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Item No.:	10718	Price :	$5,995.00
Item :	RARE, JOSLYN MODEL 1855 MONKEY TAIL CAVALRY CARBINE, .54 CALIBER

Description :

This is an original, Joslyn Model 1855 Cavalry Carbine manufactured by A.H. Waters & Co. of Milbury, Massachusetts. It is a .54 caliber, percussion breechloader with a 22-1/2" round barrel. The action was opened with a lever that is recessed into the top of the wrist of the stock. This lever gave rise to the nickname "Monkey Tail Carbine". The Model 1855 the first breech loading carbine patented by B.F. Joslyn. They were also the last firearms ever produced by A.H. Waters. Made in 1855 and 1856, they were already in service at the beginning of the war. Early Civil War usage included the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 6th Ohio Cavalry. Under 1,500 of these carbines were produced, making them quite scarce. This carbine is in fine condition. The barrel retains about 90% of its original factory blued finish. There are a few specks and some lightening of the finish near the breech. The lock, breech, and breech lever were case colored. Externally, this has faded to a mottled gray brown. On the protected inner part of the lever, the color is still strong. The brass mountings have a nice yellow brass patina. The bore and mechanics are excellent. The stock is very fine except for a hairline crack in the wrist running from the back of the lock plate up to the lever channel. This was a problem common to the type. The number of components inlet into the wrist area left very little wood and cracking in the wrist occurred frequently. This one is not bad at all. Curiously, this Joslyn has no markings other than the serial number on the lever. It never had the maker's markings, and this phenomenon has been observed on several other '55 Joslyn carbines. There is conjecture that these unmarked carbines might have been for the U.S. Navy, but more research will have to be done. This is a very nice example of a rare carbine. Thanks to Tim Prince of College Hill Arsenal for this information! Stock no. 32259

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