Beschreibung:

.50 caliber. 20" octagon to round barrel. S/N 23177. Blued barrel, gold washed receiver and buttplate, silver plated lever, highly figured straight grip walnut stock with checkered wrist and Schutzen buttplate. Single shot breechloading percussion ignition sporting carbine with tilting barrel. Receiver marked on the obverse in three lines: MANUFACTURED BY / MASS ARMS CO / CHICOPEE FALLS and in four lines on the reverse EDWARD MAYNARD. / PATENTEE. / MAY 27, 1851 / DEC. 6 1859. Trigger plate tang marked 1865 and with the serial number. The receiver and furniture are nearly engraved in a New York style with flowing foliate arabesque scrolls and punch dot background shading with oval panel scenes on each side of the receiver that depict Civil War battle vignettes. The panel scenes are reminiscent of the work done by Ulrich and his shop during the mid-19th century. The breech of the barrel is engraved with similar scrolls and flowing geometric lines. Sides of hammer engraved with crosshatched lines and dots. Breech and muzzle with apparent platinum (or possibly silver) bands. The bottom of receiver, the upper and lower receiver tangs, as well as the top and bottom of the Schutzen style buttplate are engraved en-suite with the flowing arabesque patterns found on the receiver. Equipped with the standard 2nd Model Maynard two-leaf rear sight, fixed blade front sight and sling ring and bar on reverse of the receiver. At the conclusion of the American Civil War many arms makers like the Massachusetts Arms Company were on the verge of financial ruin with the cancellation of the lucrative war time manufacturing contracts. They also often found themselves with a huge supply of completed and partially completed arms, as well as parts on hand to produce more as well as the specialized machinery for the work. Massachusetts Arms under their Maynard product line offered a series of Model 1865 sporting arms based upon their 2nd Model Maynard cavalry carbine. As with nearly any company of the time, these arms could be ordered customized and embellished in nearly any was the buyer saw fit, as long as they could afford the additional work. This carbine is almost certainly an example of one of those custom ordered, high grade guns that had its genesis as a Civil War era cavalry carbine that was never delivered. Whether the extensive embellishment of the gun was the commissioned by Mass Arms or possibly by a retailer like Schuyler, Hartley & Graham is hard to determine. However, it is clear that the engraving is in a New York style and the panel scenes are reminiscent of the Ulrich shop. As these receivers were casehardened, the engraving would have had to have been done before the receiver went through the heat treatment process. The high grade stock and Schutzen butt are typical of options that would become fairly common on Maynard's arms during the 1870s and 1880s and were likely factory work. The work is wonderfully executed and the gun remains in wonderful condition as well. The quality and enhancements certainly make it one of the most attractive and potentially unique percussion Maynard's from the period. Condition: Very fine. The gun retains much of the gold washed finish on the receiver and furniture with thinning and fading, most of which is along the high edges and contact points, revealing silvery gray metal underneath. The gold wash on the furniture, in particular the buttplate shows some thinning and loss as well, primarily at the high edges and points of contact. The operating lever shows some flaked loss of the silver plating, but most of it remains intact. The barrel retains nearly all of the blued finish which appears period, and shows some small scattered patches of light surface oxidation and minor roughness on the chamber. There are also flecks of oxidation scattered here and there along the barrel. All markings and the engraving remain clear and crisp. The action remains mechanically functional with a fine, bright bore. The stoc