Produced during the American Civil War, this interesting breech loading carbine is one of the many variations of carbines of that period. In the book Carbines of the Civil War by John D. McAulay, the Gallager carbines are covered on pages 40-44. McAulay begins the section with a note that the carbine was the invention of Mahlon J. Gallager of Savannah, Georgia, that he patented on July 17, 1860. The premise behind the rifle was that by sliding the barrel forward and tilting it down the removal of spent cartridges would be easier. McAulay notes that in reality the Gallager carbine lacked a suitable extractor which was its one major defect. The book Civil War Carbines, Myth vs Reality, by Peter Schiffers compares shooting different carbines in live fire tests, with interesting results concerning the Gallager. The Gallager carbines were not well received by Union troops.
The carbine has an overall weight of 7.4 pounds and a trigger reach of 13-1/2." Throughout the course of the Civil War a estimated 18,000 carbines were produced, and a limited number were later chambered for the Spencer cartridge and shipped to France for the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71.
The 22" barrel has a .52 caliber bore. The bore of the rifle is mostly bright with scattered pitting visible. A carbine style front sight is mounted behind the muzzle. A flip up rear sight is mounted just forward of the breech while a tall blade sits just behind the muzzle. The barrel to action fit has a small amount of side to side movement.
Stocked in the original walnut the rifle has many, many handling marks. The left side of the stock is scribed with a masonic symbol and the initials J. V. The iron patchbox is in its original position, still functioning properly to this day. A strong spring holds the cover down and snaps it shut when it is closed after use. Most Gallager patchboxes were casehardened, but time has faded the majority of it to a dark gray and textured brown patina.. The buttstock is fitted with a carbine buttplate with short rounded comb. The long narrow wrist of the rifle is reinforced by the long tang of the action. A total of three screws retain the tang which is unmarked. On the left side of the gun the long bar and ring can be seen for attachment of a carbine sling/lanyard as preferred by mounted troops. From below the rounded toe of the rifle can be seen. The toe has many deeper dents. Moving forward along the stock the long trigger bar can be seen along with the triggerguard, which is also the rifles lever. The triggerguard is held by a latch at the rear. Pressing the latch backward allows the guard to pivot down and forward, simultaneously moving the barrel forward and down. This cam action allows cartridges to be easily inserted but makes no provision for extraction other than letting gravity drop the spent shell out or having to pry it out.
The lock of the rifle is in fine working condition. It properly locks up in the half cock position and drops from full cock. The lock is marked along the tail GALLAGER'S PATENT JULY 17th 1860 and further up MANUFACTURED BY RICHARDSON & OVERMAN, PHILADA. additionally the serial number, 17163, put this near the end of production. The tumbler screw is broken with only half remaining. The nipple appears to be clogged. We did not dismount the nipple.
If you are a collector of American Civil War firearms, or have an interest in early breech loading carbines, consider this nice piece. It is not often that we see Gallager carbines come through and it may be sometime before we see another. 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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The carbine has an overall weight of 7.4 pounds and a trigger reach of 13-1/2." Throughout the course of the Civil War a estimated 18,000 carbines were produced, and a limited number were later chambered for the Spencer cartridge and shipped to France for the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71.
The 22" barrel has a .52 caliber bore. The bore of the rifle is mostly bright with scattered pitting visible. A carbine style front sight is mounted behind the muzzle. A flip up rear sight is mounted just forward of the breech while a tall blade sits just behind the muzzle. The barrel to action fit has a small amount of side to side movement.
Stocked in the original walnut the rifle has many, many handling marks. The left side of the stock is scribed with a masonic symbol and the initials J. V. The iron patchbox is in its original position, still functioning properly to this day. A strong spring holds the cover down and snaps it shut when it is closed after use. Most Gallager patchboxes were casehardened, but time has faded the majority of it to a dark gray and textured brown patina.. The buttstock is fitted with a carbine buttplate with short rounded comb. The long narrow wrist of the rifle is reinforced by the long tang of the action. A total of three screws retain the tang which is unmarked. On the left side of the gun the long bar and ring can be seen for attachment of a carbine sling/lanyard as preferred by mounted troops. From below the rounded toe of the rifle can be seen. The toe has many deeper dents. Moving forward along the stock the long trigger bar can be seen along with the triggerguard, which is also the rifles lever. The triggerguard is held by a latch at the rear. Pressing the latch backward allows the guard to pivot down and forward, simultaneously moving the barrel forward and down. This cam action allows cartridges to be easily inserted but makes no provision for extraction other than letting gravity drop the spent shell out or having to pry it out.
The lock of the rifle is in fine working condition. It properly locks up in the half cock position and drops from full cock. The lock is marked along the tail GALLAGER'S PATENT JULY 17th 1860 and further up MANUFACTURED BY RICHARDSON & OVERMAN, PHILADA. additionally the serial number, 17163, put this near the end of production. The tumbler screw is broken with only half remaining. The nipple appears to be clogged. We did not dismount the nipple.
If you are a collector of American Civil War firearms, or have an interest in early breech loading carbines, consider this nice piece. It is not often that we see Gallager carbines come through and it may be sometime before we see another. 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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