Original Item: Only One Available. The Smith Carbine was a 0.50 caliber breech-loading rifle patented by Gilbert Smith on June 23, 1857 and successfully completed the Military Trials of the late 1850s. It was used by various cavalry units during the American Civil War. It was unique in that it broke apart in the middle for loading, and that it used rubber cartridges which sealed the gases in the breech. The downside was that these cartridges were difficult to remove. It was one of the many "capping breech loader" firearms that bridged the gap between percussion and cartridge firearms.

The carbines were built by three companies: Massachusetts Arms Company of Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts; the American Machine Works in Springfield, Massachusetts; or the American Arms Company in Chicopee Falls. The name of the distributor for the manufacturer, Poultney & Trimble of Baltimore, Maryland, is often stamped on the carbine's receivers, as is the case with this example.

This is a rare Civil War era example a complete and original Smith's Patent Carbine in very good condition with signs of age and light use. Unlike most that we have seen, this is not a "Saddle Ring" Carbine for Cavalry use, but an "Artillery Model" with two sling swivels, for use in the close quarters fighting often seen by Artillery soldiers.

The distributor information is marked on the left upper receiver side plate:

Below this is the correct patent information:

To the left over the hinge is the manufacturers information:

The carbine carries a four digit serial number of 7259 stamped on the underside of the barrel hinge on both the receiver and barrel side. Mechanically, this carbine is sound with a tight action, strong springs, and all original components (in our opinion). The lock functions correctly, holding at half cock and firing at full. The bore on this example is in good condition, still showing clear three groove rifling, but also showing overall oxidation and light pitting in areas. This definitely looks to be a carbine that did see significant use during the Civil War, and possibly afterwards.

The stock wood is in good condition, with a lovely worn look, showing wear from service. The butt stock still has two faint cartouches on the left side of the wrist, and is overall in very good shape. It has a great color and nice grain, with the usual dents and small scrapes from service. It is missing the lower stock screw that attaches it to the receiver tang. The fore stock is a bit worse off, with more denting, and a crack running from the securing screw, which is an incorrectly sized replacement. This could probably be repaired, but it is part of the history of the carbine, so we have left it as is.

The metalwork has an overall dark oxidized patina, which matches the condition of the wood nicely. There are some areas of minor pitting, but no areas of real rust scaling. There is a J.H. ordnance sub-inspector marking on the left side of the barrel nocks form, which would be one of several Civil War era ordnance inspectors. The front and rear sight are both intact, and the rear sight functions correctly, though the slider is quite loose. Both the front and rear sling swivels are present, and move freely.

Here is an important piece of American firearm history from the time of the American Civil War, and it is available to one person only; the collector enthusiast who appreciates rare and hard to find! In nice matured condition and ready to restore or display as is!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: c.1863
Caliber: .50"
Cartridge Type: Rubber Cartridge with Percussion Cap
Barrel Length: 21 1/2 Inches
Overall Length: 39 Inches
Action type: Side Action Percussion Lock
Feed System: Single Shot Breech Loading

The Smith's Patent Carbine, a single shot, breech loading, percussion .50 caliber, was one of the most important Federal Cavalry carbines of the Civil War. Production of these carbines was almost entirely consumed by government contracts. A total of approximately 30,362 Smith Carbines were purchased by the United States during the Civil War.

The part octagonal and part round barrel is 21 5/8 inches long, with blued finish. The barrel is fitted with a blade front sight and a folding ladder rear sight. The "octagonal" portion of the barrel is 6 1/8 inches long and consists of 5 flats over the top 180 degrees of the barrel and a round surface for the lower 180 degrees (the portion under the hand guard). The front 14 inch section of the barrel is round. The butt stock has a steel two-screw curved carbine butt plate.

NOTE: International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.