Original Item: Only One Available. This is an exceptionally interesting East India Company era percussion cavalry carbine specifically marked to the IRREGULAR XIII CAVALRY and retailed by Garden of 200 Piccadilly, London. This distinctive type is illustrated in David Harding's Smallarms of the East India Company, Volume 2, page 507, and is associated with carbines obtained for the 13th Bengal Irregular Cavalry during the early 1850s. Particularly desirable features include the brass furniture, captured swivel ramrod, saddle ring and bar, twist steel barrel, unusual period leather wrist wrap, and explicit regimental lock marking. This example was recovered as part of our 2003 Nepal cache acquisition, adding an important later chapter to its already fascinating Anglo-Indian service history.

This is an antique black powder firearm manufactured before 1899. Under federal law, it may generally be owned within the United States without a special license or permit and does not require transfer through a Federal Firearms Licensee. However, state and local laws may vary. This firearm is sold solely as a historical collector’s item and has not been test fired or inspected for firing safety by a professional gunsmith. Any mechanical or bore observations provided below describe only its present condition and should not be interpreted as confirmation that the firearm is safe to load or fire. The purchaser is solely responsible for complying with all applicable federal, state, and local laws.

The irregular cavalry regiments of the Bengal Army differed considerably from standard British cavalry formations. Their mounted troopers served under the East India Company's distinctive irregular system, while officers and regimental authorities obtained specialized arms and equipment through the British commercial trade. Garden of Piccadilly became particularly associated with supplying arms, swords, saddlery, and military equipment for service in India, and surviving Garden marked carbines are known with specific Bengal Irregular Cavalry unit designations.

The top of the twist steel barrel is clearly marked:

GARDEN. 200. PICCADILLY. LONDON

Hugh Garden traded from 200 Piccadilly as a prominent London military outfitter and arms retailer. Following his death in 1851, the business continued under his son Robert Spring Garden, making this address particularly appropriate to the early 1850s date assigned to these Bengal cavalry carbines.

The lock plate is prominently marked:

IRREGULAR
XIII
CAVALRY

This explicit unit marking is one of the most important features of the carbine and directly identifies it with the 13th Bengal Irregular Cavalry.

According to the East India Company arms research cited above, this pattern was supplied for the 13th Bengal Irregular Cavalry during the early 1850s. Unlike the white metal or German silver furniture encountered on comparable carbines associated with the 12th Bengal Irregular Cavalry, this example has brass furniture, consistent with the configuration encountered on 13th Irregular Cavalry carbines.

The carbine measures approximately 37" overall and is fitted with a 21" smoothbore barrel.

The bore currently measures approximately 0.74" at the muzzle. That is substantially larger than the approximately .65 caliber commonly associated with comparable Garden supplied cavalry carbines. The barrel walls are now quite thin, suggesting the bore may have been enlarged through corrosion, wear, cleaning, or alteration during its long service life. Without an original gauge marking or a detailed internal examination, we would not assign a precise original caliber to this individual example.

No clear proof marks were located on the exposed portions of the barrel or lock. They may have been lost to wear, cleaning, or corrosion, or may be located on concealed surfaces that were not examined.

The carbine retains its captured swivel ramrod beneath the barrel. This practical mounted service feature prevented the ramrod from being dropped or lost during loading and is one of the characteristic features of cavalry arms of the period.

The left side of the stock retains the saddle bar and sliding ring. This allowed the carbine to be attached to the mounted trooper's carbine sling so that the weapon remained secured if released while riding.

A particularly interesting feature is the aged leather wrap around the wrist. Similar leather grip coverings have been observed on other Bengal Irregular Cavalry carbines recovered from the Nepal cache. The leather is fitted beneath the trigger guard rather than simply wrapped externally, showing that it was deliberately installed as part of a substantial modification or repair.

We cannot presently determine whether this leather covering was an official regimental modification, a Nepalese service treatment, or an individual repair or improvement. Its age and manner of fitting nevertheless make it a fascinating part of the carbine's service history.

Both conventional sling swivels remain present in addition to the saddle ring and bar. One is mounted at the nose, while the second is positioned at the rear of the trigger guard behind the wrist.

The brass furniture has been polished relatively recently, giving most of the fittings a brighter golden appearance. The butt plate was not polished to the same extent and retains a more naturally oxidized aged patina.

The iron surfaces have developed an attractive service aged gray and brown patina. There is no major exterior pitting or heavy rust damage visible. The barrel is particularly attractive for the clearly visible spiral pattern of its twist steel construction.

The carbine has received sympathetic cleaning and restoration during its long history, leaving it highly presentable while retaining substantial evidence of service and age.

The percussion lock remains mechanically responsive during manual inspection, but it does not hold securely at half cock and the action is somewhat stiff. This is an important mechanical deficiency and is fully disclosed.

The stock remains in very good overall condition and displays an attractive light brown color with particularly pleasing grain. It shows the dents, dings, scratches, abrasions, and other handling wear expected from a cavalry arm that remained in service for many years.

There is some evidence of old woodworm activity in the butt stock.

The left side of the butt is additionally stamped:

6

26

The meaning of this marking has not been established. It could represent an inventory, rack, unit, or later Nepalese service number, but we leave it unattributed without supporting documentation.

This carbine was recovered as part of our historic Nepal cache acquisition in 2003. The 13th Bengal Irregular Cavalry was directly involved in the upheaval of 1857. Elements of the regiment mutinied and fought against British forces during the uprising, while other detachments initially remained loyal and were later disarmed. Surviving contemporary and later accounts place men of the regiment in operations across northern India during the rebellion.

What is not documented is the precise route by which this individual carbine entered Nepalese storage. Its recovery from the Nepal cache is certain, but we do not have records proving that it was carried into Nepal by mutineers, seized at the frontier, or transferred there through another military or governmental channel. We therefore preserve the strong regimental and Nepal provenance while avoiding a specific capture story that cannot presently be demonstrated.

With its bold IRREGULAR XIII CAVALRY lock marking, GARDEN, 200, PICCADILLY-LONDON barrel signature, brass furniture, captured cavalry ramrod, saddle ring and bar, unusual leather wrist wrap, handsome twist steel barrel, and documented recovery from the Nepal cache, this is an unusually evocative East India Company cavalry arm. The combination of a specifically identified Bengal regiment and a surviving pattern recognized in major East India Company arms references makes it especially desirable for a collection of Anglo-Indian firearms, Bengal Army cavalry equipment, East India Company arms, or weapons associated with the Indian Uprising of 1857.

Specifications: 

Year of Manufacture: circa 1851
Maker: Garden of London
Caliber: .74 inches 
Ammunition Type: Lead Ball & Powder with Percussion Cap
Barrel Length: 21 inches
Overall Length: 37 inches
Action: Side Action Percussion
Feed System: Muzzle-Loaded
Federal Classification: Pre-1899 Antique

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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.