a percussion Sharps round, the mating of a "scope" with the BC NM1859 is a created fiction not a practical or efficient military or even civilian thing.

Anyways, just a bias I cannot prove...

Plus not all Period "tubular sights" are "telescopic." Some are just open tubes with cross hairs, no magnification at all. Some are 1X or 2X.

Berdan trivia... in brief and to over generalize:

Berdan envisioned a "corps of skirmishers" where each man was to have been alloted $60 for the rifle of his choice. (There was some bitterness when lads brought their target rifles and did not get the $60.)

Berdan appears to have favored something like the M1853 Sharps sporting/target rifle, but the Ordnance folks were initially thinking Springfield rifle-muskets, followed by M1855 Rifles, which ended up as Colt M1855 Revolving Rifles, and went to the Sharps NM1859 Rifles which evolved or ended up as the "Berdan Contract" version of the NM1859. However, two companies, with each man with his own target rifle," did carry them through the War- Michigan's Company "C," and New Hampshire's Copany "E." of the 1st USSS.
The more NUG, was to allocate a few (often held as two) per company for the best shots. These, in their custom wooden boxes with implements and accessories to shoot and keep them in working order, could weigh 50 pounds or more, and were a "baggage/wagon train" item that was brought up as and when needed for special shots.

Curt

[GreencoatCross]

Re: New Model 1859 Sharps Rifle With Original Scope

Here some interesting photos for your consideration.

The first is one that I stumbled across a few months ago. Ozias Sanford, Co. F (Vermont) 1st USSS, in uniform with his issued DST Sharps rifle with a tang sight. Despite the fact that it was not issued with the sight, and it was government property, Sanford apparently had it mounted in the field or elsewhere. A May 6th 1864 letter describing the battle of the Wilderness to his father states in part, "I tried my new sights and they work well" which might be in reference to the sights seen in his portrait. My only trouble is dating his portrait. There are a small handful of Co. F recruit portraits dating to Sept. 1862 that have the same backdrop and prop column but very few mid or even late-war photos include them. Sanford enlisted on Sept. 20th 1862 so I used to lean towards this image dating to around that time. Unfortunately it makes little sense for him to mention his "new" sights in an 1864 letter if he had them mounted in 1862. In a few of his letters he seems to suggest that he was ill throughout early 1864 so it's possible that he was home at that time and stood for his portrait. His uniform is certainly what Co. F was wearing between November 1863 and early spring 1864.

The second was taken in 1861 or early 1862 and shows 1st Sergeant Henry Kinsman, Company F (Vermont) 1st USSS with his personal target rifle. You can see it's a half-stock slant breech Sharps sporting rifle with a tang sight mounted on the wrist. Aside from Truman Head's ("California Joe", Co. C 1st USSS) military Sharps rifle purchased while in Washington, this is the only other one I've seen show up so early. However it's not too surprising that a Sharps rifle marketed to civilians would pop up among the ranks of New England target shooters and hunters, or that this commercial version would have custom sights. Kinsman was passed up for a commission twice in his three-year enlistment but eventually became 2nd Lt. and then 1st Lt. of Company F. He was wounded at the Wilderness in 1864 and was present with the company for nearly the entire war.

And since I absolutely have to say it, Kinsman is wearing the first-issue frock made by Martin Brothers using imported English cloth!

[Dan Wambaugh]

Re: New Model 1859 Sharps Rifle With Original Scope

Brian,

Sanford's rifle is a NM1859 Sharps rifle, and does not appear to be one of the special Berdan contract.

One feature: the bayonet lug on the underside of the barrel.

It does have a dst assembly, which I imagine was a feature available from the factory (Kinsman has them on his target rifle) and as such the tang site could also be a Sharps factory product. But the rifle is definitely not a Berdan contract rifle, as they were all fitted for the angular bayonet. More likely another private purchase model like Truman Heads. Neat!

[GreencoatCross]

Re: New Model 1859 Sharps Rifle With Original Scope

Dan,

I don't know; I think the "lug" is one of his coat buttons and I'm pretty sure I see the rear trigger and no trigger guard latch. But if you're correct that it's not a Berdan contract rifle that would be pretty cool since I don't know of any NM1859 Sharps rifles that are identified to a U.S. Sharpshooter...they don't even show in photos aside from Head's two portraits.

[Dan Wambaugh]

Re: New Model 1859 Sharps Rifle With Original Scope

Brian,

Excellent point! It would be nice to examine the original photo under a loop. The lug does seem to be at slightly the wrong position when compared to other photos of the NM1859 rifle.

Can't be certain until we get our hands on the original, but it certainly isn't out of the realm of possibility that a sharpshooter on veteran furlough could have had his rifle improved!

[Regimental Colours]

Re: New Model 1859 Sharps Rifle With Original Scope

Thanks Brian for sharing those great USSS cdv's with us.

Dan, I agree with Brian. What looks like a bayonet lug on Sanford's Sharps is a button from his frock coat.

[Gary of CA]

Re: New Model 1859 Sharps Rifle With Original Scope

2 USSS Sgt. Wyman White mentions using a telescope equipped Sharps rifle. The Gettysburg museum has a heavy barrel slant breech one (I don't recall if its scoped).

[GreencoatCross]

Re: New Model 1859 Sharps Rifle With Original Scope

Gary,

Good catch! The heavy barreled slant breech Sharps rifles are really interesting but I haven't examined an original up close. I wonder if it was retained/used by the 2nd USSS due to it's ease of use, cleaning, maintenance, and a ready supply of compatible govt. issue ammunition? Sounds way better than using a muzzle loading target rifle!