Merrill Carbine
Merrill, Thomas & Company · Carbine · Out Of Production · 1858
Also known as: Merrill Model 1858, Merrill Model 1863
Overview
The Merrill Carbine was a single-shot, breech-loading percussion cavalry carbine designed by Baltimore gunsmith James H. Merrill from an 1858 patent. A lever-and-plunger mechanism opened a falling breechblock to load a paper cartridge holding a 400-grain .54 Minie ball over 40 grains of powder, ignited by an ordinary percussion cap. Used mainly by Union cavalry, roughly 14,500 were built by Merrill, Thomas & Company of Baltimore between 1858 and 1865.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 2950 g (104.1 oz) |
| Overall Length | 940 mm (37.01") |
| Barrel Length | 610 mm (24.02") |
| Action Type | Falling Block |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Effective Range | 180 m (197 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 550 m (601 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 8 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .54 Merrill · primary — also known as .54 Minie Ball
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Single Shot Breech Loading
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock Hammer
- Features: Lever And Plunger Breech, Paper Cartridge Loading, Percussion Cap Ignition, Saddle Ring, Brass Patchbox First Type
Variants
- Merrill First Type Carbine — Early Pattern
- Merrill Second Type Carbine — Simplified Pattern
Service history
Operators
- United States Army · adopted 1862
- Confederate States Army · adopted 1861
Conflicts
- American Civil War (1861-1865)
Production
Estimated total produced: 14,495 · Production years: 1858-1865
Approximately 14,500 carbines built by Merrill, Thomas & Company of Baltimore, Maryland, in two production types
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: James H. Merrill
Discontinued: 1865
Notes
Two production types exist: the First Type had a brass patchbox and a flat knurled breech-lever latch, while the simplified Second Type dropped the patchbox and used a rounded button latch.
Background
James Merrill ran his carbine works in Baltimore, a city of divided loyalties, which is how examples of this Union cavalry weapon ended up in Confederate hands early in the war.