Original Item: Only One Available. Invented by Warren R. Evans of Thomaston, Maine, the Evans Repeating Rifle was one of the most ambitious and mechanically fascinating American firearms developed during the years following the Civil War. Production began in 1873 at the Evans Rifle Manufacturing Company in Mechanic Falls, Maine. Despite its ingenious design and unusually large magazine capacity, the company was unable to overcome the intense competition within the American firearms industry of the 1870s. Approximately 15,000 Evans rifles and carbines were produced before the company declared bankruptcy in 1879.

The Evans was distinguished by its extraordinary rotary magazine housed within the buttstock. On the early and Transitional Models, this system held 34 cartridges, an enormous capacity for a rifle of the period. An internal Archimedean screw contained four ammunition channels and rotated one quarter turn each time the operating lever was cycled, positioning the next cartridge for feeding into the chamber.

The design attracted military interest, but testing reportedly revealed that dirt and dust could interfere with the complicated feeding system. The rifle was therefore never officially adopted by the United States military. The early rifles were chambered for the proprietary .44 Evans Short centerfire cartridge, which used a case approximately one inch long.

Collectors generally divide Evans production into three principal models:

Old Model: The earliest version lacked a lower wooden buttstock section, leaving part of the magazine housing exposed and making the rifle less comfortable to shoulder. Approximately 500 Old Model rifles and carbines are estimated to have been produced.

Transitional Model: Introduced in 1876, this version added a lower buttstock section and a redesigned buttplate, improving handling while providing greater protection for the magazine assembly. Approximately 1,750 Transitional Model firearms were produced.

New Model: The final and most refined version was chambered for the more powerful .44 Evans Long cartridge, also known as the .44 New Model. Its 1½ inch case required a reduction in magazine capacity from 34 to approximately 28 rounds. The New Model also received a longer and more robust receiver, eliminated the scalloped lower front of the earlier receiver, and replaced the rotating cocking control with a sliding design. A moving dust cover was added over the ejection port to help prevent dirt and fouling from entering the action. Approximately 10,000 New Model rifles, muskets, and carbines were produced.

This is a lovely, lightly patinated example of a Transitional Model Evans Sporting Rifle with a 28 inch octagonal barrel. It is both the first Transitional Model and the first true Evans Sporting Rifle that we have offered.

Many Evans military rifles were later altered into sporting configurations by shortening or modifying their fore stocks. Those conversions can usually be identified by their round barrels and single screw fore stock attachments. This example is a correct factory sporting configuration with an octagonal barrel and a properly shaped fore stock retained by two screws and fitted with a nose cap.

The rifle appears to have seen light to moderate use and has developed areas of patination from past moisture exposure. The barrel retains the complete two line Evans patent marking, transcribed as:

EVANS REPEATING RIFLE. MECHANIC FALLS ME.
PAT. DEC.8,1867 & SEPT.16,1871

A marking that appears to read 1807 is present on the rear left side of the barrel. It may be a serial number, but the marking appears to have been overstamped and is higher than the expected production range for Transitional Model rifles. It may therefore represent another type of inventory or identification number. We were unable to determine its exact meaning.

Repeated cleaning to remove dirt and light oxidation has worn away nearly all of the original bluing from the receiver and the magazine tube portion of the buttstock. The octagonal barrel retains relatively strong bluing, although there is overall peppering. Additional original finish remains protected beneath the fore stock.

The walnut stocks have developed a lovely dark reddish brown color from age and oiling. They exhibit light wear together with small chips, dings, and gouges. Some staining is present around the edges where oxidation from the adjoining metalwork has affected the wood.

The action functions well and produces a crisp dry fire. The rotating magazine can be seen operating through the ejection port. The mechanism has very little looseness, and we did not encounter the usual finicky operation sometimes associated with the Evans feeding system. It is somewhat stiff from age.

The hammer can be manually cocked using the rotating control on the underside of the operating lever. This control can also be used to lower the action slowly and avoid an unintended discharge. A half cock position is present to keep pressure off the primer when a cartridge is in the chamber.

The loading door at the rear of the buttstock opens easily. We carefully examined the buttplate but did not locate a visible serial number.

The bore is in very good condition, with clear lands and grooves and a mostly bright finish. There is light overall wear together with evidence of past fouling and oxidation that has since been cleaned. Even with these issues, the bore is considerably better than those usually encountered on surviving Evans rifles.

The rear sight remains present but is loose and slightly bent. Its sliding elevation piece is missing.

We have handled only a handful of Evans repeating rifles over the decades, and this is a particularly honest, lightly used example. Its correct octagonal sporting barrel, two screw fore stock, nose cap, high capacity rotary magazine, strong mechanical operation, and very good bore make it a significant example of one of the most unusual American repeating rifles of the 19th century.

Specifications:
Year of Manufacture: Circa 1876
Caliber: .44 Evans Short, also known as .44 Evans Old Model
Ammunition Type: Centerfire cartridge
Barrel Length: 28 inches
Overall Length: 45 inches
Action: Lever action
Feed System: 34 round rotary helical buttstock magazine

NOTE: International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS Worldwide Services. USPS Priority Mail International will not accept these shipments. International customers should always consult their country’s antique firearm laws before 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.