Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company facts for kids
| Private | |
| Industry | Firearms |
| Fate | Dissolved |
| Founded | October 9, 1851 in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Founder | Samuel Robbins and Richard S. Lawrence |
| Defunct | 1881 |
| Headquarters |
,
U.S.
|
|
Area served
|
U.S. |
|
Key people
|
John C. Palmer, Christian Sharps, Richard S. Lawrence |
| Products | Rifles |
Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company made the famous Sharps Rifle. This company started in Hartford, Connecticut, on October 9, 1851. It was founded by Samuel Robbins and Richard S. Lawrence. Even though Christian Sharps left the company, it still made over 100,000 rifles. The company closed down in 1881. This happened because new "repeating rifles" became very popular.
Contents
Company History
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Christian Sharps (1810–1874) created his rifle design in 1848. The company got its first order for 5,000 rifles in 1850. Making these rifles began in 1851.
The first rifle model, the "Model 1851 box-lock," was designed by Christian Sharps, Rollin White, and Richard Lawrence. They worked at a company called Robbins & Lawrence in Windsor, Vermont.
Building the Factory
The company then received a much larger order for 15,000 rifles. Windsor, Vermont, did not have enough space for such a big factory. So, the company gave Robbins & Lawrence $40,000. This money was used to buy 25 acres (10 hectares) of land in Hartford, Connecticut. A new brick factory building was built there.
Changes Over Time
Christian Sharps left the company in 1853. Later, in 1862, he started a new company called Sharps & Hankins with William Hankins.
In 1855, the main rifle production moved to Hartford. It stayed there until 1876. After that, the company moved its operations to Bridgeport, Connecticut.
In 1872, Sharps introduced a powerful hunting bullet called the .50-90 Sharps. The very last rifle made by the company was the Sharps-Borchardt Model 1878. It was designed by Hugo Borchardt.
The company faced many lawsuits. Also, new types of rifles became more popular. Because of these reasons, the Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company went out of business in 1881.
Rifles Made by Sharps
The Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company made over 100,000 firearms. Many of these were used by the Union Army during the American Civil War. Here are some of the models they produced:
| Production Years | Sharps Model | Type | Caliber |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1849 to 1850 | Model 1849 | Rifle | 0.44 |
| 1850 to 1850 | Model 1850 | Rifle | 0.44 |
| 1852 to 1855 | Model 1851 | Carbine | .36, .44, .52 |
| 1853 to 1855 | Model 1852 | Rifle | 0.52 |
| 1853 to 1855 | Model 1852 | Carbine | 0.52 |
| 1853 to 1855 | Model 1852 | Shotgun | Various |
| 1854 to 1857 | Model 1853 | Carbine | Various |
| 1856 to 1857 | Model 1855 | 0.52 | |
| 1856 to 1857 | Model 1855 | U.S. Navy Rifle | 0.52 |
| 1855 to 1857 | Model 1855 | British Carbine | 0.52 |
| 1859 to 1866 | Model 1859 | Carbine | 0.52 |
| 1859 to 1866 | Model 1863 | Carbine | 0.52 |
| 1859 to 1866 | Model 1865 | Carbine | 0.52 |
| 1859 to 1866 | Model 1859 | Rifle | 0.52 |
| 1869 to 1871 | Model 1869 | Carbine | 0.52 |
| 1869 to 1871 | Model 1869 | Military Rifle | 0.50-70 |
| 1869 to 1871 | Model 1869 | Sporting Rifle | .44-77, .50-70 |
| 1871 to 1881 | Model 1874 | Various | |
| 1877 to 1878 | Model 1877 | 0.45 | |
| 1878 to 1881 | Model 1878 | Various |
Sharps Rifles Today
Even though the original company closed, you can still find Sharps rifles today. New versions of the Sharps 1863 Rifle and the 1874 Sharps Rifle are made. The Sharps-Borchardt Model 1878 is also reproduced.
These new rifles are used for hunting and target shooting. Companies like Shiloh Rifle Manufacturing Company and C. Sharps Arms Co. Inc. in Montana make them. The Italian gunmaker Davide Pedersoli & Co. also makes Sharps reproductions.
Other Products
The Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company also made bicycles for a short time. They built them under a contract for the Weed Sewing Machine Company. When Sharps moved its factory to Bridgeport, Weed bought the old Hartford factory. Then, Weed started making bicycles there themselves.
