POTD: The Sharps “Coffee Grinder” Carbine – A Civil War Curiosity
Sam.S 12.03.24
Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! In 1864-65, Lt. Col. Walter King of the 4th Missouri Cavalry devised a unique modification to the Sharps New Model 1863 carbine – a hand-cranked mill built into the buttstock. Though commonly called the “coffee grinder” Sharps, the mill was actually designed to grind grain for cavalry horse feed during long raids. The modification featured a detachable crank handle and an opening in the stock for grain input. Despite its innovative concept, fewer than 100 carbines were converted during the Civil War, with only about 12 authentic examples known to survive today. Tests by the National Park Service proved the mill unsuitable for grinding coffee beans, debunking the popular misconception about its intended use. The gun became a frequent target for counterfeiters, particularly after spare mill parts from the St. Louis armory were used in the 1920s to create fake examples. As Springfield Armory notes, there are likely more reproductions in circulation today than original converted carbines ever produced. Original examples can be identified by period-correct markings and manufacturing details.
“This New Model 1863 is fitted with a reproduction “Coffee Mill” with the detachable handle attached on the left side. (Known examples have handle on the right). This mill was invented by Lieut. Col. Walter King of the 4th Missouri Cavalry and was actually intended to grind grain to feed the cavalry during raids. Fewer than one hundred Sharps are believed to have been fitted with the device; some sources indicate that only twelve are known to have survived.”
Lot 3135: Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company New Model 1863 Carbine 52 – Civil War Sharps New Model 1863 Percussion Saddle Carbine with “Coffee Mill” Stock. (n.d.). Rock Island Auction Company. photograph. Retrieved December 3, 2024, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/63/3135/sharps-rifle-manufacturing-company-new-model-1863-carbine-52-per.
