Christian Sharps

Born in Washington, New Jersey, in 1810, Christian Sharps married Sarah Elizabeth Chadwick of Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania.

[2] While at Harpers Ferry, he was introduced to the Hall rifle, an early breech-loader, and worked for its inventor, Captain John H.

In 1870, Sharps and his family moved to Vernon, Connecticut, where he continued working on firearm designs and started a large trout farming business.

[8][9][10] Previously, the Sharps rifle reproductions were manufactured by "Shiloh Products Inc." founded by Len Mulé (pronounce Mull-A) in partnership with Wolfgang Droge.

The Sharps rifle was designed with a vertical dropping block action, operated by a lever which also served as a trigger guard.

Sharps' first rifle, the Model 1849, was manufactured by A.S. Nippes & Co. at Mill Creek, Lower Merion Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

[5] Despite not being the first breech-loading rifle, Sharps' was the first to be accepted widely and, with the onset of the American Civil War, the first to be produced in large quantities.

They were highly regarded as target rifles and were used extensively in international shooting competitions through the late 19th century.

These first model pistols had brass frames and fired the recently introduced .22 Rimfire metallic cartridges.