civil war and sharps

rollo wilkinson · Post by **rollo wilkinson** » Sat Jun 18, 2005 12:58 pm

i know the union used sharps but i want to know whether the confederates used the sharps as well as the whitworth rifle?
thanks

Rich Siegel · Post by **Rich Siegel** » Sat Jun 18, 2005 2:33 pm

The Confederates did use captured Sharps when ever they could get them. Since the Sharps did not require a brass case (hard to manufacturer for the CSA), they were in demand. The CSA even turned out a copy of the Sharps called the Robinson carbine (Shiloh also made this rifle for a while) and it had a brass barrel band and a crude, Kentucky type, rear sight.

Rich

rollo wilkinson · Post by **rollo wilkinson** » Sat Jun 18, 2005 3:07 pm

so does that mean the whitworth rifle was breechloading(you said brass cases)

granute · Post by **granute** » Sat Jun 18, 2005 5:59 pm

Rollo - The Whitworth was a muzzleloader that used a hex-bore barrel
as well as hex shaped paper patch bullets made to fit... It was not a
cartridge arm. Most of the U.S Gov't carbines did use some sort of 'case',
ex. The Berdan used the steel Berdan case, while the Smith I believe had
a case made of rubber. Thee Maynard used a wide rimmed steel ase.The soldier was expected to reload his cases. The Spencer used a rimfire
case made of copper.
The South had a shortage of copper and brass; brass could be made into
Bronze for cannon and was in short supply all during the war. There were
no manufacturing facilities to make them even if the raw materials would
have been ....
The linen case used in the Sharps (paper also worked -) could also be
dispensed with; the bullet inserted into the breech and loose powder put
in behind it - in an emergency.. The 'gas seal' in the breachblock was
supposed to prevent gas escape, but I wonder how effective they were.
At least newly made 1863's are made to much closer tolerences than
the originals.