Baker Cavalry Carbine
Ezekiel Baker · Carbine · Out Of Production · 1801
Also known as: Pattern 1803 Baker Cavalry Carbine, Baker Cavalry Rifle, Baker Carbine
Overview
The Baker Cavalry Carbine is a flintlock muzzleloading carbine of approximately .625-inch carbine bore, a shortened and lightened development of Ezekiel Baker's rifled long arm intended for use on horseback. Designed around 1801 and standardised as the Pattern 1803 carbine with a 20-inch barrel and an overall length near 35 inches, it retained the seven-groove rifled bore and folding-leaf rear sight of the full-length Baker rifle while scaling down length and weight so that mounted troopers could load and handle it from the saddle. It is fitted with a steel swivel (captive) ramrod, a sliding lock safety to guard against accidental discharge while mounted, brass furniture with a patch box, and a saddle bar and ring so it could be slung on a carbine belt. It was issued to elite mounted units including the Life Guards and the 10th Light Dragoons.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3200 g (112.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 889 mm (35.00") |
| Barrel Length | 508 mm (20.00") |
| Action Type | Muzzleloader |
| Firing Mechanism | Flintlock |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Muzzle Velocity | 305 m/s (1001 fps) |
| Effective Range | 90 m (98 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 180 m (197 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 2 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 7 |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Browned |
Calibers
- .625 Caliber Rifle Ball · primary — also known as 0.625 in, 20-bore ball, .615 carbine bore, .65 carbine bore
- .54 Caliber Ball — also known as 54 cal round ball, 13.7mm ball
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Muzzle Loaded
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock Notch, Sliding Lock Safety
- Features: Rifled Barrel, Muzzle Loaded, Shortened Barrel, Captive Swivel Ramrod, Saddle Bar And Ring, Folding Leaf Rear Sight, Blade Front Sight, Brass Furniture, Patch Box, Sliding Lock Safety, Ramrod
Base model
Service history
Operators
- British Army (Life Guards) · adopted 1801 · as Cavalry Carbine
- 10th Royal Hussars (10th Light Dragoons) · adopted 1813 · as Cavalry Carbine
Conflicts
- Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815)
- Peninsular War (1808-1814)
Production
Production years: 1801-1838
Produced in far smaller numbers than the infantry Baker rifle; supplied to selected cavalry regiments rather than the line.
Origin
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Designer: Ezekiel Baker
Discontinued: 1838
Notes
Bore size varied across the cavalry patterns. Surviving service carbines are most often documented at the .615-.65 carbine bore (the .625 figure used here), while lighter dragoon and officer's carbines were made in smaller bores down to around .54 caliber; rare individual examples exist in bores as large as .70. The standardised Pattern 1803 has a 20-inch (508 mm) barrel and a 35-inch (889 mm) overall length, with a lock plate just over 5 inches long and seven-groove rifling. Muzzle velocity is estimated from contemporary .625-bore Baker loads. Dimensions for the earlier 1801 carbine differ from the standardised 1803 pattern.
Background
Encouraged by the Prince of Wales, who commanded the 10th Regiment of Light Dragoons, Ezekiel Baker submitted a cavalry carbine with a twenty-inch barrel that was tested against rival makers and adopted as the Pattern 1803 for the regiment. To make the rifle safe to carry loaded on a moving horse, Baker added an external sliding bolt that locked the cock at half-cock and a swivel ramrod that could never be dropped from the saddle. Royal patronage helped secure the Baker carbine's place among Britain's mounted elite during the Napoleonic Wars, though surviving specimens are rare; only a handful of unit-marked cavalry Bakers are documented worldwide.