Civil War era Rifle

[palmettomoon]

This is a snapshot of a Sharps New Model Carbine's lockplate. It's just hanging on the wall in my office. No special lighting or editing. It's not difficult.

 

[C ountry]

None of those pics will be too helpful.

 

[palmettomoon]

Looks like a common "poor boy" or mountain rifle. Small game if 36 caliber.

 

[C ountry]

Looks like a common "poor boy" or mountain rifle. Small game if 36 caliber.

It did kill yankees in it's day

 

[palmettomoon]

It did kill yankees in it's day

Perhaps, very early in the War but that is no military arm. Set triggers might be found on specialized sniper rifles (in military use) but that ain't one.

If your brother can get any kind of detail in his pics, close-ups of the lockplate, well lit, and the top of the barrel will help.

 

[C ountry]

It was told that this rifle was used to guard prisoners at Andersonville. The story goes that they would cross the guard line and beg for the guards to kill them. So it was probably a gun of mercy.

 

[ole ed]

It did kill yankees in it's day

Gee, that sign was interesting. If those ancestors were land holders that means they probably had s____s. Gee, a Democrat doing that...

Perhaps, very early in the War but that is no military arm. Set triggers might be found on specialized sniper rifles (in military use) but that ain't one.

If your brother can get any kind of detail in his pics, close-ups of the lockplate, well lit, and the top of the barrel will help.

 

[C ountry]

Thank you for looking. My brother is old & not a photographer

 

[palmettomoon]

It was told that this rifle was used to guard prisoners at Andersonville. The story goes that they would cross the guard line and beg for the guards to kill them. So it was probably a gun of mercy.

That seems a bit of fancy but more likely true than it having seen any use in a line unit.

 

[enfieldguy]

Well, that definitely looks like a Confederate 'horn' rear sight...
This is fascinating.