Sharps rifles were those of a series begun with a design by Christian Sharps

Christian Sharps

Christian Sharps, the inventor of the first successful breech loading rifle, was born in Washington, New Jersey in 1810. He married Sarah Elizabeth Chadwick of Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania. The couple had two children, a daughter Satella and son Leon Stewart.Sharps was issued a patent for...

. Sharps rifle

Rifle

A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...

s were renowned for long range and high accuracy in their day.
Sharps's initial rifle was patented September 17, 1848 and manufactured by A. S. Nippes at Mill Creek, (Philadelphia) Pennsylvania

The second model used the Maynard tape primer, and surviving examples are marked Edward Maynard - Patentee 1845.