U.S. Model 1855 Pistol-Carbine
date: label: date made
content: 1855
name: label: maker
content: Springfield Armory
notes: label: Description
content: Physical Description:
label: Description
content: The .58 caliber U.S. Model 1855 rifled pistol-carbine is a pistol with a detachable shoulder stock and was created by the Springfield Armory. It retains the Springfield 1855 Maynard primer. It has a swivel type steel ramrod and an assembly number of 16.
label: Description
content: This pistol carbine has three stamps on the lockplate. “1865” is stamped on the rear. The second stamp is an eagle under the hammer and “U.S./SPRINGFIELD” is stamped towards the front.
label: Description
content: History:
label: Description
content: The Springfield Model 1855 Pistol-Carbine was the last single shot pistol to be produced for the U.S. military. More than 4,000 were made. At the time, it was the smallest .58 caliber pistol used in the army. It was lighter because this pistol-carbine was built to use the newly designed Minie bullet. It also was useful because normal rifle musket caps could be used on this firearm.
label: Description
content: This pistol-carbine was intended to be used as a pistol on horseback and a carbine on foot. When used as a carbine, it also had an awkward weight and balance. The butt stock was prone to split during the recoil and loosen over time. Because of these deficiencies and the availability of six-shot revolvers, this type of firearm quickly fell out of favor with U.S. troops.
label: Description
content: References:
label: Description
content: Flayderman, Norm. Flayderman’s Guide to Antique American Firearms…and their Values, Gun Digest Books, Iola, 2007. 9th edition.
label: Description
content: Gardner, Robert E. Col. Small Arms Makers: A Directory of Fabricators of Firearms, Edged Weapons, Crossbows and Polearms, Crown Publishers Inc, New York: 1963, p. 185.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Massachusetts, Springfield
setName: label: See more items in
content: Military and Society: Armed Forces History, Military
label: See more items in
content: The Bitter Collection of Firearms
label: See more items in
content: Military
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: The Adriana and Edwin W. Bitter Family Collection
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1986.0024.01
label: catalog number
content: 1986.0024.01
label: accession number
content: 1986.0024
label: collector/donor number
content: M28L
objectType: label: Object Name
content: pistol-carbine
label: Object Name
content: pistol-carbine, percussion
label: Other Terms
content: pistol-carbine; Firearms; Tape Prime; .58 In; Rifled; Muzzle Load; Sa
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal (part material)
label: Physical Description
content: wood (part material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 17 7/8 in; 45.4025 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall: 29 1/2 in x 5 1/2 in x 2 in; 74.93 cm x 13.97 cm x 5.08 cm