After the Civil War, there were hundreds of thousands of surplus rifle-muskets. Some were sold as surplus in their original form, and others were converted into affordable shotguns and used in the West by settlers, explorers, and members of several Native American tribes. Smoothbore weapons were more versatile and were very common in the West. Many weapons used by Native Americans were recycled for parts to keep other arms working or to craft other items. Similar weapons would have been present at most of the late 19th century's most well-known battles, including the Battle of Little Bighorn. This carbine was originally mostly a U.S. Springfield Model 1863 rifle-musket and has since been bored out to .62 caliber smoothbore, fitted with blade and notch sights and a saddle ring bar, and tack decorated with lines of tacks on the sides of the forend, a circled cross on the right side of the butt, and a larger cross on the left. The lock is dated 1862.

Fair. The carbine shows the signs of hard use on the frontier. The metal displays a mix of silver gray and dark gray and brown patina along with mild oxidation and pitting (heavier on the buttplate). The stock has a few absent tacks, some cracks and repairs, slivers absent, and general mild overall wear. Mechanically excellent. This carbine has clearly seen some real use and could have been used in battle in one or more of the numerous late 19th century Indian Wars.