INTERESTING STOCK CARVINGS ON US GALLAGER CARBINE

INTERESTING STOCK CARVINGS ON US GALLAGER CARBINE

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$4,500.00

Quantity Available: 1

Item Code: 490-7440

Shipping: Determined by Method & Location of buyer

To Order:
Call 717-334-0347,
Fax 717-334-5016, or E-mail

Offered is a mid-war example of a single shot, breech loading, .50 caliber, percussion model Gallagher carbine. These were issued to the Federal cavalry during the Civil War. Mahlon J. Gallager, a South Carolina native, developed the weapon while he resided in Savannah, Georgia in July 1860. From its factory location at 12th and Thompson St in Philadelphia, the firm produced almost 18,000 of these carbines for the Federal government from 1861 to 1865. These carbines saw extended service with Union horse soldiers during the war.  The Gallager featured a breech loading mechanism which consisted of a lever / trigger guard combination that when pushed down, allowed the barrel to slide forward and tilt up and away from the barrel. Though Gallager boasted that his design would facilitate the easy removal of the spent casing from the breech, this extraction action was the principal defect of his weapon.

This carbine is serial number 10,489 placing in production late 1862 to mid-1863. It features a 22¼” long round barrel, was made with no fore-end, and has a total length total length of 39½”. Fitted with a sling bar with saddle ring on the left side of the breech frame, the carbine also has a two-leaf rear sight, iron blade front sight and a slightly curved butt plate. The weapon is all iron mounted. The round barrel, the lock and in fact all the iron components have a mottled gun metal gray patina. The bore, 6 lands and grooves, is dusty but excellent. No original factory color, blue or casehardening, is visible. The lock plate is stamped "GALLAGER'S PATENT JULY 17th 1860" as well as "MANUFACTd By RICHARDSON & OVERMAN PHILADA." above "10,489". The lock functions smoothly. The Black walnut stock has an iron patch box. The stock has a number of minor dings, dents, and scratches. The final inspector's cartouche stamping once under the sling bar is worn from field use and hardly visible. The left butt stock is expertly carved with a long-shafted feathered arrow under a 5-pointed star adjacent to a star and crescent. These were filled with red sealing, a technique that dated back centuries.

The carbine was among the effects of Carey E. Maine a native of Eagleville, Connecticut at the time of his death. During the Civil War he was a musician/drummer in company B of the 11th Connecticut Infantry. Enlisting in October of 1861 at age 33 he served until honorably discharged in July of 1865. He was painfully wounded in the left ankle at Cold Harbor June 3, 1864. This begs the question how this infantry man get ahold of a cavalry carbine. The carvings on the stock of the carbine provide a plausible explanation. One or all the carvings could represent corps badges. The arrow is the 17th Corps. The star was used by the 12th/20th Corps. The star and crescent represent the 7th Corps. The 11th Connecticut Infantry had no affiliation with the 17th Corps nor the 12th/20th Corps. However, they were from April to July of 1863 assigned to the 7th Corps, their symbol a star and crescent. The 11th participated in the Siege of Suffolk and subsequent actions until re- assigned to the 18th Corps. Musician Cary Maine lived until 1921 and was active with the veteran's organization called the Grand Army of the Republic, the GAR (Cary Edwards Maine, Sr. - FindaGrave Memorial). It is likely that this carbine was carved by an unidentified soldier or veteran. This could have been done during the war or afterwards. Such decorative embellishment of firearms and edged weapons was a common practice by former Civil War soldiers and were prominently on display in GAR hall libraries and museums across the US. It is possible that Cary Maine himself was the artist. Worthy of more research.  [pe][PH:L]

DISCLAIMER: All firearms are sold as collector's items only - we do not accept responsibility as to the shooting safety or reliability of any antique firearm. All firearms are described as accurately as possible, given the restraints of a catalog listing length. We want satisfied customers & often "under" describe the weapons. Any city or state regulations regarding owning antique firearms are the responsibility of the purchaser. All firearms are "mechanically perfect" unless noted, but again, are NOT warranted as safe to fire.

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