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currently the only example to have passed through Rock Island Auction Company like it! The action features a hinged breech block and manual extractor located on the underside of the forend. “JAMES WARNER,SPRINGFIELD,MASS/WARNER’S/PATENT” marked in three lines on the left of the frame, has
a round blade front sight, folding leaf rear sight with “3”, “5”, and “8” markings on the leaf (300-800 yards), a smooth walnut forend, straight wrist walnut buttstock, saddle ring eye (absent saddle ring) mounted on the left of the action, matching serial number “206” marked on the bottom of the barrel, rear flat of the walnut forend, front flat of the
frame, and brass buttplate.
CONDITION: Fine, retains 40% original silver plated finish on the frame with scattered flaking and smooth bright patina on the balance of the brass frame, with scattered light surface freckling on the bright iron barrel, and clear markings and edges in the metal overall. Absent sling ring. Wood is very fine with some scattered light handling marks and dents, a chip ahead of the buttplate tang, and defined edges overall. Mechanically excellent. A unique silver plated example of a very scarce James Warner carbine that would be a distinguished addition in any Civil War collection!
Estimate: 6,500 - 8,500
42 RF cal., 21 inch round bbl., blue finish, walnut stock. These carbines were designed by James Paris Lee and manufactured by the Lee
Fire Arms Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Though Lee is most famous for his bolt action and detachable box magazine design, the first
production arms manufactured based on Lee’s designs were these single shot carbines. The barrels were subcontracted to Remington, but an
error in communication and/or the U.S. Ordnance Department’s desire to not pay for the arms after the conclusion of the war led to the government rejecting the whole
batch of carbines due to the carbines being bored at .42 caliber like the trial arms instead of the .44 caliber mentioned in communications from Chief of Ordnance Brigadier General
A.B. Dyer. Only 255 carbines were completed by November 1866, and approximately 200 more were nearly complete. Other components were also outsourced, but they were assembled in
Milwaukee. With the hammer at half cock, the side swing barrel opens for loading from the right. It has a “pinched” blade front sight, two leaf 500 yard rear sight, “LEE’S FIRE ARMS CO. MILWAUKEE,
WIS/PATD JULY 22D 1862.” marked on the left of the barrel, a saddle ring bar and ring mounted on the left of the action, matching serial number “1993” marked on the bottom of the barrel and flat of the action,
and smooth walnut buttstock with casehardened buttplate. A scanned copy is included of the American Society of Arms Collectors article “James Lee, Wisconsin Arms Inventor, 1860-1874” by Herb Uphoff in which a very detailed history of these firearms is laid out. This exact Lee carbine is pictured on pages 84-85 of the book “U.S. Civil War Carbines” by Whisker, Yantz and Hartzler.
CONDITION: Very good plus with strong traces of original blue finish on some of the edges of the barrel and in protected areas with otherwise smooth gray and brown patina, scattered surface spotting, a few patches of light pitting, defined barrel markings, and strong traces of case colors visible on the buttplate. Stock is also very good with numerous scattered scratches and dents, a gouge in the left, and defined edges. Mechanically excellent. This desirable Civil War era Lee Fire Arms Co. saddle ring carbine is the missing piece in many U.S. martial firearms collections!
Estimate: 14,000 - 22,500
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LOT 3155
Very Scarce Civil War
James Warner Breech Loading Saddle Ring
Carbine with Silver Plated Frame - Serial no.
206, 50 RF cal., 20 inch round bbl., bright/silver finish, walnut stock. Only
1,501 of these carbines are believed to have been manufactured by Warner in 1864.
These initial carbines saw some use by Wisconsin units and others during the last part of the
war. Another 2,500 were produced by Greene Rifle Works. After the Civil War, the Warner carbines were
sold as surplus and then Schuyler, Hartley & Graham resold them to France in 1870. This example features a
unique silver plated brass frame, indicating it may have been intended for presentation to an important individual, and is
LOT 3156
Rare Documented Civil War Era Lee Fire Arms Co. Single Shot Saddle Ring Carbine - Serial no. 1993,