Breech loading carbine manufactured by Edward Gwyn and Abner Campbell of Hamilton, Ohio, c. 1863-1864. The carbine has a military blue part-round/part octagon barrel with wide-base iron front sight and folding leaf rear sight. The receiver has the Type II hammer with beveled edges and short lever with claw-shaped vertical latch. The receiver, hammer and lever are color casehardened. The breechblock, upper tang and buttplate have a high polish niter blue finish. The stock is oil-finished walnut. The side plate is roll-stamped "GWYN & CAMPBELL" is an arch above "PATENT/1862/HAMILTON O." in three lines. "UNION/RIFLE" is stamped in two vertical lines on the right side of the receiver. The underside of the receiver and lever latch are numbered "1895", the breechblock and lever are numbered "2407" and the underside of the barrel is numbered "3023". Single letter Ordnance sub-inspection marks are stamped on most components. The left side of the stock wrist is stamped with the Ordnance inspection mark which consists of the script initials "WHR" in a rectangle. Gwyn & Campbell manufactured 4,000 Type II carbines. Most of these carbines were issued to Iowa, Illinois and Missouri cavalry regiments.

Excellent. The carbine appears to be as-issued and un-fired. The mixed numbers on various components may indicate that the carbine was assembled near the end of production using excess parts but it has all of the requisite Ordnance inspection marks and does not appear to be a post war assembly. The barrel retains at least 98% of the original military blue finish. The receiver, hammer, side plate, lower tang and lever have 98% or more of the vivid case colors. Nearly all of the fire-blue finish remains on the breechblock and buttplate. The markings and numbers on the receiver, side plate, barrel and other components are extremely crisp. The stock is in nearly new condition with a perfect Ordnance inspection mark. This is an exceptional example of a Civil War Gwyn & Campbell breech loading carbine.