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I didn't want to hi-jack the saddle thread so thought I'd start another one on the carbine in the picture of the Illinois trooper. The Union Carbine, Gwynn & Campbell, and the Cosmopolitan Carbines are the same carbine being described with different names. My sources on the subject are in Texas and I'm in Iraq so I'm working off memory here.
It was a breechloading carbine in .52 caliber with no forearm piece and used a paper or liner cartridge. They were produced in Ohio by Gynn & Campbell company. There were at least two but I think three different models with no major differences between them just improvements made along the way. Illinois, and Kentucky both issued some of them. My G-G-Grandfather was Yerby Newton Orange with the 12th Ky Volunteer Cavalry U.S. and the 12th was issued some Qwynn & Campbells and about 1,000 Henry's. It's been a couple years since I read the books I have on the subject and I don't remember how many Gynn & Campbells were issued to the 12th.
When Grierson was planning his raid he had to find arms for his men and he armed some them with the Cosmopolitan. Also when Morgan made his Ohio raid the Gwynn & Campbell company armed quite a few civillians and home guard types with this weapon to help capture him.
It's an interesting weapon and I don't think anyone makes a repro. I do know that Dixie Gunworks used to have some originals in various condition but my company internet blocks most weapons related sites now and I can't get to Dixie's site to see if they still have any or not.
The gun was said to have a rainbow trajectory and the biggest complaints about it were gas blowback from the breech and no forearm piece which meant holding a hot barrel if things got busy and stayed that way for any length of time.
It was a breechloading carbine in .52 caliber with no forearm piece and used a paper or liner cartridge. They were produced in Ohio by Gynn & Campbell company. There were at least two but I think three different models with no major differences between them just improvements made along the way. Illinois, and Kentucky both issued some of them. My G-G-Grandfather was Yerby Newton Orange with the 12th Ky Volunteer Cavalry U.S. and the 12th was issued some Qwynn & Campbells and about 1,000 Henry's. It's been a couple years since I read the books I have on the subject and I don't remember how many Gynn & Campbells were issued to the 12th.
When Grierson was planning his raid he had to find arms for his men and he armed some them with the Cosmopolitan. Also when Morgan made his Ohio raid the Gwynn & Campbell company armed quite a few civillians and home guard types with this weapon to help capture him.
It's an interesting weapon and I don't think anyone makes a repro. I do know that Dixie Gunworks used to have some originals in various condition but my company internet blocks most weapons related sites now and I can't get to Dixie's site to see if they still have any or not.
The gun was said to have a rainbow trajectory and the biggest complaints about it were gas blowback from the breech and no forearm piece which meant holding a hot barrel if things got busy and stayed that way for any length of time.
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