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 31376 on the right side of the nocks form. This is also usually marked on the inside of the receiver, but that requires completely disassembling the carbine, so we were not able to look for it. The carbine is marked nicely on both lock and barrel: STARR ARMS CO. YONKERS, N. Y., which is still crisp on the lock plate, while the barrel marking is worn. 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 service used condition, looking to have seen long use during the war and probably during the "Indian Wars" following. The barrel is faded to a dark peppery patina, with some of the original finish preserved under the fore stock, while the receiver is a mottled steel color. The lock plate shows much less oxidation due to the different alloy used. The stocks have a lovely red brown color with a great oiled finish, only achieved after many years. The fore stock shows some cracking and repairs from use, while the butt stock shows wear on the left side, which looks to be from saddle wear, indicated by the dark worn line. We can see two very faint "boxed" inspection cartouches, however we are not able to identify them.

The actions function correctly and move relatively smoothly, though it can be a bit finicky due to wear. The rimfire firing pin is still present and moves correctly, though it is definitely sluggish, and the pin on the rear breech does not move as easily. 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 very good condition with a mostly bright finish showing crisp lands and grooves. There is some past oxidation and wear, now cleaned away, typical for this age firearm.

A lovely matured 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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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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Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to almost any deliverable address across the globe. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.