Nice used condition on this M1853 John Browns Sharps carbine that was used in the Civil War by Joseph O. Piche of the U S  3rd New York Cavalry. All the metal is smooth with nice dark brown patina. Slant breech Sharps with the breech lever pin & spring locking stud. This sharps takes a .52 cal. percussion load. Rear sight is the squirrel ear type & is intact along with original front sight. Top of barrel marked "Sharp's Rifle  Manuf. & Co.  Hartford, Conn" in three lines. Bottom of barrel has the serial no. 11921 & inspectors initial. Nice smooth lock plate marked Sharp's Patent 1852. Breech tang is marked with serial no. 11921 & also Sharp's Patent 1848. 9" long Sling bar with ring which is attached to barrel band & breech of carbine. Action on this Civil War used sharps carbine is VG. Lever & trigger assembly is vg. The breech block still has some of the markings legit able. Mellow patina on brass barrel band with a K, & backwards 4. Wood forearm in good used condition with normal use dings. the back stock in good used condition also with use dings & at the back of stock, on bottom, at butt plate bottom a small piece of wood missing which is period. Brass patch box with nice patina has the soldier's full name of "Joseph O. Piche" scratched into it clearly. Also on left side of back stock by the breech is letters some which were crossed out. What I could read looks to be D M Alvy & below XXXX which i couldn't read. This sharps carbine actually falls into some of the numbers of the Sharps that John Brown's men had at Harpers Ferry. Other of the serial no. sharps did show up in other units in the Civil War. This sharps carbine was used by Pvt. Joseph O. Piche in some of the records spelled Picho but is the same soldier. He enlisted  10/17/61 in Co. K 3rd New York Cavalry & reenlisted 12/16/63. Piche was promoted in 1863 to wagoner. He along with most of his U S  3rd NY cavalry unit was consolidated into the 1st NY Mounted rifles in July 1865 & is listed on their records as the 4th Regt. Prov. cavalry. . The 3rd NY cavalry was in 122 engagements & a number of skirmishes during the War. They started out in NC & were in battles around New Bern. They were in the Trantors creek, Jacksonville battles & later were at Petersburg, raid on Richmond, Malvern Hill & Yellow Tavern along with many others. Have a lot of paper on Piche & on the units he was in during the Civil War. A really nice, war used, M1853 Sharps Carbine.