The Maynard carbine was one of the most ingenious weapons developed prior to the outbreak of the Civil War. It was designed by Dr. Edward Maynard, a dentist and inventor from New York. His Maynard priming system was adopted by the Ordnance Department, but proved unsuitable for use in the field; thus, these Second Model carbines utilize a traditional percussion cap system in conjunction with metallic cartridges. These reloadable casings made Maynard purchased before the war or captured after the first shots were fired particularly popular with Confederate forces. The Maynard design was also later modified for use with integrally primed metallic cartridges. Mass. Arms Co. referred to the Second Models as the Model 1863 and manufactured around 20,202 of them by the end of 1865. Some of these carbines were used by Union cavalry units including the 9th and 11th Indian and 11th Tennessee. This example likely saw little to no use given its high condition. It is equipped with the standard "pinched" front sight, three leaf rear sight, and a smooth stock. The action is marked with the three-line Mass. Arms Co. marking on the right and the four-line Maynard patent marking on the left. The barrel has an "A.N.J." inspection mark on the left flat at the breech. The stock has "ANJ" and "JM" cartouches.

Excellent, as issued. 98% plus of the original blue finish and rich case colors remain. There is some very slight traces of spotting and a few minor marks. The wood is also excellent and has dark oil finish, sharp edges, and some minor handling and storage marks. The action functions fine, and the markings, including the cartouches, are crisp.