Merrill Civil War Saddle Ring Cavalry Carbine–1st Type .54 Caliber

This is a good example of the First Model Merrill cavalry carbine that uses a brass buttplate, patchbox, trigger guard, and barrel band, sharply tapered stock tip, and a flat, knurled latch to secure the lever of the breechloading mechanism that, when pulled to the rear, draws back a plunger to admit a new .54 caliber cartridge and then pushes it into place, locking closed behind the carbine’s rear sight. The latching mechanism is complete/functional.

The walnut stock is solid, contains a stable crack on left side of the wrist/receiver tang. This is a good example of one of the many diverse Civil War cavalry carbines with a lot of interesting history!