This gun takes its name from the man, Lt. G.T. Getty, who presented the gun to the Confederacy’s Chief Ordnance Officer Josiah Gorgas, and more specifically to a note that Superintendent of Armories, W.S. Downer wrote to Chief Ordnance Officer, Brigadier General Josiah Gorgas, quoted below:

"I have the honor to enclose the report of Master Armorer (Salmon) Adams on the altered Sharps carbine presented by Captain Getty. I would suggest in addition to the report that I think the slide (breech block) should be made of iron for these reasons: there are some pins, etc., on the slide which would be apt to work loose—being screwed in the brass. Again, there is always the danger of cells of honeycomb in the castings which may not make itself known until the gun is in service, which would render it useless. I would suggest also that the finger part of the trigger is too long: it seems to be made on the model of the old "Hall’s arm”. There is also a fault incidental to the old stock which is that the butt is too straight, preventing its coming up to the face quickly to catch the sight in aiming. This might be remedied by hollowing out the side of the stock next to the face. The workmanship on the alteration is certainly very good and the best use which I have ever known Halls carbines to be put to.”

The above description is describing a brass framed Sharps like that shown here, which is made from an altered Hall’s "lock, stock and barrel” with the addition of the Hall’s buttplate and barrel band. Clearly, he is describing what has come to be known as the "Getty Carbine”.

At this time, 2025, there are seven complete guns and one excavated breech block marked with the numeral III. There are two #1s, one of which is rifled and one smoothbore, #2, #V and #s VV, IV and VII. At this time, it is not known for certain if these are serial numbers or bench numbers because of the two "I”s, one is rifled and one is smoothbore. There is sort of two Vs, but one is stamped VV on the receiver as though possibly it was stamped wrong from the beginning. Certainly, the evidence leans toward them being bench numbers, but even if they were intended as bench numbers, because of the limited production, they also serve as serial numbers. All of these guns are very similar, but configuration, markings and caliber, barrel and bore vary.

The gun shown here has the numeral I stamped on the buttplate, breech block, receiver, trigger tang, and forearm. No other markings are present. It uses the .52 caliber M1819 Hall 16 land barrel without a front swivel and has the block/blade style front sight. The rifling is extraordinarily strong.

It is completely original, with perhaps the exception of one screw. I say perhaps, because it is very tight, and I have not taken it out to check. There is no restoration whatsoever to the carbine.

The carbine has a verbal provenance of having been discovered in an old collection in Maine.

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