The Sharps rifle was one of the most innovative and respected firearms of the 19th century, known for its accuracy, reliability, and breech-loading design.
It was invented by Christian Sharps, a former employee of Samuel Colt, who patented his revolutionary falling-block mechanism in 1848. In 1851, the Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company was founded in Hartford, Connecticut, and the first production rifle, the Model 1851 “Boxlock” was released. It used a paper cartridge and percussion cap ignition, with a lever operated slanted breech system that made loading efficient and faster than any muzzleloader (although the rifle could be loaded with loose ball and powder too if the user ran out of cartridges.)

The rifle underwent continual improvements throughout the 1850s. The Models 1852 and 1853 featured automatic primer systems like the Maynard tape and pellet primer, gaining interest from military units and civilians alike. Sharps rifles were even used by British forces during the Crimean War. Though not adopted in large numbers by the U.S. Army they earned a solid reputation among dragoons, scouts, and frontier units.

With the outbreak of the Civil War, the Sharps rifle found its greatest fame. The Model 1859 was a major improvement in reliability and performance, and it was adopted in large numbers by the Union Army (especially in the Carbine version for the cavalry)

Famous users include Colonel Hiram Berdan, who led the 1st and 2nd U.S. Sharpshooters, elite Union sharpshooters dressed in green.
Although initially issued Springfield and Enfield rifles, Berdan lobbied hard to get them the Sharps Model 1859, which offered greater range and faster reloads.

John Brown used Sharps carbines during his campaigns against slavery, including his famous 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry.
Many of these were smuggled as “Beecher’s Bibles” Sharps rifles disguised in crates marked as Bibles by abolitionist churches.

William "Buffalo Bill" Cody and Calamity Jane are both often associated with Sharps rifles, however these are the latter 1875 Rifles.

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