Maynard carbine

Maynard Carbine
Type carbine
Place of origin  USA
Service history
Used by Confederate States of America
Wars American Civil War
Production history
Designer Edward Maynard
Designed 1851
Manufacturer Maynard Factory
Produced 1860–1869
Number built 21,000+
Specifications
Length 40 in (1,000 mm)
Barrel length 21.5 in (550 mm)
Caliber .50, .52
Action breech loaded, lever-action
Rate of fire 12 rounds per minute
Maximum firing range 600 yd (550 m)
Feed system single shot
An unfired Maynard 52 caliber cartridge.

The Maynard carbine was a breech-loaded carbine used by the cavalry of the Confederate Army in the American Civil War. About 3000 Maynards were in Southern hands during the war, mostly in Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi units. The Maynard had a good reputation for long-range accuracy, and Confederate sharpshooters made extensive use of it, especially during the Siege of Charleston.

It was highly praised by the soldiers – Private Toby of the 1st Mississippi Infantry stated that it was "warranted to shoot twelve times a minute, and carry a ball effectually 1600 yards. Nothing to do with Maynard rifle but load her up, turn her North, and pull trigger; if twenty of them don't clean out all Yankeedom, then I'm a liar, that's all."[1]

Mechanical operation

When the gun's lever was depressed, the barrel rose, opening the breech for loading. Afterwards the lever was raised to close the gun's breech. Once cocked, the loaded weapon could be primed by either placing a percussion cap directly on its nipple or by using Maynard's priming system to advance a primer to the nipple. The brass Maynard cartridge did not have an integral percussion cap; a small hole in the middle of its base fired it when the external cap was detonated. The cartridge, which had a wide rim permitting swift extraction, was reloadable up to 100 times. This proved to be a significant feature for the Confederate troops equipped with it. Another significant feature was that the use of a metallic cartridge prevented gas escape at the breech, a serious concern for early externally primed breechloaders.

References

  1. ↑ Weekly Arkansas Gazette, June 15, 1861, p. 1, c. 8

External links

Further reading