Maynard Carbine

The Maynard Carbine is an American breech-loading rifle. It is named after its inventor, dentist and part-time firearm engineer Dr. Edward Maynard. The First Model of the carbine was first manufactured in 1851 by the Massachusetts Arms Company of Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts. It employed one of Dr. Maynard's earlier inventions, the Maynard Tape Primer system. This consisted of a roll of laminated paper, in which small packets of mercury fulminate were embedded into its surface at regular intervals. The paper would be coiled and inserted into a separate chamber, and a single "dose" of mercury fulminate would lie over the nipple of firearms designed for its use. The tape would act as the primer, and after firing, the shooter would simply have to cock the hammer of their weapon to advance the tape to the next, unused section. This eliminated the need to place a percussion cap and allowed for a substantially higher rate of fire than common muzzleloading muskets were capable of. The Maynard was originally designed to use proprietary brass cartridges with a distinct wide, thin base, which served to seal the breech. These cartridges lacked primers, with a small hole in their base allowing for the explosion from the mercury within the tape primer to enter and fire the bullet. 
The First Model was offered in .35 and .50 caliber. Maynard Carbines were designed with interchangeable parts in mind, and can be considered an early modular firearm as caliber changes could be easily accomplished with a simple barrel swap. Shotgun barrels were also available. 
The Second Model Maynard Carbine debuted around 1863, and did away with the Tape Primer system, and instead used more common percussion caps as an external primer. 
This Carbine was highly praised and sought after by both Union and Confederate States troops during American Civil War due to its superb accuracy and easy handling. After the Civil War, Dr. Maynard kept his company going by entering the sporting and hunting market. Unlike other early breechloaders that often failed to find success following the end of the war (and military contracts), the Maynard Carbine was highly successful due to being easily converted to centerfire metallic cartridge use, with the 1882 Maynard Carbine also produced by the Massachusetts Arms Company a prime example. In all, Maynard made a total of 16 different models of this uniquely designed firearm, with over 21,000 total rifles produced. Production ceased in the 1890s, as the company refused to move away from time consuming and expensive hand-fit and finishing methods in the face of increasing competition from lever-action rifles. 
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==Specifications==
*Type: Rifle
*Caliber: Various- .22, .35, .40, .45, .50 caliber most common
*Weight: 	 6.8 lbs (3.8 kgs)
*Length: 	40 in (101.6 cm)
*Barrel Length: Various, 21.5 in (54.6 cm) most common
*Action: 	Percussion, Centerfire (later models)
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===Film===
Title 	Actor 	Character 	Note	Date
Red Mountain 	Alan Ladd 	Brett Sherwood	 	1951
Major Dundee 	L.Q. Jones	Arthur Hadley 	 	1965
Heaven's Gate	 	Mercenaries 	 	1980
===Video Games===
Game Title 	Appears as 	Mods	Note 	Release Date
Hunt: Showdown	Maynard Sniper	 	Added in Harvest of Ghosts event (2022), Second Model	2018
Category:Gun
Category:Rifle
Category:Carbine