.50 caliber. 20" barrel. SN: 22537. Blued and color case hardened finish, smooth walnut buttstock. Single shot percussion breechloading carbine with tilting barrel action. Lower right side of frame marked in three lines MANUFACTURED BY/MASS ARMS CO/CHICOPEE FALLS with the left side marked in four lines EDWARD MAYNARD/PATENTEE/MAY 27, 1851/DEC. 6, 1859. Trigger plate tang marked 1865 and with the serial number. Two clear script cartouches are present at the reverse wrist, the GWS of George W Sherman and the JM of James Mills. Retains the original L-shaped leaf rear sight, pinched front sight and short sling bar with ring. The simple, durable and reliable Maynard carbine was one of the most used cavalry carbines of the US Civil War with some 20,000 produced circa 1863 to 1865.