Smith Carbine Cartridges

[SARGE]

 

Gents,

 

I recently picked up a Civil War period Smith Patent Carbine, made circa 1864 by the Massachusetts Arms Co. of Chicopee Falls, Mass. Poultney & Trimble were Smith’s agents employed to facilitate military contract sales. About 30,000 of these carbines were made during its production run between 1861 to 1865 and almost all of them were used by the Union Cavalry during the Civil War. The firearm designer was Dr. Gilbert Smith of New York. His design featured a simple break open action, providing a single shot, utilizing a .50 cal. cartridge partially made of rubber. While many different cartridges were in use simultaneously during the war the rubber cartridge was both a nuisance to the shooter who had to get the hot gummy spent case out of the chamber once fired, as well as to the ammunition manufacturer, who had to acquire rubber from distant places.  The conical lead bullet was similar in appearance and function to other cone shaped bullets used in other CW firearms. In place of rubber, several other materials were also tried during the war.

 

Here is a cartridge used in the .50 caliber Smith percussion rifled carbine along with some patent information.  On Dec. 15, 1863 Thomas J. Rodman and Silas Crispin secured a patent (No. 40,988) for a "Metallic cartridge case formed of thin wrapped sheet metal... Combined with an internal or external strengthening disk or cup.  Whether this disk is made of paper, metal, or elastic material."  This patent was assigned to Thomas Poultney at Baltimore, Md.  Hence from the patent language it will be seen that these several styles of Smith Cartridges were produced under this patent.  

 

I have been looking for one of these innovative paper wrapped Smith carbine cartridges for some time and this one just came into my sights.  Below are two variations of the Smith Cartridge with the fired one being iron while the un-fired paper wrapped example is rubber.  

 

 

[USCapturephotos]

I enjoyed your write up. My older brother collects Civil War carbines and loves the Smith. Many years ago when I still did a lot of relic hunting in Virginia, I once got into an area with a handful of dropped Smiths near the battle of Charles City Crossroads on the Virginia Peninsula.

Paul

[M24 Chaffee]

Nice ACW rifle and cartridge and information!

 

Frank

[SARGE]

Paul,

 

Where were you and your dropped Smith cartridges when I was looking for one?  Seriously, those cartridges would be a great find.  These darn things are hard to find in this nice condition.  I looked diligently for them until this one popped up.  I think the cartridges made with rubber were the first ones while the metal versions were later.  Certainly this 1863 patent expands the materials the "disk or cup" could be made from.  At any rate these show the innovation in systems that were occurring during the Civil War.  

 

Frank.

 

Thanks for the kudos on the carbine.  I looked for one of these in this nice condition for years.  Specifically, I wanted the three sets of patent, maker, & agent markings along with the US Government inspection markings.  After I got the carbine the search for the cartridges started.  I was really happy to find this unmolested paper wrapped example.