Joslyn Model 1862 Carbine
Joslyn Fire Arms Company · Carbine · Out Of Production · 1862
Also known as: Joslyn First Model Carbine, Joslyn First Type 1862, Model 1862 Joslyn
Overview
The Joslyn Model 1862 Carbine was the first rimfire single-shot, breech-loading cavalry carbine produced by Benjamin Franklin Joslyn's company under a June 1862 U.S. government contract. Chambered for the .52 rimfire metallic cartridge (interchangeable with the .56-52 Spencer), its breechblock pivoted up and to the left on a hinge to load the chamber. The Model 1862 is distinguished from the later Model 1864 by its brass furniture and a hook-type friction latch with an exposed firing pin, a mechanism the 1864 pattern later replaced with a more secure pull-knob lock. Roughly 2,200 Model 1862 carbines were purchased by the U.S. government during the American Civil War.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3400 g (119.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 984 mm (38.74") |
| Barrel Length | 560 mm (22.05") |
| Action Type | Hinged Breechblock |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 366 m/s (1201 fps) |
| Effective Range | 180 m (197 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 550 m (601 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 12 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .52 Rimfire · primary — also known as .52 Joslyn, .56-52 Spencer
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Single Shot Breech Loading
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock Hammer
- Features: Pivoting Breechblock, Hook Friction Breech Latch, Exposed Firing Pin, Brass Furniture, Metallic Rimfire Cartridge, Saddle Ring
Base model
Service history
Operators
- United States Army · adopted 1862
Conflicts
- American Civil War (1861-1865)
Production
Estimated total produced: 2,200 · Production years: 1862-1864
Approximately 2,200 Model 1862 carbines purchased by the U.S. government; built by the Joslyn Fire Arms Company of Stonington, Connecticut. Roughly 16,500 Joslyn carbines were produced in total across the Model 1862 and Model 1864 patterns.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Benjamin Franklin Joslyn
Discontinued: 1864
Notes
Identified by brass furniture and a friction (hook) catch for the breechblock rather than the pull-out latch of the Model 1864. The .52 Joslyn rimfire round was effectively interchangeable with the .56-52 Spencer cartridge.
Background
The Model 1862's hook-type friction latch could spring loose if the breechblock was jarred or snagged on a saddle during a charge, a weakness that prompted the redesigned positive pull-knob lock of the 1864 model.