Invented by Mahlon J. Gallager of South Carolina, these carbines were widely used by northern cavalry in the Civil War with manufacturer Richardson and Overman delivering 17,728 on government purchases and contracts from August 1861 to December 1864. The carbine is single-shot, .50 caliber and loaded at the breech by pushing forward the triggerguard/lever to push the barrel forward and raise the breech for loading, and uses a metallic cartridge case or the Poultney foil and paper cartridge. They are iron mounted, provided with a patch box in the buttstock and do not have a forestock. The barrel is blued and mounts an iron blade front side and v-notch or folding leaf rear sight. The bore shows some light grime with good rifling. The receiver was case hardened. A sling bar and ring is mounted on the left side. The lockplate is marked in two places: in four lines by Richardson and Overman forward, (including serial number underneath,) and to the rear with Gallager’s 1860 patent stamp in two lines. This one is number 5979, dating its delivery roughly to December 1862 by McAulay’s list of purchases and orders.

The carbine rates very good for condition with about 80 percent blue barrel finish turning plum brown and both sights in place. The receiver shows mostly gray mixing with thin brown. The markings are crisp. The wood has a tight fit, good surface and nice color with only minor handling marks and small dings. The patchbox and buttplate have a tight fit. The patchbox shows nice mottled blues and browns. Some of the screws on the top of the receiver tang and the patchbox have good blue. The buttstock shows two crescent wear streaks on the left side near the butt, which are nice signs of field use caused the snap-swivel assembly of the troopers carbine sling. The mechanics and action are good.

These were carried by, among other units, the 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, and 6^th Ohio Cavalry, the 13^th Tenn., and the 3^rd West Virginia. This is a nice example of a widely used Union cavalry carbine.    [sr] [ph:L]

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