Original Item: Only One Available. This Burnside Cavalry Carbine in .54 caliber is offered in very good condition, having been lightly cleaned by our antique gunsmiths. It is marked on the frame, breech block, and loading lever with serial number 10235, which is late in production for this fourth model. We were not able to check the barrel serial number as the screw could not easily be removed, and we did not want to damage the slot further. We checked the Springfield Research records, and did not find any serial blocks that this could have been a part of.

This example, known as the "Fourth Model" or model of 1863, differs from the later "Fifth Model" as it does not have a guide screw on the right side of the receiver to keep the breech block in place while reloading. It 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 major cleaning or restoration, so it is a nice honest used example, and the markings are still well preserved. 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 legible, though a bit faint due to wear.

The CAST-STEEL 186[2] 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 we can actually see some of the original bluing present on the sides of the breech block.

The stocks show wear and tear consistent with service during a war, but no major damage such as cracks, missing chunks, or repairs. They show the expected scratches, dents, and dings, but still have a lovely red brown color, looking to probably have been worn down a bit from cleaning. We were not able to see any of the original inspection cartouches. 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.

The bore is in excellent condition, mirror bright with crisp lands and grooves. This is probably the best bore 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. As this is a fourth model, the action does not have a "guide screw" on the right hand side, so the action can be hard to keep in the "loading position". The pivot pin is fully intact, and can easily be removed by depressing the spring loaded button underneath.

A great honest used example of a Fourth Model Burnside Carbine with a fantastic bore, ready to research and display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: c.1863
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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