Christian Sharps (1811 to 1874) was arguably one of this nation's formost firearms inventors. He got his early traing at the Harper's Ferry Arsenal and patented his first breechloader in 1848. In 1850 he moved to Mill Creek Pennsylvania and contracted A.S. Nippes to produce the first two models of Sharps Sporting rifles. Finding investors hard to come by in the area he moved on to New England where he consumated an arrangement with Robbins and Lawrence to manufacture the new breechloader at their Windsor, Vermont factory (c. 1851), while he formed a company, to market his rifle, based in Hartford, Connecticut named Sharpes Rifle Manufacturing Company and then served as a technical advisor. This set-up continued until 1855 at which time manufacturing was moved to Hartford and continuing until 1874. At this point the company was reorganized as the Sharps Rifle Company. Operations ceased in 1876 and all production was moved to Bridgeport and stayed there until 1881. Reading between the lines, Christian Sharps was never easy to get along with as is evidenced by the many companies that he formed. In 1853 he severed all relations with theSharpes Rifle Manufactureing Company and there is no evidence that he ever returned. In 1854 he traveled to Philadelphia and formed C. Sharps & Company and started manufacturing the breech-loading percussionsingle shot pistol and pistol-rifle and in 1859 the four shot pepperboxes. In 1862 he again tried a parnership with William Hankins, this company was know as Sharps and Hankins. They produced a four barrel pepperbox and single shot breech-loading rifles and carbine. Again the partnership was disolved in 1866. At this point he reverted to making firearms until his death in 1874 under the name of C. Sharpes & Company.