Original Item: Only One Available. This Burnside Cavalry Carbine in .54 caliber is offered in very good service used condition, having been lightly cleaned and restored by our antique gunsmiths. It is marked on the frame, breech block, loading lever, and under the barrel with serial number 13768, which is very early during fifth model production, probably made during early-mid 1864. This example, known as the "Fifth Model" or model of 1864, is in very good service used condition, with very nice "broken in" wood stocks and an intact saddle ring. It does not show any real signs of restoration, just cleaning to remove dirt and oxidation, so it is a nice honest used example, with the markings still partially retained. The Burnside was one of several "capping breech loader" designs utilized by the Union Army during the war. The top of the frame is correctly marked:

The marking on the lock plate is also still partially legible, with the top line partly missing due to wear:-

The [C]AST-STEEL 1864 marking in front of the sight still mostly legible, a real rarity on these guns, as they were often mis-struck at the factory. The metalwork shows a worn mottled patina, with some areas of peppering, but no major rust issues. Inside the action however we can actually see a good amount of the original bluing and case hardened finish present on the sides of the breech block and levers.

The stocks show wear and tear consistent with service during a war. There are dents and dings as well as some significant gouges on the sides and bottom of the fore stock. Still, the wood has a lovely color and great grain, typical of the American Black Walnut used at the time. We checked the left side of the butt stock by where it meets the action, and there are two "boxed" RKW cartouches for inspector Robert K. Whiteley, who looks to have done both the preliminary and final inspection on the carbine.. This are totally correct for this model of carbine, and many other examples are marked similarly. The saddle bar and ring are in good shape, with no cracks or major damage visible. There is also still the original rear sling swivel present on the bottom of the butt stock, which is a bit stiff but still moves correctly.

The bore is in excellent condition, mirror bright with strong lands and grooves, even still showing some of the original cutting marks in the grooves. There is just a bit of fouling and oxidation near the muzzle. This is definitely one of the best bores that we have ever seen on a Burnside carbine, and it shows the original five grooves clearly. The action cycles correctly, with a fully functional lock and tight mechanics. The small "guide screw" on the right side of the frame that allows the breech block more easily stay in place for reloading is still present on this example as well.

A lovely example of a Fifth Model Burnside Carbine with a fantastic bore and some great markings, ready to research and display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: c.1864
Caliber: .54"
Cartridge Type: Copper Casing or Tapered Foil Cartridge with Cap
Barrel Length: 21 Inches
Overall Length: 39 Inches
Action type: Side Action Lock
Feed System: Breech Loading Falling Hinged Block

History of the Burnside Carbine

The Burnside, one of the best carbines of the Civil War, was designed by one of its worst generals. Actually, Maj. Gen. Ambrose Everett Burnside had sold the interest in his breechloader well before the war started, so he was unencumbered with the need to further its development or, sadly, to reap the proceeds that would have resulted from its success as the conflict’s third most widely produced Federal carbine, after the Sharps and Spencer.

Burnside’s invention employed a rotating block, released by a loading lever that was activated by a hinged, clamping catch. It chambered a unique .54-cal. cone-shaped brass cartridge with a thick, rounded belt (there were also some earlier, coiled cases, sans belt) at its mouth and a small hole in the base that allowed ignition from a separate percussion cap. The round was loaded, base down, into the chamber. Next, the lever was closed and the block locked in place with the belt halfway between the chamber and barrel, providing an excellent seal.

After the carbine was fired, the lever was again lowered and the spent case easily removed from the block with one’s fingers. If extraction became difficult, it was possible to pull it out with the base of the next cartridge. After the soldier got the hang of it, a Burnside could easily be fired in excess of a dozen rounds a minute.

The Burnside Carbine (there were rifles, too) went through a considerable evolutionary process and provides a fertile area for the collector. About 300 First Models were produced by the Bristol Firearm Co. in Bristol, R.I., a manufacturer founded by Burnside himself. It was a .54 caliber with an overall length of 40 inches. First Models had no fore-stock and incorporated a unique side lever, which operated a tape primer and also locked the breech block in the open position. The carbine’s frame was case-hardened, and the barrel was blued.

Second Models did away with the side lever and tape primer, though they still had no fore-stock. Premier Second Models were made by the Bristol Firearm Co., though later ones were produced by the reorganized Burnside Rifle Co., in Providence, R.I. The Third Model, fitted with a fore-stock, was introduced in 1861 at the request of the U.S. Ordnance Dept.

A Fourth, and final, variant appeared toward the end of the Civil War. It had a double pivoting breech block to make the gun easier to open and close. Later on, a second type of Fourth Model (sometimes called “Fifth Model”) appeared with a screw in the right side of the action to prevent the block from dropping out of the action, thus speeding up loading. These guns will be seen with both blued and case-hardened frames. Markings on most Fourth Models are, “BURNSIDE’S PATENT/MODEL OF 1864,” though there are some examples with the earlier 1856 date. Also, deliveries of this model started in 1863, even though they had the 1864 markings.

Because they were made in large quantities and appeared toward the end of the Civil War, Fourth/Fifth Model Burnside Carbines are the least valuable of the various versions. Not too steep a price for one of the most important cavalry arms of one of America’s most important conflicts.

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IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to all US States and most nations around the world.

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