Burnside Breechloading Carbines and Rifles

Book excerpt: Ambrose Everett Burnside made his mark in history as a famous battlefield commander during the American Civil War. Today, collectors of antique firearms better remember him for the handy cavalry carbine that he invented and had manufactured, a carbine that played a large part in arming Federal cavalrymen during that war. Getting the first 300 of those carbines fabricated drove Burnside into bankruptcy in 1857, and he then changed careers. The demand for good arms with the coming of the war quickly changed penury to profit: nearly 59,000 of the carbines of his design were ultimately produced, garnering over $2 million dollars for the two companies which made them. This book is the story of the design and production of the five different variations of the Burnside carbine, and the cartridges, tools and accouterments furnished with them. "Noted arms historian Ed Hull has produced his latest 'Collector's Guide to Firearms, ' and it is a most compelling and complete study of Civil War era Burnside Carbines and Rifles. This author has studied these unique breechloading firearms for many decades now, and this 173-page book covers all prototypes and production models, related Burnside ammunition and associated accoutrements. Students and collectors of Civil War weaponry will appreciate how complete and reliable this work is." Roy Marcot, author of "Spencer repeating Firearms" "Once again, longtime firearms student and writer Edward Hull has written a fine book that expands upon the one he originally wrote in 1986 on the same subject...It would make for a wonderful addition to the library of the arms collector...." Frank Graves, ARMS HERITAGE MAGAZINE