Smith Carbine
Massachusetts Arms Company · Carbine · Out Of Production · 1857
Also known as: Smith's Patent Carbine, Smith Cavalry Carbine, Smith Patent Cavalry Carbine
Overview
The Smith Carbine was a .50-caliber breech-loading percussion cavalry carbine of the American Civil War, designed by physician Gilbert Smith and patented in 1857. Its barrel broke open in the middle on a hinge to load a single self-contained cartridge housed in a hard India-rubber case, which acted as a gas-sealing obturator at the breech; ignition came from a separate percussion cap struck by a side-mounted hammer. Manufactured by the Massachusetts Arms Company, American Arms Co. and American Machine Works and marketed by Poultney & Trimble of Baltimore, it was the fourth most widely issued Federal cavalry carbine after the Sharps, Burnside and Spencer.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3402 g (120.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 991 mm (39.02") |
| Barrel Length | 546 mm (21.50") |
| Action Type | Break Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Single Action |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Muzzle Velocity | 290 m/s (951 fps) |
| Effective Range | 200 m (219 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 1575 mm (62.01") |
| Number of Grooves | 3 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .50 Smith Carbine · primary — also known as .50 Smith, Smith carbine cartridge
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Single Shot Breech Loaded
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock Notch
- Features: Break Open Breech, Side Hammer, Percussion Cap Ignition, India Rubber Cartridge Case
Service history
Operators
- Union Army Cavalry · adopted 1860 · as Smith's Patent Carbine
Conflicts
- American Civil War (1861-1865)
Production
Estimated total produced: 30,000 · Production years: 1857-1865
U.S. military purchased 30,362 carbines; total manufacture estimated 30,000-35,000 across all contractors
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Gilbert Smith
Discontinued: 1865
Notes
Sources disagree slightly on details: bullet weight is variously given as ~363-380 grains, powder charge ~40-52 grains, and bullet diameter .512-.525 in. Overall length is quoted 39-39.5 in and barrel 21.5-21.625 in.
Background
The Smith did yeoman's service on the first day of Gettysburg, when two of General John Buford's dismounted cavalry regiments held the ridges west of town carrying Smith carbines. Remarkably, the gun was designed not by a gunsmith but by a practicing physician, Gilbert Smith, whose clever hard-rubber cartridge case sealed the breech against gas leakage.