Target Sports

BLACK POWDER: HISTORICAL NICHE

Created on 18th May 2009

DAVE FROGGETT tries a carbine that would be of particular interest to Civil War re-enactors

THE ORIGINAL Smith Carbine was the brainchild of Gilbert Smith of Buttermilk Falls, New York. He developed a simple, robust breech-loading rifle that used percussion ignition and submitted it for patent on 23 June 1857. The rifle was put forward to the military trials of the late 1850s, and was accepted as a military arm just before the start of the American Civil War.mThe rifle sits in what was an evolutionary cul-de-sac. The development of metallic cartridges and the guns that fired them was delayed by the start of the war, which probably gave it a stay of execution, but the new self-contained metallic ammunition by Smith & Wesson and Henry eventually superseded the system. Because of the robust and reliable design, and the fact that it was available at the start of the conflict, the Smith was produced on a large scale. The Massachusetts Arms Co and American Machine Works of Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts produced around 30,000 Smith carbines, which were distributed to the military by Poultney and Trimble of Baltimore. The carbine was short, relatively light and handy. This, coupled with its breech loading mechanism, made it very attractive to the cavalry. It was issued to the 3rd West Virginia Cavalry, the 7th and 11th lll Cavalry, the 1st Connecticut Cavalry, the 7th and 17th Pennsylvania Cavalry, the 6th and 9th Ohio Cavalry, and the 1st Massachusetts Cavalry.

Fit and finish

The fit and finish of the Pietta reproduction is excellent. The octagon-to-round barrel is well blacked and contrasts nicely with the colour case hardened action and lacquered walnut stock. The forend is secured to the barrel by a single band and screwed from underneath. As the rifle is the artillery model it is provided with sling swivels but no saddle ring. The barrel band carries the forward sling swivel, the rear one being screwed into the stock in the usual way. The butt plate has a shallow curve and is nicely blacked to compliment the rest of the rifle.

The side hammer, box-lock action has facsimiles of the original markings to further compliment the finish, and in this case it is the markings of the Massachusetts Arms Co and Poultney and Trimble of Baltimore.

The overall feel is one of solid quality and the rifle balances nicely when brought to the shoulder. If you're into Sharps cavalry carbines and similar the Smith will be to your taste.

Loading

The original Smith carbine was made in .50 calibre, as is the Pietta repro. The rifle is loaded by pushing on a brass lever in the front of the trigger guard. This lifts a spring steel strap from a block on the top of the action and allows the barrel and half of the chamber to pivot forward. The barrel swings downward on the frame to a right angle - somewhat further than a break-open shotgun. The cartridge can then be inserted into the breech.

The cartridge used in the reproduction is unlike the original. It consists of a brass cylinder, closed at one end except for a flash hole, and open at the other to accept a bullet. The end of the cartridge is knurled to help extraction after firing.

Several attempts at making a cartridge for the original rifle were tried using different materials. They tried rolled metal, rubber, gutta percha and paper to name but a few. This led to several different bullet weights and powder charges being used over the period of its service. When the Confederates captured the rifles they rarely had much ready-made ammunition available. They often had to make do with loading them with loose powder and bullet. This gives major problems with sealing the breech and the otherwise strong action ‘spits' very badly. Needless to say I didn't try firing the Pietta in this fashion! One of the challenges for the modern Smith carbine shooter is finding the correct bullet. The original martial loading consisted of 50gn of powder behind a 360gn, .510 lead bullet. These are currently not an off-the-shelf item so I acquired some .504" lead ball and a box of Lyman Deer Slayer .50 calibre lead bullets which measured around .502" - neither was ideal but they were enough to get us going. A charge of 47gn of Swiss No 2 black powder was introduced to the case and settled, and a ball or bullet tapped in with a leather-faced mallet. The precision reloaders in my club found this process quite amusing. There is a small step in the case which marks the transition between the powder and the bullet seating area. Powder can be loaded above this level but the bullets won't be seated in as firmly. Powder filled below this level would give a potentially dangerous air gap so if light loads were contemplated then filler would be required.

The brass cases have a flash hole at the bottom, which can let some powder escape. This can be overcome by placing a small disc of thin tissue paper in the bottom of the case, which is allegedly burned through by the flash from the hot musket caps.

I found that, if the powder was settled and the bullet seated, little leaking occurred if I gave it some compression while resting it on a flat surface. I was also to find that placing something in the way of the flash wouldn't be helpful, so it was just as well I didn't take this route.

Trigger and sights

The box lock action of the Smith provides a pretty hefty trigger. The pull on the test gun measured around 7lb, which I'm reliably informed is about average for the originals. I guess if you are on a horse at full tilt a match trigger might not fit the bill but a little work on this would make shooting easier. The trigger mechanism is quite simple as can be seen with the side plate off, and improving the pull would be relatively straightforward for a competent person.

The sights comprise an open ladder rear sight and a well-proportioned German silver blade foresight, which gave a good clean sight picture. The ladder allows greater elevation settings when lifted, which extend far beyond what we would tend to use the Smith for these days.

Cleaning

As with all black powder firearms, cleaning the Smith soon after use is a must, but I always find it less of a chore with breechloaders.

I opened the breech and poured water through via a funnel, and then pushed through several wet patches from breech to muzzle to clear the heavy fouling. A .50 bronze brush was then passed through a few times just in case of leading. I cleaned the chamber with an old 12-bore brush (care is needed here). The transition from breech to barrel consists of a straight step that can pick up lead and needs to be cleaned well. The barrel and chamber were then dried and oiled. I removed and cleaned the nipple, and cleaned the flash hole via the clean-out screw. A general wipe around the breech area and the job is done.

Shooting

My first faltering steps with the Smith drew forth much swearing. The ignition was intermittent to say the least. It appeared that even the strong flash from the musket caps wasn't enough to set off the powder in the cartridge. The breech design means the flash has a long way to travel including two 90° degree angles. The simple trick of priming the nipple with a little Swiss 1 powder made the problem vanish. Once I got going I first tried the .504" ball loading for accuracy at 25yd shooting from a rest. The rifle produced a 6" group, which was ok for a start. However, the fouling in the barrel was dry, and excess leading built up where the cartridge case headspaces against the rather abrupt barrel throat. A better load would be achieved if the powder charge was reduced and a card wad followed by a lubricated felt wad placed between powder and ball. This would soften the fouling and slow down the lead build up. The 300gn Lyman Deer Slayers produced a group of about 4"and I guessed the twist of the barrel suited these better. Also, being lubricated, this helped with the fouling and leading.

I decided to shoot the rifle without cleaning for a while and the breech started to look a bit challenged as the fouling increased. But despite the look of it, it kept on shooting - this feature I guess won it the approval after the military trials and made it a viable martial arm. With a cartridge in place the lockup is tight and wiggle-free. Quite a lot of the original Smiths have survived and are in regular use, which is proof of the integrity of the system. The spring steel bar that ensures the breech stays closed is quite strong but you do get used to opening it - I'm told that this requires more force than original Smiths but it's not an area where I would want it to be weak!

The short carbine configuration made the rifle well balanced and comfortable to shoot. The recoil was in no way aggressive and easily manageable.

I'm sure the rifle would be capable of much greater accuracy than I achieved in this short test. If the rifle were mine I would invest in a mould for the lighter of the .50 calibre Sharps bullets which, although it comes in at around .515" diameter, would I feel be worth a go, maybe sized to the original .510 spec. I would also experiment further with wads and powder to optimise the loads.

Some careful ‘breathing' on the trigger would be a must for me, to make the accuracy deliverable. However, this does take it away from its original specification, which I guess is why you by a repro of an old style rifle in the first place.

Conclusions

The Pietta Smith Carbine is an interesting and unusual gun that fits into a historical niche. It's a fun diversion for the black powder enthusiast and certainly a talking point at the range. Now, just as it was in its day, it is a robust, handy and reasonably accurate rifle.

I can't help thinking that Civil War re-enactors would love the Smith and I'm told a smoothbore with a touch longer barrel used to be available. Come to think of it, it would make a very handy shotgun. I wonder...

Technical Specification

Model: Smith Carbine Artillery Model
Make: Pietta
Calibre: .50"
Action: Breech loading
percussion
Weight: 7lb 12 oz
Overall Length: 39"
Barrel: Octagon/round
Barrel Length: 21½"
Cost: £575

Contact: Henry Krank
T: 01132 569163

BLACK POWDER: HISTORICAL NICHE

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