As well as Sellers researched his book, I'd have to go along with him. He has most everything documented down to the dates and the people involved in the communications with the government and various companies that bought the conversions. The only thing I ever saw about the Springfield Armory is that they took some percussion rifles and some 1874's from the Sharps company and converted them to 50-70's with 35 inch barrels but I'd say the numbers were less than a few hundred. I haven't read the book lately so I'm not sure about those facts. Meacham bought a lot of the leftover parts during bankruptcy and did their own conversions but their work is more crude than all the conversions done by the Sharps Rifle company.

I recently purchased a 50-70 sharps carbine. What are good sources for the history on the covertion and use of the carbine?