AR630 - US Civil War period .50” Smiths Patent Capping Breechloading Carbine.
.50” Smiths Patent Capping Breechloading Carbine of the US Civil War from the American Arms Company of Chicopee Falls. serial no. 3769, circa pre-1863, 21½” octagonal to round barrel fitted with a block and blade front-sight, ladder rear-sight, breech signed 'ADDRESS POULTNEY & TRIMBLE BALTIMORE, U.S.A.' and 'SMITHS PATENT JUNE 23rd 1857', two piece iron mounted walnut butt-stock (inlet repair at head), short fore-end with a single barrel band, patina overall with traces of finish in parts; slider missing from rear-sight. Significantly, it escaped having the sling bar which was often fitted later.
 
This looks to all correct for a civilian model, being one of approximately only 3-4000 made for the civilian market, lacking any indications of US Federal issue.
 
The inventor Gilbert Smith (of Buttermilk Fall New York, US patents 1856 and 1857) assigned manufacture to the agents Poultney & Trimble, of Baltimore, who undertook the manufacture and marketing of Smith’s design. In fact, although the name is marked correctly with “ADDRESS POULTNEY & TRIMBLE BALTIMORE U.S.A.” stamped on the left hand side of the receiver over “SMITHS PATENT JUNE 23 1857”, they did not actually make them but subcontracted to Massachusetts Arms Company of Chicopee Falls, the American Machine Works of Springfield, Massachusetts, and to the American Arms Company of Chicopee Falls; most production being with the first two. The first two would invariably stamp their name to the receiver, so it indicates this example to be production from the rarer American Arms Company of Chicopee Falls.
 
In total 35,000 Smith’s carbines were produced, with over 31,000 going to Union forces over 37 different contracts between 1862 and 1865. One of the more popular Civil War carbines with the Cavalry (not issued to artillery), the Smith was only being out-provided by the likes of Spencer, Sharps and Burnside carbines. Federal use included 1st Massachusetts, 7th Pennsylvania and 9th Ohio cavalry regiments
 
After the US civil war (1861-1865), Smiths carbines along with many other arms, were sold-off onto the civilian market. US civil war use aside, the Smith along with Model 1861 and 1863 percussion muskets were used by the Fenian Brotherhood in their abortive invasion of Canada in June 1866.
 
See: MLAGB issue of their magazine: Black Powder issues for Autumn 2020 and Winter 2020 for a fuller report and description.