×
Aircraft / Aviation Vehicles & Artillery Small Arms Warships & Submarines Military Ranks Military Pay Chart (2024) Special Forces
HOME
SMALL ARMS INDEX
MODERN ARMIES
SPECIAL FORCES
ARMS BY COUNTRY
ARMS MANUFACTURERS
COMPARE ARMS
ARMS BY CONFLICT
ARMS BY TYPE
ARMS BY DECADE
AMERICAN CIVIL WAR ARMS
Infantry Small Arms / The Warfighter

Palmer Model 1865


Bolt-Action Carbine [ 1865 ]



Patented in 1863, the Palmer Model 1865 bolt-action carbine arrived too late to see action in the American Civil War.



Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 03/21/2019 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

VIEW SPECIFICATIONS [+]
The Palmer Model 1865 Carbine was manufactured under the E.G. Lamson & Company brand label to a W. Palmer patent secured on December 22nd, 1863. Lamson was based out of Windsor, Connecticut and handed the contract to manufacture the Palmer design on a quantitative scale for Union forces during the latter half of the American Civil War (1861-1865). The Model 1865, as it came to be identified, was notable in that it was a bolt-action system - the first such weapon firing a metallic cartridge to be adopted by the United States Army's Ordnance Department. Despite some 1,000 carbines believed produced, the type arrived too late to see combat service in the war. Hostilities formally ceased on May 10th, 1865 while first deliveries did not occur until June. As such, they did not see formal issuance to US Army forces.

Categorized as a "carbine", the weapon was primarily intended for mounted troops who could realistically and effectively wield a typical long gun of the period from horseback. The carbine was, therefore, designed as a shorter alternative, retaining all of the function of their long gun brethren while utilizing a shorter forend and barrel (though at the expense of some useful effective range). This provided the same hard-hitting firepower of a rifle within a more compact, transportable form (the alternative being a pistol or sabre). The carbine could just as easily be issued to fast-moving ground troops for skirmishing as well.

Outwardly, the Model 1865 was an obvious product of the period utilizing a wooden stock with inlaid metal components. There was a slightly-angled grip handle with integrated shoulder stock and the wooden body making up the forend. The barrel and forend were joined by a single barrel band, the barrel protruding a short distance ahead of the bulk of the weapon. The hinged hammer arm sat along the right side of the receiver within each of the primary hand with the bolt-action handle seated along the same side though at the extreme rear of the receiver. A sling ring arrangement was set upon the lockplate on the left side of the weapon. The barrel measured 20 inches long and consisted of a blue casehardened finish while the stock was walnut.

The Palmer design was unique in its use of the bolt-action system - a system still common to many sporting, police and military precision rifles today. A quarter-turn of the handle unlocked the bolt to which a rearward pull was used to extract any spent shell casings residing in the chamber. This then opened the breech for reloading. The hammer was manually cocked and released through the trigger pull as usual. The trigger unit lay under the receiver in the usual way complete with curved trigger assembly and oblong trigger ring. The weapon was chambered for the .54 rimfire cartridge and was of a single-shot design.©MilitaryFactory.com
Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.

Specifications



E.G. Lamson and Company - USA
Manufacturer(s)
United States
Operators National flag of the United States
1865
Service Year
United States
National Origin




635 mm
(25.00 inches)
Overall Length
508 mm
(20.00 inches)
Barrel Length
Manually-Actuated Bolt-Action; Single-Shot
Action
BOLT-ACTION
Manually-actuated process of managing the bolt lever to eject spent cartridge case, clearing the breech, to introduce fresh catridge into the chamber.
.54 Rimfire
Caliber(s)
May not represent an exhuastive list; Calibers may be model-specific dependent; Always consult official manufacturer sources.
Single-Shot
Rounds
Iron Front and Rear.
Sights


Material presented above is for historical and entertainment value and should not be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation - always consult official manufacturer sources for such information.

4
Rounds-per-Minute
Rate-of-Fire


Model 1865 - Base Series Designation


Military lapel ribbon for the American Civil War
Military lapel ribbon for pioneering aircraft
Military lapel ribbon for the Cold War
Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War
Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft
Military lapel ribbon representing special forces
Military lapel ribbon for the Ukranian-Russian War
Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2

Images



1 / 1
Image of the Palmer Model 1865

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Chart Military Ranks DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content; site is 100% curated by humans.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.


©2023 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2023 (20yrs)