Morse Carbine, .50 caliber cartridge, 20" barrel, brass frame, walnut, used, includes accessories, assembled from parts by The Rifle Shoppe

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Morse Carbine,
.50 caliber cartridge, 20" barrel,
brass frame, walnut, used, includes accessories,
assembled from parts by The Rifle Shoppe

Part Number:	AAV-402
Availability:
Price:	$3,799.00
Order Quantity:

Designed by George W. Morse, who patented a system to convert muzzleloading guns to a breech loader circa 1856. The machinery was produced at Springfield, Massachusetts and shipped to Harpers Ferry for use in converting 1841 Mississippi rifles to a breechloader, but with the capture of the Harpers Ferry arsenal by Confederate forces the machinery was relocated to the South. A considerable amount of information on these carbines can be found in the book Confederate Carbines & Musketoon by John M. Murphy M.D. Approximately 1000 Morse Carbines were manufactured in Greenville, South Carolina circa 1864. Three major variations of the antique exist and this replica is of the second variation. The second variation added a positive lock to the action to assure the door was in the fully locked position before the gun was fired. This carbines has a 20" barrel in .50 caliber with a brass frame and muzzle cap. It is stocked in walnut. Trigger reach is 14-1/2" and the carbine weighs only 7.1 pounds.

The 20" long .50 caliber barrel is rifled with three grooves in military style. The bore is bright and has been well maintained. The barrel is finished bright and the sights are a brass front sight fitted in a steel base just behind the muzzle. The rear sight is dovetailed 3-3/4" ahead of the breech. The rear sight is a flat top with a fine "V" notch. The barrel accepts a early metallic cartridge design which American Civil War period papers describe as " a brass cylinder with a cone about 3/8" from the end to receive a cap. The cap is inserted into a small hole punched in the center of a wad of India rubber, which is then placed in the lower end of the cylinder, so as to bring the cap down on the cone. The cartridge is loaded with powder (black powder) and bullet." The paper went on to describe the rapid loading and waterproof advantages of the cartridges.

This carbine includes some loading tools:

5 Morse cartridge cases with nipple for musket cap
13 rubber wads
20 cast lead bullets
Turned loading tool with wad seater, decapper, bullet seater

Stocked in walnut this Morse Carbine has a satin finish with a very few small handling marks. Antique Morse carbines are found stocked in butternut, walnut, and very rarely maple. The brass action was cast from a antique example by The Rifle Shoppe. The action filed to a bright finish and does have a few small surface pits, which are common to the antiques as well. As this carbine ages it will have a very nice antique patina. The triggerguard and grip rail are cast as integral parts of the action. The buttplate is brass with a very gentle curve to engage the shooter's shoulder. The forearm is walnut with a brass muzzle cap. The ramrod / cleaning rod is steel with a jagged tip on the end. A small stud on the bottom of the barrel retains the ramrod to the carbine.

The chamber at the breech is exposed by pulling the steel cover toward the buttend of the stock and lifting the action up. This draws back a slide, which extracts the cartridge from the breech. Withdraw the cartridge and insert a new cartridge and close the breech, cock the hammer and the carbine is ready to fire. The hammer has three positions, the first position (down) the action door will remain locked, the second position (half cock) allows the door to be opened to extract or load cartridges, and the third position is ready to fire. This was a fairly advanced design for the period, but also consumed additional brass materials for the cartridges for the already war material short Confederacy.

This brass frame 19th century Morse carbine was made from parts cast by The Rifle Shoppe. It was a very early cartridge design that was produced much too late in the war to have any significant impact on the American Civil War for the Confederacy. Order it for a ten day visual inspection. You will be delighted. Else if it does not fit you, return it in unfired condition for same-day refund. Postage is your only risk, when you order any one-of-a-kind gun from Track, whether new, used, or antique.

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