Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original U.S. Civil War .54 caliber Burnside saddle ring cavalry carbine in the configuration commonly known to collectors as the Fifth Model or Model 1864. Serial No. 37839 is marked on the frame and beneath the barrel, while the breech block and breech block link are numbered 13594, clearly indicating that those components were exchanged at some point during the carbine’s service life or afterward. This is a very good service used example that has been lightly cleaned by our antique gunsmiths, retaining its saddle ring, rear sling swivel, two legible inspector cartouches, visible five-groove rifling, and the distinctive guide screw on the right side of the frame.

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 Burnside was one of the more distinctive breech-loading cavalry carbines used by Union forces during the Civil War. Its unusual system used a tapered metallic cartridge containing the powder and projectile, while ignition was provided separately by a percussion cap. The later configuration commonly called the Fifth Model incorporated a small guide screw on the right side of the receiver that helped retain and control the movement of the breech block during loading. This collector designation overlaps with what some references describe as a later variation of the Fourth Model, but “Fifth Model” remains widely used in the collecting community for this configuration.

The top of the frame retains the correct patent marking, although the center has been worn away through repeated handling and cleaning:

BUR[NSIDE PA]TENT.
MARCH [25TH] 1856.

The lockplate marking remains fully legible:

BURNSIDE RIFLE CO
PROVIDENCE R.I.

The barrel also retains most of the normally faint marking forward of the rear sight:

CAST-STEEL 186[2]

The survival of most of this marking is a desirable detail, as these long barrel stamps were frequently weak or incompletely struck. The left side of the stock, behind the saddle ring bolster, retains two boxed inspector cartouches. One reads OBG, attributed to an unidentified sub-inspector, while the second reads GC. The GC cartouche is associated with government inspector George Curtis, whose mark is documented on Burnside carbines.

The metalwork has developed an overall polished bright patina from decades of repeated cleaning and handling. Scattered peppering from earlier oxidation is visible throughout, but there are no major active rust issues described. The interior of the action is similar, showing evidence of long use and repeated cleaning together with oxidation remaining in less accessible areas.

The wood has the worn, broken-in appearance expected of a cavalry arm that saw substantial service. Both the buttstock and fore stock show dents, dings, handling marks, and localized losses. The left side of the buttstock is more heavily worn, possibly from repeated contact with saddle or tack equipment. The fore stock has considerably more wood loss on both sides near the receiver and was later smoothed down; it also appears to have been refinished. The saddle bar and ring remain in good condition without visible cracks or major damage, and the original rear sling swivel is still present on the underside of the buttstock.

The bore remains in good service used condition with the original five-groove rifling clearly visible. Fouling and oxidation are present, the lands show wear, and several areas indicate that the bore was not always cleaned promptly after firing. The chamber within the breech block also shows oxidation, and the condition or openness of the ignition channel has not been determined.

The action cycles correctly and presently feels tight. The lock holds at half cock and mechanically releases from full cock. The percussion nipple remains present and shows old exterior oxidation. The small guide screw on the right side of the frame, a characteristic feature of this late Burnside configuration, is also intact. These observations describe only the current mechanical state and should not be interpreted as establishing firing safety.

With its Civil War cavalry configuration, frame and barrel serial No. 37839, clearly disclosed mismatched breech components numbered 13594, surviving patent and lock markings, unusually legible CAST-STEEL barrel stamp, two boxed inspector cartouches, intact saddle ring and rear sling swivel, visible five-groove rifling, and retained guide screw, this is an appealing service used Burnside carbine with considerable period character. The repeated cleaning, bright patina, scattered oxidation and peppering, stock dents and wood losses, refinished and reduced fore stock, mismatched breech components, bore fouling and wear, chamber oxidation, and unverified ignition channel are fully disclosed. It would display particularly well in a Civil War cavalry arms, Union breech-loading carbine, Burnside Rifle Company, percussion carbine, or advanced U.S. martial firearms collection.

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: c.1864
Maker: Burnside Rifle Co.
Model: Fifth Model 1864
Serial No: 37839
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
Federal Classification: Pre-1899 Antique

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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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.