THE SHARPS RIFLE: ITS HISTORY, DEVELOPMENT AND OPERATION

Smith, Winston O.

Published by William Morrow & Company, New York, 1965

Third Printing, 138 pages. Hardcover with a dust jacket. There is an increasing interest today on the part of collectors in the fiirearms of the 19th century, particularly in the percussion arms of the pre-Civil War period. One of the most important--if not the most important==of these firearms was the Sharps rifle, the first successful breech-loading rifle, invented in 1848 by Christian Sharps. Going to original sources and discovering much material hitherto unpublished, the author has written the complete story of the Sharps rifle: its background, development, its use as a military weapon, the development of the gun during its manufacture, and its operation. There is an account of its manufacture by the various companies and the contribution made by each, including the changes and inventions of Richard S. Lawrence of the Robbins and Lawrence Company, who, more than anyone else--save Christian Shaprs himself--was responsible for this outstanding firearm. Of importance to collectors today ae the discussion and charts on the identification of models, not only of percussion but metallic cartidge rifles. And to the shooter whi is interested in firing the old percussion rifles, there is considerable material on care, operation, maintenance, the manufacturers of cartridges, and a table of loads. Excellent. The Book is in Fine condition with only light use. The Dust Jacket is faded at the spine and at the very top edge of the front. There is other light wear. Overall the Dust Jacket is Very Good with modest wear. It is now protected in a Brodart typed clear cover. (RS 08/22/24). Seller Inventory # 6350

Bibliographic Details

Title: THE SHARPS RIFLE: ITS HISTORY, DEVELOPMENT ...
Publisher: William Morrow & Company, New York
Publication Date: 1965
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: Fine
Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good