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Anybody have any experience with the Smith carbine replicas currently available from Navy, Dixie, etc.? How "farby" are they (or not)? How good are they over all? Been thinking about getting one, but I want to hear from someone who has had personal experience before I make a decision.
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[FONT="Comic Sans MS"][COLOR="Blue"]Richard Knack[/COLOR][/FONT] -
Re: Smith carbine replicas
Hallo!
The current generation of Italian Smith cavalry and artillery carbines are the children of Mike Yeck's American-made version from the late 1970's-1980's.
Every once in a while you will find a used Yeck Smith.
When Mike got out of the gun-making business (M1861 Springfield, M1862 Richmond, M1863 Springfield, Smith acavalry and artillery carbines) due to problems with consistent quality control, Val Forgett/Navy Arms bought the machinery and turned it over to the Italians for production.
The maor problem with Yeck Smiths was that he "simplified" the receiver/lock area and eliminated the recoil shield by making it an extension of the "reciever." As a result, aside from the incorrect appearance- recoil would chip away and flake off the American Black Walnut stock at the wrist.
When the Italians remade them, they corrected this omission.
IMHO, as with the Italian reproductions, the Smith(s) are a decent enough repro in the "Italian vein." (And a popular shooter in the N-SSA).
CurtCurt Schmidt
In gleichem Schritt und Tritt, Curt Schmidt
-Hard and sharp as flint...secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster.
-Haplogroup R1b M343 (Subclade R1b1a2 M269)
-Pointless Folksy Wisdom Mess, Oblio Lodge #1
-Vastly Ignorant
-Often incorrect, technically, historically, factually. -
Re: Smith carbine replicas
Hello all,
This is my first post, although I have been reading this forum for quite some time now. I carried a smith on horseback for several years. It is light and easy to carry and holds up quite well. In general, it is one of the easiest to clean in the field. The biggest problem you might have is deciding whether to use the plastic, aluminum or brass inserts to load them with. Pay attention to all the external screws as they have a tendency to vibrate loose from time to time.
Good luck,
Scott KilbourneScott KilbourneComment
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Re: Smith carbine replicas
I bought my Smith Carbine back at the 140th Gettysburg and only had one problem with it. The breech hole and the air vent to the nipple gets dirty and has to be clean thoroughly or it will clog on you. This happened to me and cost me about $50.00 for my gunsmith to clean out the harden crud. The build up in the breech plug to the nipple as I mentioned can get clogged and that was what happened to me. But over all I am very satisfied with it. I have the artillery model from Fllpietta. Mine came with a bullet mold and one hundred rubberized cartridges for about $600.00. At 50 yards it's fairly accurate. I wouldn’t recommend you exceeding 40 grains of powder or after loading a shell into it slamming it closed. It will crack the forend of the gun. I have seen many cavalry guys do this and mess their guns up. The only thing is mine isn’t defarbed. At the time I bought it they didn’t offer that. As with any gun as long as you give it proper care and keep it clean, you shouldn’t have too many problems.
John A. MillerJohn A. Miller, Director
Monterey Pass Battlefield ParkComment
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Re: Smith carbine replicas
Had mine for several years, and enjoy it immensely. Easy to clean, easy to store, easy to get ammunition for, and reliable. As stated, the ignition path must be attended to regularly. I use hex shank drill bits (hand held) of various sizes for the job, and finish clean/oil with pipe cleaners. Sometimes a little expansion of the path is advisable by drilling it out some. The same with the plastic cartridges - their hole can be too small for consistent ignition. The biggest problem is reloading prone.
Admiral D. D. Porter's favorite.[COLOR=Blue][SIZE=4][FONT=Verdana]Bob Dispenza[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]
[COLOR=Navy]US Naval Landing Party ([url]www.usnlp.org)[/url][/COLOR]
[COLOR=SeaGreen]Navy and Marine Living History Association ([url]www.navyandmarine.org)[/url][/COLOR]
"The publick give credit for feat of arms, but the courage which is required for them, cannot compare with that which is needed to bear patiently, not only the thousand annoyances but the total absence of everything that makes life pleasant and even worth living." - Lt. Percival Drayton, on naval blockade duty.
"We have drawn the Spencer Repeating Rifle. It is a 7 shooter, & a beautiful little gun. They are charged to us at $30.00. 15 of which we have to pay."
William Clark Allen, Company K, 72nd Indiana Volunteers, May 17, 1863Comment
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Re: Smith carbine replicas
Hallo!
Plus, two Smith "flaws in the design" that eventually may pop up with heavy and repeated usuage:
1. The latch system will eventually wear and get loose do to the steel-on-steel" friction snapping up and down on the rectangular block/stud. (This is usually very easily fixed with a whack of a hammer or two to displace a little of the rectangular block.)
2. The hinge will eventually wear a bit due to the friction of steel-on-steel. Initially, uo to a point, one can tighten the hinge screw down tighter and tighter, and/or use a vise to gently/slightly bend the hinge ears in slightly for a tighter fit, and/or add a paper thin sheet brass shim to the hinge.
Curt
SmithshooterCurt Schmidt
In gleichem Schritt und Tritt, Curt Schmidt
-Hard and sharp as flint...secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster.
-Haplogroup R1b M343 (Subclade R1b1a2 M269)
-Pointless Folksy Wisdom Mess, Oblio Lodge #1
-Vastly Ignorant
-Often incorrect, technically, historically, factually.Comment
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