The Sharps Rifle

摘要

The Sharps rifle was one of the most famous breechloaders of its day, in part because it had its beginnings in the era of the muzzleloader. Christian Sharps was a cantankerous but brilliant inventor who, in September 1848, patented a single-shot, lever-activated, breech-loading rifle with a vertically sliding breech-block. It was quick to reload and, with its strong, drop-block action, did not require the shooter to stand and ram a charge down the bore.