Gibbs Carbine

Gibbs Carbine

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Description (Brief)
Lowering the trigger guard of the.52 caliber Gibbs Carbine slid the barrel forward and tipped up the breech for loading. It fired the same paper cartridges as the popular Sharps carbine and was an early attempt at standardization of ammunition by the Army. Only about 1,000 Gibbs carbines were delivered before the factory was burned down during the New York Draft Riots in 1863.
Location
Currently not on view
Object Name
carbine
carbine, percussion
Other Terms
carbine; Firearms; Percussion Fire;.51 In; Rifled; 01; 03
date made
ca 1863
associated date
1863
patentee
Gibbs, Lucius H.
maker
William Brooks
place made
United States
Measurements
overall, carbine: 38 3/4 in x 2 1/2 in; 98.425 cm x 6.35 cm
ID Number
AF.247493
catalog number
247493
accession number
47226
subject
Firearms
related event
Civil War
See more items in
Political and Military History: Armed Forces History, Military
Military
Civil War
Data Source
National Museum of American History
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Comments

reply
This is a later production Gibbs carbine, with a three-line address and an eagle on the lockplate behind the hammer. It would be good if you could get and report out on its serial number. On these, the serial number is found in only one place: on the internal side of the barrel band/barrel tang. You need to remove the pivot screw, and the two tang screws, slide it forward--off of the foreend--and look on the inside of the tang. It should be stamped there.

Jeff Goodson

Thu, 2018-11-15 08:26

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