Sharps & Hankins Navy Model Carbine
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- čas přidán 8. 09. 2024
- Designed by Christian Sharps (or Sharps rifle fame), the Sharps & Hankins carbine was a light and handy rimfire carbine intended for military use. It was a single-shot weapon with an unusual action to lever the barrel forward off the frame, and several interesting technical feature. Most significantly, it used a floating firing pin in the frame, instead of one directly connected to the hammer - a common practice today but novel in the 1850s and 60s.
This example is one of the carbines purchased by the US Navy, which included a distinctive leather sheath on the barrel. This was to protect against salt spray, although these days they are more of a liability for trapping moisture against the barrels, since few owners today expose the guns to ocean spray.
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You may take me for a weirdo, but I like watching informative videos before sleeping.
Forgotten Weapons is very clear, and yes even soothing to listen while falling dead asleep. Ian is far better than some other documentary's presentator's voice.
I wonder if I'm alone finishing my day off like that.
Not at all. I almost always end my day with either Forgotten Weapons' or Lindybeige's (awesome history channel if you aren't aware) videos in bed. I'll usually play some of Ian's way longer videos, like his Q&As to actually fall asleep to, too, occasionally briefly waking up to dialogue about some cartridge, or why he believes some gun is better than another, lol.
Very therapeutic!
You know what? I'd dig one of these as a survival rifle. It looks perfectly usable for that purpose.
I was just going to use all that extra .52 Spencer for fishing weights, but...
I'm not gonna lie, I thought that was a break-action shotgun at first.
a shotgun that opened like this rifle would be awesome, Imagine how cool a double barrel would look :D
Rev, have a Google for the "Darne" shotgun. I think you'll like it!
That is a pretty awesome looking shotgun. thanks for the info :)
Or Google "Baby Bretton" for another French fancy.
Yea but I'm pretty sure it was the rotating breach model not the sliding one.
one of my favorite sounds of all time "Im Ian here at the Rock Island Auction Company"
I have a soft spot for single-shot rifles/carbines like that, absolutely gorgeous little thing.
I am continually surprised by the firearms that were present during the US Civil War. Before I found this channel, I was under the impression it was fought with the exact same weapons as the Revolutionary War until the very end....
One of the advantages of muzzle loaders is that don't need much in the way of ammo supply, just some gun powder and lead and your troops can make there own cartridges.
Both sides had pretty poor supply lines at the start of the war.
they didn't measure powder in battle, they used paper "cartridges" that they made at camp or where issued. The danger is in having a miss fire or simply forgetting to fire and ramming another charge into the barrel, perhaps repeatedly. This is a documented problem in the civil war and other conflicts.
When you do these videos, I would love it if you could shoulder the guns, and maybe operate the action from that position, just to give us a greater sense of what the weapons looked like in action. Otherwise a fantastic video in a great series! Keep up the good work!
What a cool footnote in U.S.A. firearm history. I am glad you chose this one. A true "Forgotten Weapon ".
Seems like a good and simple design, like his falling block design or the famous rolling block. Some great designs coming out of that time frame that I am surprised are not more popular these days for hunting.
First heard about this weapon in the Alan LeMay novel the Unforgiven, had a time finding information about it in pre-internet days. Very interesting weapon.
One has got to remember, that leather is all 150 +/- years old, and probably indifferently treated to keep it supple. With that in mind, it's amazing any of the leather has survived.
loving this one. for a single shot rifle the simplicity and inherent strength of the action is impressive
Fuck yeah! Guns time!
Y'know, I think I prefer these regional auction guns more than the premier auction guns. I find that everyday guns that have Ben forgotten are more interesting than prototypes. Thank you for covering these as well.
I don't know why, but I absolutely love that action. Gonna build my own one day, possibly in an 8ga.
Just in time for lunch. Nice.
I like that safety release.
I saw a lever operated, break action 20 ga shotgun in a pawn shop a few years ago. I wish I would have bought it.
🤔🤓🍻
I really like to see how the same ideas, like safety and extractor, are implemented differently by different engineers. In your place I would have been afraid that that piece of hanging leather would have come completely off while handling it.
It's a shame this example is in such rough shape (in the shape it's in, would it be safe to fire?). It looks like a really neat weapon, with a number of innovative features.
I really like the way the slides out from the breach-plate. The auto-unsafetying is probably pretty useful for a military weapon, even if it would mean it's easy to have it accidentally going unsafe.
I love that era of history for gun innovation.
Simple, but effective. Some very interesting features also. All of these had to be such an advance from muzzle loading weapons.
GUN JESUS IS BACK
Hallejulia!
Would certainly be interested in seeing you reviewing the Revolver no. 3
Thanks Ian
who else hits the like button during the intro?? another informative and interesting video as always ian
Are you ever going to do a video on hand gonnes or matchlocks? That would be amazing
I'm sure in that rifles day it was awesome. Someone needs to revive this piece and bring it back to its original glory. I think the first Enfield MkI rifle had an outer sleeve on the barrel to protect it from rain. It wound up being a barrel rust former.
I hope there's some old cavalry musketoons coming up.
Quigley Down Under? A rather obscure movie if ever there was one... I'm stunned that you know of it. I'm always surprised when someone mentions having heard of it
If you know where to look, I'm in the background of some of the scenes where Quigley disembarks from the ship onto the wharf
I wouldn't call it an obscure movie...Hell, they used to play it on TNT, and I think AMC still plays it occasionally. It certainly isn't obscure to firearm enthusiasts.
We need Sharps & hankin rifle animation videos
If you ever get close to one, it would be nice to see you explain a Huot automatic rifle.
Can you try to make a video on the Ithaca shotgun, Ian?
Bet you it smells interesting when the barrel heats up
C’est la vie, indeed.
Ese arma restaurada quedaría preciosa.
Could you try to find a Smith cavalry carbine? They used an interesting early cartridge system.
If the hammer got snagged on something you could end up walking around with a cocked loaded gun without even knowing that's kinda terrifying it's actually worse than not knowing because you think the safety is on
I would love that in a 20 gauge
demolitionranch just got a new slam fire shotgun that seems pretty cool but it seems you havent looked at it and it would be interesting if you were to look at it thanks and nice video
Maybe i can get your attention here - will there ever be a feature for the SKS like there was for the SVT? I own a Chinese Norinco SKS with the plastic handguard (french tickler) and would like to learn more.
This gun is sooooooo coool. Would love a modern one in .357 magnum with a pencil barrel
Love it
I have designed a shotgun that works like this but it just has a handle attached to the barrel and a notch in the receiver in which the handle would lock into.
That sounds really cool, have you begun any type of prototype or are you just in the design portion of the weapon?
Yep Ian .... C'est la Vie ..LOL
I would buy a reproduction of this in a heartbeat.
For some reason that safety seems really neat. Too bad that action looks clumsy compared to other sharps rifles or any other breach loader available at the time
Was it just my eyes or was there a 63 stamp just above the rear of the firing pin?
Were the wooden stocks hand sanded back then so each one would be unique or were they somehow mass produced ?
Sad ending for Mr. Sharps
When Ian says that "maybe you just have too much 52 caliber Spencer ammunition laying around", is he being sarcastic? I have no idea how common that ammo is, but it doesn't seem to me like you would want to shoot a gun this old and in that condition.
Looks like a very handy carbine. Is it as light as it looks?
Yes, it is.
My buddy has one that he inherited. Always wondered what it was. Now I know!
I've always wondered what would you do if you loaded a flint lock with a ball but forgot the powder? Could you get the projectile out of the gun without destroying it or could you just shoot the gun with loading powder and ball over the stuck projectile?
A ball puller. (screw on the end of a cleaning rod)
You'd use what's essentially a corkscrew on the end of a cleaning rod. The screw would be wound into the bullet (reminder that it's just a soft lead ball) and then it'd be pulled free.
Thanks a lot for answering my question ;)
Lacking a ball puller or compressed air tank (which most pre-cartridge folk didn't have), you have another option: 1) make sure the ball is firmly seated in the barrel. 2) trickle as much powder as you can manage the back way through the touch hole; 3F or 4F if you've got it. 3) Point it in a safe direction. 4) Prime pan as for normal firing and fire. It will usually pop the ball out and a few feet away. Usually. If not, try again from step 1. Tip: *NEVER* try this unless you've rammed the ball all the way down the barrel each time, you could damage the gun and/or yourself. If it doesn't work after a couple three tries, give up and take it home (safely) until you can get a ball puller. I've only had to try it more than once one time in about ten years of shooting flintlocks. (Not usually my rifle, btw.)
Apparently this happened in battles with muzzle loaders, in the fabulous book by Ian V. Hogg "Weapons of the Civil War" there are mentions of American Civil War guns being found afterwards with more than one and sometimes more than three slugs loaded on top of each other. Some ACW rifles have split barrels owing to overloading during the heat of battle.
Ian! I would love to hear your opinion on the NFA and the current petition going around!
looks a little like the Daisy BB gun :)
So many different rifles and calibers. Union logistics must have been a nightmare
Unrelated to this video but I have a question, I see a lot of people online melting and casting there own lead bullets. Is this safe? I see a lot of time they do this inside and without a respirator. What are they dangers of reloading and casting your own bullets?
thewiezman Ever heard the expression,bite the bullet ? Our ancestors lived their lives surrounded by lead. Indoor paint was a mix of lead oxide,lead carbonate, linseed oil,and many other ingredients. Any house would have hundreds of pounds of lead in paint,lead pipes, leaded glass,lead putty,lead and tin soldering on brass articles,and on and on. Now as a kid I can remember plumbers in the early 1960s routinely melting lead indoors. Modern safety nazis would scream in horror, and in all fairness,life without lead is safer. My dentist ,1965 to 1975,routinely rolled amalgam between his fingers before inserting in cavity. He was in his 60s,but looking closely you could see signs of heavy metal poisoning. Pale skin,shaking hands similar to Parkinsons, and other. Contact with liquid mercury since perhaps age 25. There are two sides to every story. A little care,and and handling melted lead alloy can be done safely.
Oui, c'est la vie :)
Muito bom
I have #0721 of the New York militia guns :)
Oooh, now this is a cool rifle! I love the safety release mechanism; all you have to do is yank the hammer all the way back, as you might if you just had a "Holy shit I need to shoot somethin' right now" moment, and you are ready to go!
May i ask what is the advantage of not having the firing pin on the hammer? The revolvers saw the same changes right?
As far as I can tell, the biggest benefit is that it's easier to manufacture and easier (or at least, cheaper) to replace a floating firing pin if it's broken. It also may protect the shooter from a punctured primer a bit better, though I don't think that was a consideration back then.
If it's that rusted on the barrel, is it wise to shoot it?
GrumpyCommissar your right and if someone bought this for collection it would stick out unless you did a really nice polishing job.
56 .52 Sharps & Hankens cartridge..... not a spencer cartidge firing carbine and rifle. The Sharps & Hankens cartridge were signicanly longer that the spencer round....
At least on a video, this thing looks awfully puny to fire relatively powerful rounds even though slow moving ones.. Especially considering the metallurgical limitations of the era.. I'd also imagine saltwater would dissolve parkerizing acids of the leather and the barrel would literally bathe in a mix of saltwater and acids.. :D
What kind of copyright or laws would there be to stop some one from remaking this style gun today?
I know laws are different per state and country. I was mainly asking about the copyright or legal action taken against some one show remakes a gun like this. Think this is really neat and the action is very unique.
Nothing prevents you from making a copy today.
Patents are expired can make it all you want
that safety comes across as a liability
however it looks nice
I have a BB gun that looks almost exactly like that...
I do wonder, a talented leather artisan could probably make a replacement for the worn bits, and maybe restore it back to a good condition. But, is such a thing done? Quite a big alteration, and I figure the original leather would be completely destroyed in the process. Looking pretty versus historically original parts....
in the Navy...
That gun is such a cutie
i dont know much about guns but. wouldnt that gun especially with a rusted barrel just blow up in your hands when fired?
It's just surface rust.
aha
Lamp Light I have fired guns that had lots of rust and pitting on the barrel. Pitting has to be really deep to compromise the integrity of the barrel enough to make it unsafe (unless if the barrel is really thin). This barrel looks quite thick, so it would probably be safe to shoot, especially with a low pressure cartridge.
Lamp Light I have fired guns that had lots of rust and pitting on the barrel. Pitting has to be really deep to compromise the integrity of the barrel enough to make it unsafe (unless if the barrel is really thin). This barrel looks quite thick, so it would probably be safe to shoot, especially with a low pressure cartridge.
TreeWizard648 yea, i was thinkin it would get destroyed, a friend once shot a shotgun and the barrel just exploded he said
I was hoping he was going to stop at "leather barrel".
What's name this gun ? We needs animation videos please !
3
meh.... but still thanks ian.
4 K S O O N P L S
Colonthree Enterprises
N A H
the navy uses guns?
wheels on fire i guess you can never be too careful
Laird Cummings don't forget docking
I believe military practice is to use the word 'gun' only to describe artillery, so yes, the Navy does use guns. VERY big ones. Small arms usually are called by something more specific, like "rifle". Ships need to have small arms for boarding actions at the very least. Modern submarines deserve special note. When surfaced, they have no way to defend themselves at close range other than a guy with a rifle standing on top. Try to imagine you're in a big nuclear submarine, slowly traversing shallow water, far from home, and if something happens, you're expected defend this huge boat with nothing but an M4.
TonboIV what is artillery
Seems I need to sharpen my troll sense.
1 dislike :(
who else hits the like button during the intro?? another informative and interesting video as always ian