Sharps Carbine Information Needed

[royski]

I have an 1859 Sharps New Model carbine with an early serial number which has a soldiers initials carved into the stock. I was wondering if anyone knows my best bet to find out when/where the gun was issued so that I can narrow it down to the soldier?

[Steve Rogers]

Civil War serial number records are a hodge-podge because there was no methodical recording of the numbers (on guns that had them) as issued. So far as I know the two sources for Sharps numbers are those listed by the Springfield Research Service and those in a smaller book on Sharps by Coates. The SRS numbers were gleaned from ordnance records made when guns happened to be turned in for various reasons, and the units listed may not be the first unit it was issued to. Coates went through regimental records of units that were issued them and recorded the numbers that chanced to be recorded.

The SRS numbers were published by newsletter and in four volumes that would give you the regiment and company the serial number was associated with and the date that it was recorded, but you had to pay for a letter giving you the soldier's name, etc. The trick was finding a carbine where the number was a "dead on" hit. A number that is closely bracketed by listed serial numbers stands a chance of being in the same unit, and is a selling point for someone marketing it, but is by no means a certain thing. I don't know what the current status is of the SRS. Frank Mallory, who founded it, died a number of years ago. You might try nosing around a bit on the web to see if they are still a going concern.

Keep in mind also that not all initials on a gun are a soldier's. If there is a unit designation you are in much better shape. Otherwise they might be a subsequent owner's. A dead-on hit in the SRS records, though, would at least place the gun in a given unit at a given moment.

If you want to post the number and the initials. I'll see what I have.

[royski]

Thank you for the reply. I will get some pictures up tomorrow. The initials to me look to be a more older style of lettering but you are right, it could be from any time period.