Talk:Hiram Berdan

An American Colonel General?!?
That just doesn't sound right, you sure he wasn't a Major General? --V. Joe 03:16, 15 May 2006 (UTC)

Hiram Berdan was never any manner of general. He was appointed a colonel and a colonel he remained.

He did NOT, in any manner, invent the "Berdan Sharps Rifle". The Sharps New Model 1859 rifle was created by Mr. Christian Sharps and was adopted by a group known, quite coincidentally, as the U.S. Sharp Shooters.

Berdan did design several firearms, at least one of which was adopted by Imperial Russia. He also invented the Berdan priming system for cartridges, which is still in widespread use today.

Berdan was one of the country's finest marskmen, as well as an accomplished inventor. He, like many "instant officers" of his day, was a poor leader. And worse, when the battle joined, tended to find business in the rear area urgently requiring his personal attention. He left the military shortly after the battle of Gettysburg to continue his career as an inventor.

The Hiram Berdan article is in bad need of major edits.

Sorry to disagree, but Berdan was indeed a general, reaching the brevet rank of major general according to numerous Civil War references works. In the Regular Army, he did not advance past the rank of colonel, but the brevets in the volunteer army still conveyed the title "general." The reference to the Berdan Sharps Rifle does need changed, but I fail to see what else qualifies for "in bad need of major edits." Scott Mingus 19:14, 30 July 2006 (UTC)

Metallic cartridges
In addition to the Berdan priming system, didn't he also invent the self-contained metallic cartridge as we know it today?

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