December 10-13, 2024 Firearms & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/10/2024
In December 1778, 1000 "Carbines with Long Sights" were drawn from the Tower Arsenal and loaded aboard ships of the "Georgia Fleet" bound to Savannah with ordnance, uniforms and other military stores. These carbines were intended for the use of Loyalist light horse being raised in the Southern provinces. The ships of the supply fleet were separated during a gale and some of the ships were captured by American and French privateers, their cargos sold at auction in Boston and Philadelphia. Many of the uniforms, horse equipage and approximately 500 of the carbines originally intended for Provincial light dragoons ended up instead in the hands of Patriot troops, including Lee's Legion. Legion light infantrymen frequently rode into action mounted behind light dragoons, the infantryman dismounting before reaching the battlefield and forming up to fight on foot. As such, they required a shorter and lighter arm, but one which also mounted a bayonet. In late 1779, 50 "British carbines" were repaired and altered in Philadelphia for issue to the light infantry of Lee's Partisan Legion, almost certainly drawn from the 500 carbines captured from the Georgia fleet. These carbines were originally "home-stocked" at the Tower; that is, stocked fully to the muzzle and incapable of mounting a bayonet, so the American alterations included removing the sling sidebar and long-bladed foresight of brass mounted near the muzzle, cutting back the forestock and brazing on an attachment stud for a bayonet, which also doubled as a foresight. This is one of two examples of the so-called "Carbine for Horse" that were setup during 1777-1779 by the Small Arms Office at the Tower utilizing the updated 1756/1776 carbine lock (the other, in its original configuration with wooden ramrod, is now in the Royal Armouries at Leeds). Its brass mounts are all of the 1747-1756 carbine form, with the exception of the the distinctive, long, composite "trumpet" forepipe of brass made to resemble two co-joined, short pipes and its tailpipe is lined with sheet-iron, which the Small Arms Office introduced when converting arms originally configured for wooden ramrods to iron ones. The 37 1/4 inch-long barrel is 0.68 bore, has centered Ordnance view and proof marks on the top near the breech, as well as the touchmark "MB" to the left. The lock has "TOWER" engraved behind the cock and before it, faint traces of the "crown/GR" cipher that appears to have been purposely obliterated (probably during its alteration for American use). On the inside of the lock are found an inspection stamp, "crown/1", various numbers and a maker's mark "H"--probably for John Hirst. A rear sling swivel is affixed to the front of the triggerguard by means of a short length of brass tubing brazed at that point, with a front swivel just before the middle ramrod pipe. The associated bayonet appears to be an earlier British form of the late 1740s or a well-made American copy, 21 1/4 in. L overall, with a blade 16 1/2 in. L x 1 3/16 in. W, slightly concave on the "flat". CONDITION: The barrel in very good condition, with dark patina overall and light freckling around the vent area at breech, while the lock is in original flint configuration and in very good working order, although the cock is a period replacement and the original screw for the sear spring inside the lock is replaced with an expedient one of copper, which also appears to be period. The stock was sanded and refinished sometime in the past, but setup marks can be seen in the ramrod channel. A small splinter of wood of wood, approximately 5 x 1/8 inch, is missing on the left upper edge of the forestock from the nosecap backwards. The bayonet is in very good condition, less some period "hammer' marks on end of socket and elbow, with a pleasing brown patina.