A Sharps 1852 Slant-Breech .52 Caliber Carbine that is in good condition with a bright and defined bore. The action appears to function properly with the nipple showing no damage to its structure. The finish shows light service use, and the wood is well maintained. The long swivel bar has minor dings to the back of it but still is intact. Comes with a binder with info regarding prices, units, and history of the 1852-1853 contracts. The Sharps Model 1852 Slant-Breech .52 Caliber Carbine is an important early American breechloading percussion firearm and one of the first commercially successful carbines produced by the Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company. The Model 1852 used Christian Sharps’ distinctive slanting breech system, allowing the arm to be loaded from the breech rather than the muzzle, giving it a significant advantage in speed and practicality over traditional muzzleloading arms of the period. Early Sharps slant-breech carbines later gained historical significance through their use on the frontier, in the turbulent “Bleeding Kansas” period (1854-1859), and during the years leading into the Civil War. Today, the Sharps Model 1852 is a desirable collector’s arm due to its early production, distinctive mechanical design, and place in the development of the famous Sharps breechloading firearms.