When I was "drafted" into Civil War Reenacting years ago, I was torn between using a Smith Cavalry Carbine or a Sharps Cavalry Carbine. I bought the Sharps just due to all the escaping gas on the Smith. A Boy Scout Reenacting Unit out of the Dallas Texas area had crates of Smiths that the young troopers used..... I don't regret my decision to buy the Pedersoli Sharps, but I wish I would have purchased both. Thank you for showing us the old Troopers model.
That is an awesome old carbine Mark. What a beautiful weapon. Thank you and your friend for allowing us the priviledge of watching this old Smith shoot!
My favorite carbine of the War! I wrote a book about HIstorical shooting with Civil War cavalry firearms, and this was the primary exemplar piece I used to discuss shooting carbines.
You're right. Most shooting done by the cavalry while mounted was with revolvers. The Spencer would definitely be the first choice when using a carbine while mounted.
I think we would all like to see more Civil War firearms content from you Mark. Balázs from Cap and Ball is amazing with his breakdown of these wonderfull firearms, but I think you offer a different format, with a more in depth Gunsmith like point of view.
I've read that the Henry .44 RF, compared to the .56 Spencer, was not considered to have sufficient power and range for most military use even though at close quarters it put out tremendous volume. Thank you for sharing the history and wonderful specimen of the Smith carbine DJ
Great video, I would have drapped my reins over my shoulder like I was walking behind a plow and mule back in the day, I bet using 3F BP would be closer to original loading and performance... I wish I had that 50-70 Sharps 🤔
As you stated Fed govt was against repeaters but the Henry (and several other repeaters) was purchased by state troops and volunteer militias quite a bit.
Yes, they were. However, I think Winchester would have been wise to produce a carbine version for the cavalry. The ordnance department didn't have the same bias against repeaters for cavalry units and they may have secured the govt. contract they struggled to get for the Henry rifles.
It’s interesting to see how black powder fire arms got better and better as things progress during the civil war, if I was lucky to survive, I’d be looking for the Spencer or trapdoor on the battle field.
I think that's why the Spencer carbines became the most popular Civil War carbine among the Union troops. The trapdoors didn't become available until after the conclusion of the war. However, they were used extensively in the Indian wars that followed.
Beautiful classic carbine. It’s more of a pistol style cartridge that it shoots. Probably less than a thousand feet per second velocity and maybe about 400 foot pounds of energy tops. It’s better suited for shooting at large targets like gallon water jugs and 2 liter pop bottles from about 50 yards or less distance away
Just an opinion. I think the percussion cap would burn through something as thin as cigarette paper. Maybe the originals used nitrated paper as in some of the paper cartridges of the era. Again, I know nothing.
Ordnance Chief Ripley was such an obstacle in obtaining Spencers during the war, Lincoln had no choice but to fire him. The President replaced him with General George Ramsay. Ramsay liked the Spencer but considered the Henry rifle "expensive and too delicate for service in its present form...".
have found a number of the Smith bullets metal detecting but you never find the cases LOL , that gun is an amazing example of the type........still waiting for your take on the Savage 99, hoping one will come your way ;)
I'm a big fan of the Savage 99, but I don't collect them and rarely get them in the shop for repair. I suppose that speaks to the quality of their design.
@@thecinnabar8442 I was gifted a nice 300Sav. EG made in the forties and its really a well built gun , was surprised to find the same style bolt design was used on my Marlin 56 22lr lever and that Mr. Savage also invented the radial tire ....so I get to enjoy his product designs everyday :)
I owned several original smith carbines. I used this carbine in NSSA carbine compitation . This carbine is far faster to shoot then the sharps . The sharps fouls and the breech block making it hard to open.
Having fired both, I'd agree that the Smith is at least as fast to load and shoot as the Sharps. The point I was making in the video is that they were more cumbersome to load and shoot by cavalry soldiers while mounted than the Sharps or Spencer. This was a common complaint about the Smith carbine by cavalry officers during the Civil War
That was certainly the most common method, but there were certainly times when they fired their carbines while mounted as well. Can you imagine trying to reload your revolver while mounted and in the heat of battle? Battlefield situations couldn't always allow cavalry to dismount and fight. I can't imagine why the complaints about using Smiths while mounted would have been recorded by the ordnance department if it hadn't been an issue.
Okay. I'm not sure I understand your point. Are you saying you think the UA-cam censors should flag this video for showing how to manufacture ammunition or are you bragging that you know to do such precision reloading? 🙄
Ok folks, I've looked and looked, no one is explaining how the Smith carbine bullets actually worked, there's a hole in the center of the back of the bullet, when loading or reloading the bullet, you plug up the hole with something so when you pour the powder in it doesn't fall through the hole, so how were these bullets shipped and then carried, did a person have to use a punch of some kind to open the primer hole of every bullet before it was fired, did the individual just open the new box of bullets and open all the primer holes for faster loading and shooting, what kept the powder from falling out of the primer hole and still let the spark in from the cap to ignite the powder ?
Again, just a guess. I think the flash from the percussion cap is hot enough to burn though something as thin as cigarette paper. lNo need to punch it out.
@@wsmvolunteers8588 Sir, that's what another older gentleman told me, you are probably correct, common sense they would not have been carrying ammo around with powder leaking out into the ammo pouch or pocket just waiting to ignite and blow up because some good old boy rolled a cigarette and lit it,i would say you are correct, thankyou for the reply.
Cavalry would not use their carbines on horseback. So loading the carbine on horseback is a nonissue. The primary weapons used on horseback were the saber and pistol.
Actually, the second most common complaint from cavalry officers registered by the ordnance department was that the Smith carbine was cumbersome to use while mounted. Apparently carbines were used while mounted during the Civil War.
That's a great topic. The challenge would be to show the refinished firearms in sufficient detail on video to identify the subtle clues to look for. Poorly refinished guns are quite easy to spot. Properly refinished and aged firearms are difficult for even the most experienced experts to definitively identify. I'll give that some thought.
I uberti makes a good reproduction or this carbine if you don’t want to buy and risk shooting a 170 + year old firearm or don’t have the big $$$$ to afford a valuable antique and risk breaking it.
When I was "drafted" into Civil War Reenacting years ago, I was torn between using a Smith Cavalry Carbine or a Sharps Cavalry Carbine. I bought the Sharps just due to all the escaping gas on the Smith. A Boy Scout Reenacting Unit out of the Dallas Texas area had crates of Smiths that the young troopers used..... I don't regret my decision to buy the Pedersoli Sharps, but I wish I would have purchased both. Thank you for showing us the old Troopers model.
That is an awesome old carbine Mark. What a beautiful weapon. Thank you and your friend for allowing us the priviledge of watching this old Smith shoot!
You're welcome! I'll pass it on.
Wow, what an interesting little carbine. Thanks for showing it to us Mark!
You're very welcome, John!
My absolute favourite gun channel. Thank you so much for the great content!!!
Love these old black power Guns......Thanks Mark from an Old F-4 Shoe🇺🇸
My favorite carbine of the War! I wrote a book about HIstorical shooting with Civil War cavalry firearms, and this was the primary exemplar piece I used to discuss shooting carbines.
"Civil War Carbines" by Schiffers???
I've got that one and the revolvers book as well. Great stuff. Thanks.
I'll have to find a copy. Thanks for watching!
I saw a bunch of really nice reproductions of this model at black powder shoots years back.
Mark another great educational video I'll bet people would pay you to come test fire all your guns your having a blast !!
Thank you, Mark, for sharing such a beautiful example of this historic firearm!! (If Uberti were to replicate one, I'd be on the buyer's list! LOL)
Capnball is such a great channel. Love the history lessons!
Wow what a beauty. So rare to see guns in that condition...even rarer to see them shot. Thanks for this treat.
Mine eyes have seen the glory!
I've been slobbering since you pulled that old gun out. Boy things nice 💣🇺🇸💪👍
There's a definite "cool" factor with that carbine. I wish I could keep it in my collection.
Cant imagine being on horseback trying to reload that carbine. Think I'd opt for my revolver. Thanks for showing us that awesome carbine.
You're right. Most shooting done by the cavalry while mounted was with revolvers. The Spencer would definitely be the first choice when using a carbine while mounted.
Wow! I have to admit I never heard of this carbine, but thank you for the education!
Our pleasure!
Fascinating, never heard of this rifle and chamber configuration. Thanks for sharing.
It is very interesting to see some of these early breech loading designs.
I thank You again for sharing your exquisite firearms and your experience with us
You're very welcome, Toby!
I think we would all like to see more Civil War firearms content from you Mark. Balázs from Cap and Ball is amazing with his breakdown of these wonderfull firearms, but I think you offer a different format, with a more in depth Gunsmith like point of view.
I've read that the Henry .44 RF, compared to the .56 Spencer, was not considered to have sufficient power and range for most military use even though at close quarters it put out tremendous volume. Thank you for sharing the history and wonderful specimen of the Smith carbine DJ
That is a handsome rifle. Cool to see one being fired. The segment on the cartridge was very interesting. Well done, as usual.
Great video, I would have drapped my reins over my shoulder like I was walking behind a plow and mule back in the day, I bet using 3F BP would be closer to original loading and performance... I wish I had that 50-70 Sharps 🤔
Thanks to both you Sir! And the firearm owner for shareing this wonderfully beautiful example of this gun! This was a real treat to see!!
You're very welcome! I'll pass it on.
@@thecinnabar8442 Thank you Sir.
"Hanging Chad". Haven't heard that term in awhile.
That's like a left-handed, brown eyed redhead that only goes counter-clockwise up hills !! But fun !!
Very Interesting pice of history, Thank You
Very interesting and fun to learn of this.
Glad you liked it!
As you stated Fed govt was against repeaters but the Henry (and several other repeaters) was purchased by state troops and volunteer militias quite a bit.
Yes, they were. However, I think Winchester would have been wise to produce a carbine version for the cavalry. The ordnance department didn't have the same bias against repeaters for cavalry units and they may have secured the govt. contract they struggled to get for the Henry rifles.
Apparently some Henrys were privately purchased by Union troops who wanted the firepower. At around $50 each that was a major expense for the time.
It’s interesting to see how black powder fire arms got better and better as things progress during the civil war, if I was lucky to survive, I’d be looking for the Spencer or trapdoor on the battle field.
I think that's why the Spencer carbines became the most popular Civil War carbine among the Union troops. The trapdoors didn't become available until after the conclusion of the war. However, they were used extensively in the Indian wars that followed.
Wow! Really is a beauty! Amazing the great condition!
Beautiful classic carbine. It’s more of a pistol style cartridge that it shoots. Probably less than a thousand feet per second velocity and maybe about 400 foot pounds of energy tops. It’s better suited for shooting at large targets like gallon water jugs and 2 liter pop bottles from about 50 yards or less distance away
Please show the Brown and the Jones rifles next.
Really Nice Civil War Tech Mark 😀😮😀
Thanks Chris!
That was very interesting. Thanks for the video keep on keeping on.
Thanks, will do!
No reloading press needed. Pretty cool!
My mistake pietta offers the smith carbine reproduction.
Thank you, Mark.
You are very welcome
What opens the flash hole paper? beautiful condition like never seen, Wow.
Just an opinion. I think the percussion cap would burn through something as thin as cigarette paper. Maybe the originals used nitrated paper as in some of the paper cartridges of the era. Again, I know nothing.
Ordnance Chief Ripley was such an obstacle in obtaining Spencers during the war, Lincoln had no choice but to fire him. The President replaced him with General George Ramsay. Ramsay liked the Spencer but considered the Henry rifle "expensive and too delicate for service in its present form...".
Great insight! Thanks for sharing. I'm still disappointed that there aren't a bunch of Henry carbines out there. They'd make great wall hangers. 😀
have found a number of the Smith bullets metal detecting but you never find the cases LOL , that gun is an amazing example of the type........still waiting for your take on the Savage 99, hoping one will come your way ;)
I'm a big fan of the Savage 99, but I don't collect them and rarely get them in the shop for repair. I suppose that speaks to the quality of their design.
@@thecinnabar8442 I was gifted a nice 300Sav. EG made in the forties and its really a well built gun , was surprised to find the same style bolt design was used on my Marlin 56 22lr lever and that Mr. Savage also invented the radial tire ....so I get to enjoy his product designs everyday :)
I owned several original smith carbines. I used this carbine in NSSA carbine compitation . This carbine is far faster to shoot then the sharps . The sharps fouls and the breech block making it hard to open.
Having fired both, I'd agree that the Smith is at least as fast to load and shoot as the Sharps. The point I was making in the video is that they were more cumbersome to load and shoot by cavalry soldiers while mounted than the Sharps or Spencer. This was a common complaint about the Smith carbine by cavalry officers during the Civil War
@@thecinnabar8442 I would think that the Cavalry would dismount and shoot.I would not like to reload on horseback.
That was certainly the most common method, but there were certainly times when they fired their carbines while mounted as well. Can you imagine trying to reload your revolver while mounted and in the heat of battle? Battlefield situations couldn't always allow cavalry to dismount and fight. I can't imagine why the complaints about using Smiths while mounted would have been recorded by the ordnance department if it hadn't been an issue.
I really enjoy your instruction.Take care of that Smith,it is really a showpice.@@thecinnabar8442
Huh I reloading like this all the time nssa and any smith shooters in the nssa as well
Okay. I'm not sure I understand your point. Are you saying you think the UA-cam censors should flag this video for showing how to manufacture ammunition or are you bragging that you know to do such precision reloading? 🙄
How does the spark from the cap get to the powder if the hole is plugged with a piece of paper ?
Just my opinion. I think the flash from the percussion cap will burn through something as thin as cigarette paper. It's more than just a spark.
Ok folks, I've looked and looked, no one is explaining how the Smith carbine bullets actually worked, there's a hole in the center of the back of the bullet, when loading or reloading the bullet, you plug up the hole with something so when you pour the powder in it doesn't fall through the hole, so how were these bullets shipped and then carried, did a person have to use a punch of some kind to open the primer hole of every bullet before it was fired, did the individual just open the new box of bullets and open all the primer holes for faster loading and shooting, what kept the powder from falling out of the primer hole and still let the spark in from the cap to ignite the powder ?
Again, just a guess. I think the flash from the percussion cap is hot enough to burn though something as thin as cigarette paper. lNo need to punch it out.
@@wsmvolunteers8588 ok, thanks,i was wondering what they might have done back in the mid 1860,
@@jameshicks4944 They might have used combustible nitrided paper as with some paper cartridges for percussion firearms. Again, just a guess.
@@wsmvolunteers8588 Sir, that's what another older gentleman told me, you are probably correct, common sense they would not have been carrying ammo around with powder leaking out into the ammo pouch or pocket just waiting to ignite and blow up because some good old boy rolled a cigarette and lit it,i would say you are correct, thankyou for the reply.
UA-cam violating human rights
Cavalry would not use their carbines on horseback. So loading the carbine on horseback is a nonissue. The primary weapons used on horseback were the saber and pistol.
Actually, the second most common complaint from cavalry officers registered by the ordnance department was that the Smith carbine was cumbersome to use while mounted. Apparently carbines were used while mounted during the Civil War.
Have you or WACA ever done videos/articles on how to tell if a firearm has been reblued? Seems like an area rife with misinformation.
That's a great topic. The challenge would be to show the refinished firearms in sufficient detail on video to identify the subtle clues to look for. Poorly refinished guns are quite easy to spot. Properly refinished and aged firearms are difficult for even the most experienced experts to definitively identify. I'll give that some thought.
I uberti makes a good reproduction or this carbine if you don’t want to buy and risk shooting a 170 + year old firearm or don’t have the big $$$$ to afford a valuable antique and risk breaking it.