Send us your own comments about this object.

Title:	CARBINE -  MERRILL CARBINE TYPE I .54 SN# 5684
Maker/Manufacturer:	MERRILL, JAMES H.
Date of Manufacture:
Eminent Figure:
Catalog Number:	SPAR 1250
Measurements:	OL: 93.9CM 37" BL: 50.8CM 20" 6 lbs. 8 oz.

Object Description:

MERRILL CARBINE TYPE I .54 SN# 5684
Manufactured by James H. Merrill, Baltimore, Md. - Standard single-shot breechloading percussion carbine with brass patch box and knurled flat latch. Brass furniture. Barrel bright held with single brass band. Sling bar & ring mounted left side of stock. In order to operate the hammer is placed in safety position. The lever-latch is then drawn back and pulled upward to extract the copperfaced breech bolt to the rear of the breech. Carbine is then loaded with the paper cartridge and then returned to the close position for firing with the conventional percussion cap. Rear sight missing. Weapon weighs approximately 6 lbs. 8 oz. The Ordnance Department purchased 14,255 Merrill carbines during the Civil War. The Merrill bullet weighed 400 grains with 40 grains of powder. It had an overall length of 1.61".

Markings:
Lock: J.H. MERRILL BALTO./PAT. JULY 1858/APL. 9 MAY 21-28-61. 5684.
Top latch: J.H. MERRILL BALTO/PAT. JULY 1858 5684.
Stock: Painted in white on right side of stock: MERRILL.

1909 Catalog #3165 - "Carbine. Merrill Breech Loading Carbine. On lock plate, J.H. Merrill, Balto. Pat. July, 1858."

Notes: A total of 14,055 Merrill 1st and 2nd model carbines were delivered, with the final 4,100 being the improved model made under the August 11,1863 contract. In the Type II, production was streamlined to meet wartime needs and the patch box was eliminated and the top latch greatly simplified.

"Records indicate that 14,495 Merrill carbines of both types were purchased by the War Department during the Civil War. Among others, these arms were delivered to the following volunteer cavalry regiments: Twenty-seventh Kentucky; First, Fifth and Eighteenth New York; First New Jersey; the First and Third Wisconsin. Generally the Merrill carbines were not highly regarded.
James H. Merrill of the Merrill Patent Fire Arms Company, Baltimore, Maryland, received his initial patent pertaining to this carbine on July 20, 1858, U.S. Patent 20,954. This was supplemented in 1861 by several additional patents involving improvements and refinements to the original. These include numbers 32,032 and 32,033 dated April 9th; 32,451 of May 28th and 22,536, dated October 22nd of the year. The basis for these patents was the copper-faced breech bolt, or plunger, which, being attached to the top-mounted operating lever, which, being attached to the top-mounted operating lever, drives the combustible cartridge forward into the breech and serves as an effective gas seal.
A few Merrill carbines are known with tinned finishes, indicating possible naval use; others have been noted with all metal parts finished bright, and still others have been with browned barrels. These are exceptions, however, and the standard finish is as noted previously."- Reilly

"While the U.S. government was lax in their acceptance of Merrill's firearms, the agents of the C.S.A. were more agreeable to beefing up their small supply of weapons for the impending conflict. It is possible that several hundred went to the Confederacy until the Federal captured Maryland and Baltimore and then held the state and city under force of arms for the duration of the war. General Benjamin Butler announced that during his May 13, 1861, seizure and occupation of Baltimore he found 'several manufactories of arms, supplies and munitions meant for the 'rebels.'
Even after the capture of Baltimore, it took a few months for the smuggling of items from Baltimore to be cut off. An account dated August, 1861, in the 'Official Records of the War of the Rebellion,' reports that a gentleman, traveling down the Eastern Shore of Virginia across the bay from Baltimore, had exhibited 10 Merrill breechloading rifles that he was taking farther south. The summertime and fall flow of armaments southward was not closed until November of 1861, when Brigadier-General Henry Lockwood's Eastern Shore Campaign cut off the passageway of goods through that peninsula into Virginia.
This is not saying that the Merrill from knowingly sold to the Confederacy after it sider the problems of ordnance supplies for a lone weapon or even a dozen? Would the Confederate States undertake such a task? Unlikely! But if Southern cavalry used a sufficient number of Merrills or similar weapons to justify a supply of ammunition, then it would be cost effective to manufacture it for such a weapon.
Interestingly enough, P.E. Thomas had to sign a loyalty oath to the United States in June, 1864 when posting bond for delivery of 1,200 carbines. While this was a common practice during the war, no records of such oaths appear in the government records for James H. Merrill and L.W. Thomas. Perhaps P.E. Thomas had been the Southron link" - Faller, THE GUN REPORT, July, 2001.

"...The nervous Federal Government gave instructions to the United States Marshal's Office to search suspected persons or companies and seize all firearms. In a June 4 (1861) note, Secretary Cameron instructed the U.S. Marshal of the Baltimore District to close a manufacturing facility.
'War Department
Washington
June 4
Marshal; Bonifant
Baltimore
Get possession of the whole thirty five hundred tons. Stop the factory and take all the work they have done and the materials in hand. Don't fail to execute this order instantly.
Simon Cameron
Sec'y of War'
While this order does not identify Merrill, Thomas & Co., a later sworn statement from Bonifant does. In his statement, the above directive is repeated with the following addition:
'I hereby cirtifie (sic) that the above is a true copy of the order sent me by telegraph to stop the factory & seize the goods of Merrill & Thomas (in the) Sun Building.
Washington Bonifant
U.S. Marshall'
On June 5, Bonifant closed the factory and seized the weapons." - White

"In July of 1861, Major General N.P. Banks wrote to Ripley asking about the possibility of procuring Merrill carbines. Ripley replied that the Merrill Company had defaulted on two contracts for experimental arms, and that the Secretary of War had annulled all contracts with the firm. He offered Banks no help. Ripley was forced to purchase some Merrills in October, but did not issue a contract to the firm until the end of December, when he ordered 5,000." - Carl L. Davis

"During the 1863-1864 Ordnance Department survey of officers using the various breech-loading carbines in field use, 91 officers responded on the Merrill. The results were: Best - 5; Good - 14; Fair - 13; Poor - 16; Worthless - 43." - John D. McAulay

Merrill carbines were issued to Colonel Dichell's 1st New York Mounted Rifles; Colonel William A. Barstow's 3rd Wisconsin Cavalry; 27th Kentucky; 5th and 18th New York; 1st New Jersey; 7th Indiana; 1st Wisconsin; 11th, 17th and 18th Pennsylvania.

"With Philip E. and Lewin W. Thomas, Merrill phased Latrobe out of his business and organized as Merrill, Thomas & Company in Baltimore, with offices and plant at 239 Baltimore Street. 'Baltimore St.' addresses are today in that sector known as 'East Baltimore Street.' Where the Merrill carbines once were made and rifle muskets converted to breechloaders, is now a dance hall under the shadow of the Drunk Tank at Central Police Station, Fayette and Fallsway.
"SHOOTING MERRILL'S CARBINE by Tony Beck - Many skirmishes enjoy firing a variety of Civil War weapons. I must admit that I am among that group. Over the years, just about all of the popular carbines, rifles and muskets have accompanied me to the line. In that time, I have developed some decided favorites. These choices have not necessarily been due to any particular functional advantage, but because they are just plain the most fun to shoot. James Merrill's carbine has displaced the Burnside at the top of my personal fun to shoot list.
Merrill breechloaders are among the earlier Civil War contract carbine. They were issued in large numbers in both the east and west, yet today they are all but forgotten.
Many were developed along the B&O railroad, which resulted in the capture of large numbers by the Confederacy. They were widely distributed in the cavalry of the Army of Northern Virginia. Southerners generally reported favorably on the handy carbines. Federals, on the other hand, seemed to favor them only when no other breech loaders were available. By the fall of 1862 they were rather widely condemned within the ranks of the Army of the Potomac. As more modern weapons became available, Merrills were quickly replaced in eastern federal ranks. Few were still in the Army of the Potomac after the fall of 1863. Less well equipped Confederates and western Federals, however, used them throughout the war.
Merrills did suffer more than other carbines from the typical problems of patent weapons. The arms were designed by a sporting arms company and were not rugged enough for the rigors of cavalry campaigning. In addition, they were not truly parts interchangeable. Sights and hammers proved to be a particular problem. They broke off regularly and replacements often had to be hand fitted. On top of this, ammunition was found to be excessively fragile.
I had wanted a Merrill ever since reading the history of my home town unit, the 35th Va. Cavalry. General Ewell personally presented Col. White with a case of brand new Merrills in April of 1862. General Banks had thoughtfully left them in Winchester after his hasty departure from the Shenandoah valley. At one time or other, the 35th carried about every firearm used in the war and liked their Merrills.
A few years ago, I finally got the opportunity to add a Merrill to my collection. One appeared at a gun show in Arizona, where I was attending school. It needed a good bit of work but was basically sound. Being a broke student, a trade was worked out and I became the proud owner of the forlorn first model carbine.
While I was working on the restoration, a shooting buddy asked if I was going to fire it. Without too much though I answered 'Sure, why not?' That started the 'shoot the Merrill' campaign. To make a long story short, I've been shooting it ever since. In fact, that was the first of several Merrills with which I have become acquainted.
Preparation and Inspection. Any antique firearm put into service today should be thoroughly inspected before firing that first time, and Merrills are no exception. If you do not have experience with other Civil War breechloaders, turn his job over to a competent antique gunsmith.
Since this arm originally used paper cartridges, breech sealing depends entirely on the correct fir of the breech pin in the back of the barrel. If the pin itself is pitted, a new one is not too difficult for a skilled machinist to make. If the breech sealing surfaces of the barrel are not in good condition, hang you carbine over the fireplace and admire it, or have the barrel sleeved. It will leak gas. The bore itself can have some pitting and still shoot safely and well. If you are considering the purchase of a Merrill, there is quick and dirty check of breech tightness. With the consent of the seller, cock the hammer, stop the vent with your thumb and blow down theNext, inspect the breech mechanism. The most important check here is that assembly numbers on the breech pin, toggle link, lever, receiver and barrel all match. These parts must lock together to prevent the pivot screws from being loaded by the force of firing. The action was originally hand fitted and the chances of a random replacement part working properly are small. A good gunsmith can make quite acceptable replacements, but if replacement parts are evident in the action, careful inspection for exact fit is absolutely required.
Assuming the mechanism is in good shape, proceed to check the overall soundness of the weapon. This is a good time to fix the trigger. The carbines of my experience have had trigger pulls ranging from very heavy to impossible. One in particular was over 30 pounds! In spite of an exceedingly deep sear notch, the Merrill lock design is one of the best of all Civil War carbines. It is a descendent of sporting flintlocks. The sear can be shimmed to let off at just a few ounces and it will still be crisp and will not catch on the half cock.
Preparation for shooting should also include raising the front sight. Like most Civil War carbines, Merrills are sighted for the maximum possible point blank range when firing at targets the size of a mounted trooper. They shoot about as high as an unmodified original Smith under N-SSA range conditions. The modification I use is to make a brass sight around .42" high. It slips over over the iron blade and is expoxied in place. This modification can easily be removed, restoring the carbine to its original condition.
Ammunition. Another operation that can be done while inspecting your carbine is to slug the bore. All war-time Merrills are .54 caliber, but their groove diameter varies a good bit. The one I shoot measures .555", but they can be as big as .558". Once this dimension is known, order a Burnside mold a couple of thousandths bigger. Merrills show a definitive preferences for bullets on the hard side. A 50/50 mixture of pure lead and wheel weight shoots very well. There are two ways to make up the ammunition. The first is to roll paper cartridges. This is done in the same way as Sharps rounds. However, the choice of paper is more critical. The Merrill system requires that fire from the cap burn through the powder wrapping to ignite the round. This means that cartridge paper must be rather thin. Hair curler paper seems to work as well as anything I have tried. It leaves very little residue, especially if nitrated. A Sharps shooter introduced me to this paper last year and it is about the best for cartridges. Burnside bullets are somewhat difficult to use with paper cartridges since they are so short.
An easy method of making ammunition is to use typical hard plastic .58 caliber quick load tubes. They are small enough to hold a .54 cal. bullet, as long as they haven't been sitting around loaded with musket balls.
With either cartridge, use about 35 grains of FFFg powder to start. The original load was 45 grains, but for target shooting, this only serves to increase recoil and fouling. The light load is quite accurate out to 100 yards and cleaner to shoot. There are almost as many bullet lubes as N-SSA shooters, start with your favorite and try several. I had very good luck with regular RCBS Bullet Lube in Arizona, but it has been most disappointing in Virginia. Lately, a 50/50 mixture of Thompson Center 'Bore Butter' and bees wax had produced excellent results. Its one drawback is that it makes the bullets very slippery to handle while loading.
On the Firing Line. Operation of the Merrill breech system is unique. Therefore, it takes some practice to load quickly from the cartridge box. I usually use plastic cartridges, mostly because I'm too lazy to make up paper rounds. My loading method is to half cock the hammer and open the breech lever. Next, a cartridge is drawn from the box. With the carbine cradled along the right arm and a carLike all paper cartridge arms, Merrill actions will tighten up after firing several rounds. They do leak, but much less than an unmodified Sharps. By greasing the breech pin with pistol lube before each relay, you can have the action functioning smoothly through a match. If you miss as often as I sometimes do, the grease may not last long enough. The quick fix is to moisten the breech pin. Spitting on it works well in a pinch. (It does for a Sharps too!)
Between relays, wipe the bore and breech pin. The pin is easily cleaned. With the breech open, place a finger under the toggle link and lift gently while closing the lever. The link will come off its guide, allowing the breech pin to be lifted free of the action and wiped. To return it, simple place the pin over the breech opening with the lever about half open. Draw back the lever and the toggle link will drop back onto its guide.
Before your first skirmish, take the carbine out to the range and become familiar with it. Try different loads and lubes until a good combination is found. Then make up about 50 rounds and practice. When the loading method is learned, it is easy to load as rapidly as a Maynard or Smith.
There are some particularly nice features of the Merrill that become apparent when you shoot the carbine. The first is that opening the action removes the spent cap, reducing the number of steps in reloading. Also, the lever is designed so that it is almost impossible to prime if the action is not locked. In addition, the pivot points have been carefully located in such a way that the force of firing tends to close the breech. Recoil with target loads is mild and I personally like the way the gun handles and holds.
One caveat must be kept in mind when shooting the carbine. It was brought to my attention by a couple of fellow shooters at the Spring National. Like a musket or a Sharps, there is a brief period during loading when loose powder is exposed in the chamber. This means that there is the danger of a cook off. Not so much from an ignition source within the carbine, but from stray sparks that may come down the line. Because of this, it is a very good idea to wear shooting glasses.
Parts. Unlike just about any other Civil War arm, Merrills are not entirely parts interchangeable. Actions, stocks, trigger assemblies and lock parts will fit most any gun. However, as mentioned earlier, each barreled action and possibly each trigger group was hand fitted by an individual craftsman. All parts except screws have assembly or batch numbers so that they can be correctly matched after heat treatment and finishing. Similar action parts from different guns will rarely fit correctly. In many cases replacement parts must be individually hand fitted.
Being an early war breechloader, most Merrills were issued and used hard. Many are in need of parts today. The most commonly missing part is the rear sight.
The first type sight was used on First Models into at least the 8000 serial number range. The second type sights are dispersed through the late 7000 to 9000 numbers. The third type sights appear on Second Models which begin in the late 9000 number range and continue through almost 15,000. (Note: The author recently encountered a Second model in unissued condition with a 17,000 serial number. This is much higher than generally reported.) Each sight type fits a specific latch design, so they are not interchangeable. Expect to do some hand fitting. Sight positioning on the barrel can vary as much as an eight of an inch.
Another part that is often found bad is the cone. Dry firing over the years tends to spilt them. Luckily, the standard Try Something Different. these carbines represent an interesting transition in military weapons. They were the last of the hand crafted guns produced as the industry rapidly changed to machine made, parts interchangeable, pieces. If it had not been for the outbreak of the war, the government would have never bought Merrill arms. The system was obsolescent as the first shells fell on Fort Sumter.
Like other paper cartridge designs, history has shown them not to be the answer to the breech loading problem. However, the two biggest drawbacks of the Merrill do not detract from use in our sport. These are the inability to stand the rigors of extended cavalry campaigning and the fragility of their ammunition.
For skirmish use, the carbines do not deserve a bad reputation developed in the war. So, go ahead and dust off a Merrill. Shooting one will add an interesting new dimension to your carbine competition."

References:
Davis, Carl L. SMALL ARMS IN THE UNION ARMY, 1861-1865. University Microfilms International. Ann Arbor, Mi. 1979.
Flayderman, Norm. FLAYDERMAN'S GUIDE TO ANTIQUE AMERICAN FIREARMS...AND THEIR VALUES. 8th Ed. Krause Publications. Iola, Wi. 2001.
Gardner, Robert E. SMALL ARMS MAKERS. Crown Publishers, Inc. N.Y., N.Y. 1963.
Lustyik, Andrew F. CIVIL WAR CARBINES: FROM SERVICE TO SENTIMENT. World-Wide Gun Report, Inc. 1967.
McAulay, John D. CARBINES OF THE CIVIL WAR 1861-1865. Pioneer Press, Union City, Tn. 1981.
Reilly, Robert. U.S. MILITARY SMALL ARMS 1816-1865. The Eagle Press. Baton Rouge, La. 1970.
White, Terry A. AMERICAN MANUFACTURERS OF COMBUSTIBLE AMMUNITION. Thomas Publications. Gettysburg, Pa. 2002.

See, "A Treatise on Merrill Military Firearms - Part 1," Phillip E. Faller, THE GUN REPORT, July, 2001.
"A Treatise on Merrill Military FIrearms - Part II," by Phillip E. Faller, THE GUN REPORT, August, 2001.