.54 caliber. 22" round barrel with single screw retained barrel band. SN: 12656. Browned finish, color casehardened lock, hammer, breech and lever, brass furniture, smooth walnut stock. Single shot breechloading percussion carbine with Merrill's patent action, three leaf rear sight with base serving as locking catch for breech, tall steel blade front sight and saddle bar and ring. Lock marked in three horizontal lines J.H. MERRILL BALTO/PAT. JULY 1858/APL. 9 MAY 21-28-61 forward of the hammer and vertically in a single line at the tail with the serial number. Breech lever weakly marked J.H. MERRILL BALTO/PAT. JULY 1858 in two lines on the top along with the matching serial number 12656. An illegible script cartouche is visible on the counterpane behind the sling bar. 2nd Model Merrill carbines were produced without patchboxes. A total of 14,495 Merrill carbines of both variants were produced with nearly all being purchased by the US Government for Civil War service. Many saw use with the 1st & 2nd Kentucky (US), 6th & 7th Indiana as well as the 14th Kansas Cavalry regiments. A search of the Springfield Research Service serial number books did not find this gun's serial number, however two very close to it, #12648 and #12659 were both issued to the 7th Indiana Cavalry, going to companies A and G, respectively. {ANTIQUE}