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Sharps rifle
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Hiram Berdan was a successful engineer and inventor
before the Civil War. With the commencement of the
war, Berdan was permitted to organize units of sharpshooters,
which would consist of the most accomplished marksman
from the Northern states. The result was Berdan’s
1st and 2nd regiments of U.S. Sharpshooters. These
units soon became legendary for their expert marksmanship
and respectable battle record. From 1862, most of
Berdan’s men were armed with Sharps rifles. These
were breech-loading rifles that were easily and
quickly loaded. Furthermore, they proved to fire
accurately and became the favorite weapon of the
men. This Model 1859 rifle is of the type used by
these organizations. |
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Division of the History of Technology, Armed Forces
History
National Museum of American History, Smithsonian
Institution
Behring Center
Gift of Mrs. L. W. K. Browne
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