A Very Rare Ball Patent 7 Shot Cavalry Carbine, 38” overall, 20 ½” round .50. Cal. Rimfire barrel with 5 groove rifling, blade fore sight, folding rear sight to 600 yards, above a seven shot tubular magazine, cleaning rod on the right side of the fore end, ‘E.G. LAMSON & CO. WINDSOR. VT. U.S. BALLS PATENT. JUNE.23.1863. MAR. 15.1864.’ marked on the left of the receiver, back action lock with large hammer with lip to strike cartridge, lever-action trigger guard, saddle ring & bar mounted on the left of the receiver. Two piece walnut stock, two band fore end & straight grip, stock with a steel crescent butt plate. Inspectors cartouche ‘GGS’ (George G. Saunders) stamped on the left of the wrist. A small block ‘G.G.S.’ sun inspector's marks is stamped on the top of the stock comb & underside of the forearm. Small ‘S’ Ordnance sub inspector's marks stamped on most components.
Circa 1865
A very rare and well made firearm in very good condition, appears to be unfired, much original finish to metal work, stock with nearly all original oil finish.
This carbine was patented by Albert Ball of Worcester, Massachusetts in 1864, & manufactured by E. G. Lamson & Company, Windsor, Vermont. 1,002 were delivered in May 1865 after the close of the Civil War. This seven shot .50 calibre carbine, which was chambered for the .56-50 Spencer rimfire cartridge, operated on the same principle as the later Winchester repeating rifle. To load, cartridges are fed through an opening in the right side of the receiver frame & into a tubular magazine located under the barrel. Lowering the trigger guard lever opens the receiver and feeds a cartridge from the magazine into the chamber.