.52 caliber. 21.25" barrel. SN: 17486. Bright finish, brass furniture, smooth walnut stock with patchbox and smooth walnut forend. Single shot percussion breechloading dropping block carbine with Maynard's patent tape priming lock, folding ladder rear sight missing the slide, brass fixed blade front sight and 3.25" saddle bar with ring. Lock with weak Maynard patent markings on the magazine door, tang with 1848 Sharps' patent marking and very standard 3-line barrel markings forward of the rear sight, which are partially covered by the barrel band. Matching serial numbers on receiver tang and under barrel, with the breech block and forend channel unnumbered. Clear correct US military US/JH/P inspection marks on left of breech with two soft cartouches above the saddle bar, which appear to be the script JH of John Hawkins and the script RHKW of Robert H.K. Whitely. Some initials are lightly scratched on the patchbox door. A rare US martial Model 1855 Sharps carbines that retains worn, but mostly legible cartouches. {ANTIQUE}