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Civil War Carbines CIVIL WAR CARBINES VOLUME II ... the early years BY John D. McAulay ANDREW MOWBRAY INC.lPubiishers • P.O. Box 460. Lincoln. Rhode Island USA LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOG CARD NO.: 91-061728 John D. McAulay Civil War Carbines, Vol. 11 Lincoln, Rl: ANDREW MOWBRAY INCORPORATED - PUBLISHERS 144 pp. ISBN: 0-917218-48-5 ©1991 by John D. McAulay All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the author. Printed in the United States of America 60 Civil War Carbines, Volume II A sergeant ofcompany "H", lst Mississippi Cavalry. Originally raised as the "Bolivar Troop", this unit was apparently named after tbe famous South American liberator, Simon Bolivar. The folding tang sight of this Mississippi purchased Maynard carbine is clearly visible, as is a leather thong which appears to be stretched from the barrel pivot pin to the chamber. Herb Peck collectloD The First Model Maynard Carbine 61 THE FIRST MODEL MA YNARD CARBINE One of the best performing and most at the two national armories between 1855­ accurate breechloaders in the Pre-Civil War 1861. In all, Dr. Maynard received 23 U.S. era was the First Model Maynard Carbine. It patents for various firearms related inventions. also has the distinction of being the second Turning to his carbine, Dr. Maynard reg­ carbine purchased by the Ordnance Depart­ istered his breech-loading design with two pat­ ment to use a metallic cartridge. ents plus two additional patents for his metallic The Maynard carbine was the invention cartridge. The first patent for his carbine, of the Washington, D.C. dental surgeon, Dr. #8,126, was granted on May 27, 1851. This Edward Maynard (1813-1891). Edward May­ patent covered the lowering of the trigger nard was born April 26, 1813 at Madison, New guard operating lever which is pressed down York. In 1831 , he entered West Point but, and forward. This motion drops the muzzle while a good student, Maynard resigned after and raises the breech for inserting a cartridge. one year due to poor health. In 184 I Maynard The patent reads: was the recipient of an honorary degree of What I desire to secure by Letters Patent Doctor of Dental Surgery from Baltimore Col­ and claim as my invention in that class of lege. Later he became Chairman ofTheory and breech-loading fire-arms in which the barrel is Practice at the Baltimore Dental College and disconnectedfrom the breech. and is pivotedat also held this position at the National U niver­ some point intermediate between its butt and sity in Washington D.C. Dr. Maynard was the its muzzle to the stock, is ­ dentist for several presidents, ambassadors 1. A lever beneath the stock, by means of and many members of Congress. Maynard had which the barrel is turned upon its pivot to been offered the job of Imperial Dentist by the raise and to depress its butt, and is locked to its Russian Czar Nicholas I with the rank of major breech when the butt is depressed, and is in the Russian Army - an offer he declined. unlocked therefrom to allow the butt to be Dr. Maynard practiced dentistry until 1890 raised. the several members of the implement and died on May 4, 189 I. He is buried in the being arranged and operating substantially as Congressional Cemetery at Washington, D.C. 1 herein set forth. Dr. Maynard is best known for the Maynard 2. In combination with the above-claimed Tape Primer for which he was issued U.S. Pat­ device, a piston breech-pin which, by the ent #4,208 in September of 1845. The purpose movement ofthe lever to depress the butt ofthe of this priming device was to eliminate the need barrel and to lock it in place is made to move to manually place a percussion cap on the nip­ the cartridgeforward in the barrel and to close ple every time the weapon was ready for firing. the butt thereof, and which by the movement Instead, each time the hammer was cocked a of the lever to unlock and raise the barrel is paper roll carrying the priming compound, made to unclose or open the butt ofthe barrel similar to that used in children's cap pistols, before the latter rises under the action of the was advanced over the nipple. The government lever. adopted this tape priming system in July of 3. The sliding bolt [, constructed with slot 1855 and it is found on all Model 1855 rifles, andhook, or their equivalents, and arranged as rife muskets and pistol carbines manufactured herein set forth. in combination with a lever­ 62 eMI /I nit, nr.n Model 6.1 ----------------.. Jllwdlefor 'he purpose ofimport'1I1: 11101/01110 surface o/the hottom o/the bra.fs cup. which is Ihe piston hreech-pin/rom the le\'er beneath. 2 0/ /c'ss diameter than the said disk. and 'hen drilling a small central aperture through the com­ THE 1856 TEST TRIALS bined brass andSleet bottom o/saidcartridge. 6 In 1853. Dr. Maynard had the Springfield Armory make a full scale model carbine for The Maynard metallic cartridge used in the First Model carbine contained a 343 grain him at a cost of SI 16.37. 3 Dr. Maynard's car­ pointed bullet with a single grease groove and bine was first tested under the auspices of forty grains of powder. The successful trials of Major William A. Bell at the Washington ... J856 sparked the interest ofseveral individuals Arsenal on May 16. 1856. The Maynard test to form the Maynard Arms Company of firings were performed by Lieutenant Benton. Washington, D.C. in April 1857 to promote The results were the best that they had thus far ~ the sale of Dr. Maynard's gun. William W. Th~ first Mod.1 Ma,liard Carbin•• as purchas.d by th.Ordnanu Department In IIS9. This .arbine lIad a ZO", .50 .alib.r barrel and ..as recorded. The few bad shots were caused by the Corcoran was elected President and William not flIulpped ..ilh lb. lanlsilhl .ommonly found on Maynard arms. This particular .arbin.is_ial numbtr.d 53/361. Til••wh.1 rinl inferior lubrication used on the bUllet - a wbieb was oriChtall, a.. acbed b, m.ans of a kll" s,",ped bar rl.eled '"rouc" Ih. tanll bn be.n fmlOYfd. Freeman. Secretary ofthe company. Dr. May­ 1\t1I..aullu 'ullik Museum coll.clion mixture of tallow and sperm whale oil instead of the more suitable tallow and wax. The .48 nard held a twenty-live percent interest in the nard was fired forty times in three minutes and Army were .50 c<lliber and had twenty inch firm. On August 15 they entered into an caliber Maynard used in these trials was fired twenty seconds. 9 barrels equipped with simple non-adjustable agreement with the Massachusetts Arms Com­ forty times with only one missfire. Eight rounds rear sights. 12 pany ofChicopee Falls for the manufacture of were fired at one hundred yards. ten at two ARMY PROCUREMENT By August 1858. the Maynard Arms Com­ five thousand breech-loading guns ofthe May­ hundred. thirteen at three hundred. four at After Major Bell's favorable report on the pany had forwarded a model carbine with nard design with steel barrels. The master arm four hundred. and five at five hundred yards. Maynard carbine in May 1856. the Ordnance appendages. including two metallic cartridges. was made by the company's master machinist Major Bell concluded his report with: "I would Department requested approval from the Sec­ On August 25. Craig sent the carbine and and inspector. William P. McFarland. The respectfully state that this arm is considered retary of War to purchase two hundred May­ appendages to Brevet Major William A. Thorn­ guns manufactured were in both .35 and .50 the best breechloader for military or civil pur­ nard breechloaders under t he appropriation of ton at the New York Arsenal to serve liS the caliber and with barrel lengths oftwenty inches pose I have yet seen .... Concerning the metallic August 5, 1854 which allowed 190.000 for the model.for the Maynard contract. I \ On Sep­ (carbine) and twenty-six inches (rifle). They "? cylindrical cartridge used by Dr. Maynard. purchase of the best breechloading rifles. in the tember 9. the Maynard Arms Company was - Major Bell had these comments: were also available with shotgun barrels and lion of the Secretary of War. for the use of told that forty thousand metallic caftridj!es were sometimes produced as cased sets since all The (rlinder being brass; holding 30 !(rains United States Army, Approval was slow in were to be sent at a cost of S20 per one thou­ the barrels were interchangeable. While May­ v.fpowder: olle inch long; ha\'ing a l~,tinie ball coming. It was not until December 28. 1857 sand. Each cartridge was to contain forty nard arms on the open market sold for as much (not hollow) inserted into the /oflt'ord mel; that the Government ordered four hundred grains of musket powder. In additinn. on(' as $42.50 each. they cost the Maynard Arms dosed 01 ,lte rear encl. ('.uepti"g t1 .wllIlI \'('1/1 carbines at $JO ellch from the Maynard Arms extra cone (nipple). one loader with 'crew­ Comp.my only an ,l\'erage of S 17.75 each for apl'rturt'lllO l~lolf itleh in diam. in tltt' e'('ntfe. Company. to Colonel Craig wrote in part: driver. one brush and wiper with leather t~lIl!! the first class ~uns and $14.50 for second qual­ ('ol'ere,1 in tl/l' inUrior hy wax paper to prt'l't'm I hal'(' 10 in/elffll rlm that tire S('cretarr of and one hullet mould for evcry two arms \\crc ity arms.
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