Original Item: Only One Available. This is an excellent example of a Civil War Model 1840 Light Artillery Saber, straight out of an old collection. There are faint still markings on the 32" curved bright steel blade. The sword measures 38" overall, and has a brass "D" guard enclosing brass wire bound leather hand grip. Comes complete with a once nickel plated steel scabbard with two hanging rings now oxidized to a dark brown.

The blade does not appear to have any maker markings with only faint inspection markings, which may have been polished off over time. Either that, or it could quite possibly be a European Import, which tended to usually be unmarked. The guard is of the recessed type, which generally speaking date from the Pre-Civil War era.

This sword blade is in great shape, and shows only light use. It is really in great shape, still retaining some of the original bright steel finish, with some staining and oxidation throughout. Interestingly enough there is a lovely rainbow pattern on the blade which may be from original manufacture though heat was most likely applied in the post war era due to straightening a bent blade. There are some small dents and nicks on the edge, but no major chips or other damage.

The grip has lost very little of its original leather wrap, but retains all tightly bound wire wrapping. The hilt is in great shape, with a lovely aged brass patina.

The scabbard has no visible denting and retains almost none of the original finish, which was replaced by a deep brown oxidation. Really a good example and possible candidate for cleaning if you should wish to do so.

This is an absolutely genuine U.S. Civil War issue 1840 artillery saber offered in very good condition. Ready to display!

Approximate Dimensions:
Blade length: 32”
Blade style: Curved Saber with Single Wide Fuller
Overall length: 37 3/4”
Scabbard length: 33 3/4”
Handguard: 6”x 5 ½”

History of the M-1840 Artillery Saber:
Before and during the Civil War there were two categories of artillery: The first was termed variously coast, siege, or garrison artillery and consisted of heavy large-caliber cannon on their equally unwieldy carriages that essentially remained where they had been installed in permanent positions like the brick forts prevalent for seacoast defense. The other was the field artillery that accompanied an army on the march, that from the Revolution had also consisted of relatively heavy and slow-moving pieces drawn by oxen or draft horses. Developments in metallurgy in the first half of the nineteenth century produced a new range of smaller and lighter bronze guns and howitzers that were much more mobile on the battlefield, and it was with these that the then-new flying or horse artillery completely dominated their old-fashioned enemies in battles like Buena Vista in the Mexican War of the 1840's.

The so-called foot artillery manning the garrison guns were uniformed and equipped like their brothers in the infantry, including a useless heavy sidearm called a foot artillery short sword, which for a time in the 1830's was also regulation for infantrymen. The new horse, field, or mounted artillery were uniformed and armed like their counterparts in the cavalry or dragoons, which included these handsome, sturdy curved sabers patterned from a French design of the 1820's.

When the U. S. decided to arm the new batteries of light or horse artillery, they again contracted with the N. P. Ames company from whom they had previously obtained foot artillery short swords and M.1833 Dragoon sabers; once again, a French pattern was chosen to copy for the U. S. M. 1840 light artillery saber. During the Mexican War, the U. S. artillery officers' sabers were regulation for ALL mounted officers other than those of the cavalry; today they are one of the rarest and most valuable of U. S. regulation swords, so I "make do" with my French original.

Like with other swords and sabers, the blades were inspected first, and only after they had "passed" and been stamped with the initials of the inspecting official, then sent on to be hilted. On final acceptance, they then received the US and year of manufacture stampings, which on this example were each clearly applied separately unlike modern-day replicas and fakes.

In the later Civil War-era examples from Ames and their competitors who also made them, the throats have been re-designed like those of the cavalry or dragoon sabers with a leather pad or washer acting as a sealer for the throat of the scabbard. These handsome sabers were also copied during the Civil War by several Confederate sword cutlers like Leech and Rigdon of Memphis, Tenn. and Boyle and Gamble in Richmond, Va. One would think there was probably little use of these in actual combat ( and one would be right! ); however there is a recorded case of a mounted charge by artillerymen armed with these acting as cavalry against Apaches in the Southwest ca. 1852 led by Lt. Ambrose Burnside of the 2d Artillery, who was wounded in the fray!