.54 caliber. 24.25" round barrel secured by a two flat brass screw-retained barrel bands. SN: 17/38. Browned and color casehardened finish, brass furniture, walnut stock. Single shot percussion breechloading rifled carbine with mule ear lock, brass blade front sight integral with the upper barrel band and sling ring in triggerguard plate. Breech marked: Wm Jenks and in four lines: USN/RP/P/1845. Mule-ear lock marked Wm Jenks at the tail and in three lines: NP AMES/ SPRINGFIELD/MASS. Interior of breech lever marked 17/38 in two lines. Two fine, crisp script cartouches are located on the counterpane, the RP of Richard Paine and the JL of Joseph Lanman. The carbine is in the typically encountered "modified" configuration with the oval rather than round loading aperture and a rifled bore. 4,250 of these distinctive "mule ear" lock percussion carbines were produced by the NP Ames company for the US Navy from 1843-1846. Originally they had round loading apertures and smooth bores. The large majority were subsequently altered to oval loading apertures and rifled bores like this gun. This is a very nice condition example of a scarce US Navy Carbine from the Mexican War period. {ANTIQUE}