This Civil War Starr carbine rates excellent, with smooth metal showing full original barrel blue and visible case color on the lock plate, trigger plate, receiver, more muted on the receiver tang and brighter on the breechblock when lowered. The rear sight shows great color as well, with just some gray along the edges from handling. Front sight and sling ring are in place, of course. The wood has good edges, and both stocks have a tight fit the receiver, but some handling dings and pressure dents on the edge of the forestock, buttstock flats and belly. Two wood cartouches on the left wrist, however, are very sharp (one with a slight pressure dent from the sling ring.) The brass barrel band and butt plate have a pleasing mustard tone. The band shows a few dings and some brown spots. The buttplate is good, and the buttplate tang fits the stock tightly, though the toe of the buttstock has chipped and there is a slight gap between the wood and metal for an inch or so up from the tip of the toe.

The Starr company markings are crisp on the barrel and lockplate, as is the patent stamp on the breech tang. The serial number is 18772, is crisply marked on the side of the breechblock and visible when lowered.

Ebenezer Starr, the son of famed gunmaker Nathan Starr, Jr., produced some 20,601 of these .54 caliber breechloading percussion carbines from 1863 to 1865 at his factory in Yonkers, NY. They fired a combustible linen cartridge by means of a percussion cap. (Some 5,000 metallic cartridge versions were delivered at the very end of the war.) Government tests in 1858 had rated the carbine superior to the Sharps. Verdicts from the field were less complimentary, but the carbines saw service in the hands of the 24^th NY Cavalry, 11^th Missouri, 1^st Arkansas, and 5^th Kansas among other mounted units.

This is a nice looking carbine that would fill a gap in any cavalry or small arms collection.  [sr]

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