Extremely Rare Civil War Confederate Keen, Walker & Co. Breech Loading Percussion Saddle Ring Carbine

This breech-loading cavalry carbine is one of a reported 282 believed to have been manufactured by Keen, Walker & Company of Danville, Virginia, between May and September of 1862 for use by the Confederacy during the Civil War, according to pages 151-152 of “Confederate Carbines & Musketoons” (2002) by John M. Murphy and Howard Michael Madaus. Only a small number of surviving examples are known today. According to “Confederate Arms” by Albaugh and Simmons, these carbines were believed to have been designed by inventor N. T. Read under a Confederate patent (possibly number 154, granted March 20, 1863), although page 151 of “Confederate Carbines & Musketoons” states that the authors disagree and it remains a subject of debate. I was unable to locate any further information or an illustration of the patent in question. The breech block mechanism resembles that of the Hall rifles and carbines, as well as the Perry carbine, and the carbine itself shows only slight visual similarities to the Maynard carbines. Consequently, “Flayderman’s Guide” refers to these as a “Maynard or Perry Brass Frame Carbine” (9th Edition, 10-039). The frame of these carbines has since been identified as made of bronze rather than brass, based on an invoice from the Confederate States to Keen, Walker & Company dated July 8, 1862, for “4,940 lbs of bronze-$1,976.” They feature a blade front sight, notch rear sight, seven-groove rifling, a sling bar and ring mounted on the left side of the frame, a Maynard-style buttstock, and an iron buttplate. No visible markings are present on the outside of the carbine, but a Roman numeral assembly number “XXVI” is carved into the concealed area of the upper tang and in the upper stock channel. Other examples of these carbines have been known to bear similar Roman numeral markings. Relevant details about these carbines and other pictured examples can be found on pages 151-157 of “Confederate Carbines & Musketoons” (2002) by Murphy and Madaus. The consignor indicated this carbine was purchased from Dave Taylor on September 12, 2020. Provenance: Dave Taylor; Private Collection.