Original Item: Only One Available. The Smith Carbine was a 0.50 caliber breech-loading rifle patented by Gilbert Smith on June 23, 1857 and successfully completed the Military Trials of the late 1850s. It was used by various cavalry units during the American Civil War. It was unique in that it broke apart in the middle for loading, and that it used rubber cartridges which sealed the gases in the breech. The downside was that these cartridges were difficult to remove. It was one of the many "capping breech loader" firearms that bridged the gap between percussion and cartridge firearms.

The carbines were built by three companies: Massachusetts Arms Company of Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts; the American Machine Works in Springfield, Massachusetts; or the American Arms Company in Chicopee Falls. The name of the distributor for the manufacturer, Poultney & Trimble of Baltimore, Maryland, is often stamped on the carbine's receivers, as is the case with this example.

This is a rare Civil War era example of an original Smith's Patent Carbine, which looks to have seen much use during and most likely after the civil war. The breech area shows significant corrosion and pitting from powder burn, which would not normally occur if the correct ammunition was used. In this case, a brass sleeve was field mounted into the barrel end of the chamber, and turned it from a cartridge firearm into a cap & ball firearm that is loaded from the breech. Due to the poor gas seal, the area around breech has a lot of corrosion spreading outward from the breech joint. This is a type of modification that we have not seen before, and the brass sleeve has clearly been installed for quite some time.

Aside from the breech and receiver area, the rest of the carbine is in very good condition with signs of age and light use. It is clearly seen how the farther from the breech you go, the better the condition gets.

The distributor information is still partly legible on the left upper receiver:

Below this, under the saddle ring bar, is still a partial patent marking:

Due to the wear on the receiver, the manufacturer marking is no longer visible. The powder burn and oxidation has also removed both serial number markings from the underside of the breech hinge.

Mechanically, this carbine is sound with a tight action, strong springs, and breaks open correctly using the brass push rod in front of the trigger. The spring latch on the top does look to be a period replacement, as does the cleanout for the cap bolster. The saddle ring bar is present, however the ring was unfortunately lost. The lock functions correctly, holding at half cock and firing at full. The bore on this example is in good condition, showing clear lands and grooves, with wear and oxidation shown in areas. There is some pitting closer to the breech area of the barrel.

The stock wood is in very good condition, with a lovely red brown color and great grain. There is no major damage to either the fore or butt stock, and they only show light wear commensurate with moderate service. The metalwork overall has a nice browned patina, with the previously mentioned corrosion on the receiver and breech areas. The front and rear sight are still present, however the slider is missing on the rear sight.

Here is an important piece of American firearm history from the time of the American Civil War, and it is available to one person only; the collector enthusiast who appreciates rare and hard to find!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: c.1863
Caliber: .50"
Cartridge Type: Rubber Cartridge with Percussion Cap
Barrel Length: 21 1/2 Inches
Overall Length: 39 Inches
Action type: Side Action Percussion Lock
Feed System: Single Shot Breech Loading

The Smith's Patent Carbine, a single shot, breech loading, percussion .50 caliber, was one of the most important Federal Cavalry carbines of the Civil War. Production of these carbines was almost entirely consumed by government contracts. A total of approximately 30,362 Smith Carbines were purchased by the United States during the Civil War.

The part octagonal and part round barrel is 21 5/8 inches long, with blued finish. The barrel is fitted with a blade front sight and a folding ladder rear sight. The "octagonal" portion of the barrel is 6 1/8 inches long and consists of 5 flats over the top 180 degrees of the barrel and a round surface for the lower 180 degrees (the portion under the hand guard). The front 14 inch section of the barrel is round. The butt stock has a steel two-screw curved carbine butt plate. This beautiful and rare Smith's Patent Carbine is chambered in caliber .50.

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.