This is very good example of one of the standard issue Union cavalry carbines of the Civil War and was favorably rated. The carbine is serial numbered 5912 and is the “Model of 1864” sub-type of the “Fifth Model” Burnside carbine, giving it a production date of about mid-April 1864, in time for many of the great cavalry raids and campaigns. Several models of the Burnside were produced, sometimes with changes introduced while production for army contracts was in progress, but the general principle was the same: a tapered metallic cartridge with a small hole its base was loaded end first into a lowered breechblock and fired with a percussion cap. The so-called fourth model introduced a hinge to the breech block that kept the opening near the top of the frame for easier loading and removal of a spent shell; the Fifth Model introduces a screw in the side of the frame to better guide the breechblock; the “Model of 1864” added a longer trigger plate, screws and slightly different rear sight.

This example is complete and all original with matching serial numbers. The metal is smooth, with no pitting. The barrel shows better than 90 percent finish of original blue turning plum. Both sights are in place. The rear sight has the smaller 300-yard aperture of the Model 1864. The leaf shows some blue turned thin brown. The base is gray. The barrel inspector stamp is sharp, as is the company name, model designation and serial number on the upper frame. The top of the breech block has a crisp matching number and shows nice thin blue of case color on top with more lively case colors on the sides of the loading assembly when lowered, and more subdued, but visible case on the sides of triggerguard. The frame, originally blued, is a muted silver with brown freckling. The hammer screw shows nice blue, as does the left side screw. The sling bar and ring are in place.

The wood has a good fit to the metal and good color, but does show overall dings and scratches from field use on the fore stock and butt flats. Even so, there are no cracks or chips and the inspector’s cartouches in the left wrist are plainly visible. Dings to the left stock flat are particularly to be expected from suspension on a trooper’s carbine sling where the snap hook and roller bar of the sling are going to bang into it when the trooper is mounted and in movement, even the forestock was exposed since the carbine thimble was narrow and only meant to stabilize the carbine and not shield it or bear the weight.

The “Model of 1864” had its own serial number range and deliveries of the first contract started in late February 1864, with all 12,000 on the contract delivered by mid-June. Extrapolating from McAulay’s dates of delivery this falls into the mid-April period, though numbers can be slightly off from the possible inclusion of some earlier pattern carbines in the deliveries.

This make a nice addition to a Civil War cavalry display.  [sr]

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