A Gallagher Rimfire Last Model Cavalry Carbine. 39” overall, 22 ¼” round slide & tilt barrel, .56-52 for Spencer rimfire cartridges, 7 groove rifling, pinched blade front sight, notch & folding leaf rear sight, ‘J.M.D’ inspector’s stamp on barrel top, cast receiver with under-lever opening, back action lock marked 'MANUFACT'D BY RICHARDSON & OVERMAN PHILAD.A' & 'GALLAGER'S PATENT JULY 17TH 1860', & ‘No. 20157’. Walnut straight hand stock with iron butt plate, hinged iron patchbox cover, fitted with a long saddlebar with ring to left hand side. Inspectors’ cartouche above sling bar. Circa 1865
In good condition, metal parts very good with most original finish, butt with initials T.C incised in front of patch box, bore good.
The Gallager carbine was designed by Dr. Mahlon J. Gallager, a Southerner by birth, and manufactured under license by Richardson & Overman in Philadelphia where Gallager had a dental practice. Reportedly 17,728 Gallager carbines were manufactured in three different variations. This example is one of 5,000 late production chambered for the .56-52 Spencer rimfire cartridge, originally ordered on contract by the U.S. government towards the end of the Civil War and delivered right after the end of the conflict. Subsequently 2500 of these were bought by France in 1870 and used in the Franco Prussia War. These carbines are identifiable by a firing pin that replaced the percussion nipple and the addition of a cartridge extractor.