Sharps Rifle

First carried by the US Sharpshooters, the Sharps Rifle proved to be an accurate, reliable breech-loading weapon. A falling-block rifle, the Sharps possessed a unique pellet primer feeding system. Each time the trigger was pulled, a new pellet primer would be flipped onto the nipple, eliminating the need to use percussion caps. This feature made the Sharps particularly popular with cavalry units.