Paget Cavalry Carbine, 1808 - 1840

Napoleonic Wars  -  Waterloo  -   Alamo  -  Mexican-American War

Historical Background

The introduction of the Paget Carbine was in response to the ineffectiveness of the previous British Cavalry carbine, particularly the ease in losing the ramrod.   Championed by the Cavalry officer Lord Henry Paget, it soon became known as the "Paget" carbine, although it is likely that Henry Nock had designed it.  The carbine proved quite popular with Light cavalrymen because of the ease of loading and firing while mounted.   While benefits of the speed of loading, was negated somewhat by the reduced range of the short 16-inch smoothbore barrel. 

Aside from its swivel ramrod, the curved bar for the sliding ring, made it easier to attach and unattached from the carbine belt.  The unique element of the lock was the introduction of a safety bolt with a finger tab at the rear of the slide.  With its light weight of a little under 5 1/2 lbs, no wonder Hussars and Light Dragoons were delighted with it. 

While it was designed somewhere around 1806, the Paget carbine did not see general use in the British Army until 1808.   It was extensive use throughout the Peninsular War, and the Paget carbine with its namesake fought in the Waterloo Campaign.   After 1815, the carbine continued to be used, even though rifled carbines had become favoured by British army officials.  As such the carbine saw service in Britain's colonial wars into the 1830s.

Its role in the North America came by way of the Mexican army.  In 1826, over 15 thousand carbines were shipped from Britain to Mexico.  As a result the carbine was used at the Battle of the Alamo and archaeological evidence shows it also saw service at the Battle of Palo Alto.  It did not end with the liberation of Texas.  The Mexican cavalry continued to use it when the Mexican-American War broke out in 1846.

 

King's Light Dragoon with Paget Carbine, 1812 by C. Hamilton Smith

14th Light Dragoon Sergeant armed with a Paget Carbine, 1832 by Jean Dubois Drahonet

Light Dragoons demonstrating skirmishing tactics with the Paget Carbine, 1822 (D Dighton)

 

Specifications

This reproduction is 31 1/2 inches long with a 16- inch, .66 calibre barrel.    Historically a .62 ball was used.  The highly-polished steel used in the barrel is made of tempered seamless modern steel (type:BS970 no.080M40) with a tight breech plug. 

The lock is made with strong durable springs and has a case-hardened frizzen (hammer) that throws good sparks. We use a industrial case-hardening factory process that makes sparking both more reliable and longer lasting. Presently no other musket provider uses this technique.

 As with all our other flintlocks, the vent is not drilled (read details below) so we can ship easily to our door throughout North America and to Europe and the UK. Aside from that they are exactly like the originals. A fine addition to any collection.

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