Original Item: One Only. This is a well used example of the rare Type II Gwyn & Campbell Saddle-Ring carbine, also known as the "Grapevine Carbine" due to the snake like curves in the trigger guard lever and long hammer. One of some 4,200 carbines produced, the .52 caliber, percussion breech-loading carbine was developed for the Ohio State Cavalry in 1862 by businessmen Edward Gwyn and partner Abner C. Campbell, both of Hamilton, Ohio. The type II is more commonly encountered than the scarce Type I, which had a more "serpentine" shape, an had lock screws that attached from the right side of the lock plate. The U.S. Ordnance Dept. granted over a dozen contracts to Gwyn & Campbell for a total of 8,202 carbines of both types. A number of Federal cavalry units were armed with the G & C carbine and included the 3rd Wisconsin; 2nd and 3rd Iowa; 2nd & 3rd Arkansas; 5th and 8th Ohio; 5th, 6th and 16th Illinois along with other Civil War units.

The carbine is a single shot, falling-block action "capping breechloader" piece mated to a 19" round barrel that has a 3 1/2" long octagonal section at the breech. This specimen exhibits all iron mountings looks to have seen quite a bit of use during the civil war, and possibly afterwards. The hammer has a flat back with a beveled edge and a lever that is long and serpentine in shape. The lever locks into a short claw-like spur inside the bottom loop of the lever, which must be pushed back to unlock the lever.

The metalwork finish is worn, now showing a lovely brown patina overall, and the markings are worn as well. We assume it was exposed to the elements, and was cleaned repeatedly over the years. At some point the saddle ring bar on the left side of the receiver was lost, and there is now a fabricated flat bar stock replacement, secured by two screws, the rear of which is only held on by glue. It looks also like at some point there was actually a fore stock of some sort attached to the bottom of the barrel, as there are some dovetailed in pieces of metal, which look to have screw fittings in the middle. Definitely a carbine with a long and interesting history!

Matching serial number 3187 is stamped on underside of barrel, receiver, breech plug and loading lever, while the marking on the bottom of the barrel is worn away. The carbine is stamped with maker's mark on the lock plate, which is mostly worn away, but originally would have read:

The carbine is also stamped stamped with the remnants of "UNION / RIFLE" on the side of the frame beneath the cap nipple cone area.

The action on the carbine opens and closes correctly, and the lock is fully functional, holding at half cock and firing at full. The cap nipple cone is intact, and appears to be original. The breech latch is secure as well, though it can be difficult to open. The rear sight is still present with the original slider, though the spring is missing, and the front sight base is present but missing the blade. We checked the bore, and we cannot see any remnant of rifling present. There are also several areas of heavy fouling and oxidation, and the bore measures out to about 0.53". We assume it was heavily used, and then wore out to that diameter.

The Wood butt stock is in very good condition, though it does have some rough markings suggesting it was sanded down a bit on both sides to remove old/ damaged wood. None of the original markings are visible, but it does have a lovely color to it.

Overall this Carbine used by the Union Army in the Civil War is in lovely "salty" service used condition and is fully ready to display. A rare Civil War Carbine, most unusual to find today, with some great research potential.

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: c.1862-3
Caliber: .52"
Cartridge Type: Percussion Cap and Paper Cartridge
Barrel Length: 20 Inches
Overall Length: 38 3/4 Inches
Action type: Falling-Block with Side-Action Lock
Feed System: Single Shot

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.

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.

These antique guns are not sold in "live" condition, and are not tested for the the ability to feed or load any type of cartridge. They are sold as collector's items or as "wall hangers" not for use, and we make no guarantees regarding functionality aside from what is stated in the description. Any attempt at restoring an antique gun to be operational is strongly discouraged and is done so at the risk of the customer. By purchasing an antique gun from IMA you thereby release IMA, its employees and corporate officers from any and all liability associated with use of our Antique guns.

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.