Original Item: Only One Available. The Starr carbine was a "Capping Breech Loader" single-shot firearm used by the United States Army. Designed in 1858, the Starr was primarily used by cavalry soldiers in the American Civil War.

In January 1858, Ebenezer Starr submitted his design for a single-shot, breech-loading cap fired rifle to the Washington Armory for evaluation. During testing, the rifle was noted to have no misfires, and its accuracy was considered better than average. Testers commented that if the gas seal could be improved, the weapon would be better than its rival, the Sharps carbine.

The rifle was adopted as the Model 1858 carbine. Between 1861 and 1864, over 20,000 were produced by the Starr Arms Company of Yonkers, New York. The Model 1858 was designed to fire paper or linen cartridges. In 1865, the government ordered 3,000 Starr carbines chambered to use metal cartridge, known as the Model 1865. These proved to be successful, and an additional 2,000 were ordered. Although the Starr carbine had proven to be effective during the Civil War, it was not successful during the trials of 1865 by the U.S. Army trials board, and no further rifles were ordered.

During the war, the Starr Arms Company had been the fifth largest supplier of carbines and the third largest supplier of .44 caliber single action pistols. After the war had ended, and with no further government contracts, Starr could no longer compete with larger manufacturers like Winchester, Sharps, and Colt, and the company closed its doors in 1867.

This is a lovely service used example of the Model 1865 Starr Saddle Ring Carbine, a rimfire design intended for Cavalry troops. We have only had a few of these before, as the "capping breech loader" Model 1858 is much more common on the market. The barrel on this very nice example is marked with serial number 30044 on the right side of the barrel nocks form, which is also marked on the inside of the receiver, which can only be seen by disassembling the carbine. That makes this a great "ALL MATCHING" example, with no major components swapped out. The carbine is marked nicely on both lock and barrel: STARR ARMS CO. YONKERS, N.Y. , which are both mostly clear. It also still has complete patent markings just behind the falling breech: STARR'S PATENT. / SEPT. 14TH 1858.

This example is offered in very good condition, showing years of careful cleaning after its service life was completed. The metalwork shows a lovely gray mottled patina in most areas, with no real peppering or major oxidation that we can see. There is a bit of light powder burn around the breech area, as even with the gas seal some corrosive material would still escape. The stocks have a lovely red brown color with a great oiled finish, only achieved after many years. There are some minor scratches and dents, but nothing out of line with service wear. There is a cartouche by the saddle ring that reads STB for Samuel T. Bugbee, who inspected Starr Revolvers and Carbines circa 1861

All aspects function correctly and move smoothly, and the rimfire firing pin is still present and moves correctly. The cartridge ejector in the receiver moves correctly, though we have not had the opportunity to test it on real brass. The bore in the 21" barrel is in good condition with with crisp lands and grooves but areas of light fouling and oxidation as is typical for this age firearm.

A great example of a true Civil War Rimfire Carbine, one of only 5,000 made! Ready to fill that spot in your collection!

Specifications:

Year of Production: c.1865
Caliber: .56-50 Spencer
Ammunition type: Rimfire Cartridge
Length: 37.5 in (950 mm)
Barrel length: 21 in (530 mm)
Action: Falling block action
Feed system: Single Shot, breech-loading

Design and features

The Starr carbine was similar in design to the Sharps carbine. The Starr had a longer receiver and a distinctive web between the tail of the breech lever and the underside of the butt.

The Starr carbine had a .54 caliber barrel that was 21 inches in length. The weapon had an overall length of 37.65 inches and a weight of 7.4 lbs. The Starr carbine had a three-position rear sight composed of a standing block and two folding leaves.

Production history

Model 1858
Designer: Ebenezer Starr
Designed: 1858
Manufacturer: Starr Arms Company
Number built: 25,000

Model 1865
Designer: Ebenezer Starr
Designed: 1865
Manufacturer: Starr Arms Company
Number built: 5,000

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