This rare breech loading carbine is the invention of Benjamin F. Joslyn of Stonington, Connecticut, covered under U.S. patent number 109,218 dated November 15th, 1870. Joslyn entered this design in the 1872 "Terry Board" Army trials in the search for selection of a standard issue breech loading military rifle (listed as "Joslyn-Tomes, No. 40" in the official 1873 Report of the Chief of Ordnance). Joslyn had some success with his earlier designs, including government purchased carbines and rifles of a different design than what is offered here, and revolvers. The cylindrical breechblock of this rifle has a vertical hammer in the center at the top. When the hammer is pulled by hand, it pivots its front end upwards and out of engagement with a hole in the bottom of the frame, unlocking the bolt and allowing it to be drawn rearwards for extraction, allowing insertion of a new cartridge when pulled all the way back. When the bolt is pushed forward, the locking lug lines up with the recess in the frame. When the trigger is pulled, the locking lug falls into the recess, hitting the firing pin at the same time it locks. The sights are mounted on iron blocks offset to the left of the centerline of the barrel so they can be seen despite the obstruction caused by the hammer. Although a gun of this design was entered in the 1872 "Terry Board" Army breech loading rifle trials, like all but one of its one hundred competitors, it did not fare well; after vigorous trials the Army ended up officially adopting what we know of today as the U.S. Springfield Model 1873 Trapdoor rifle. This carbine is marked "JOSLYN, TOMES GUN/B.F.JOSLYNs PATENT/No (illegible)1870" in three lines on top of the breech block, a very small "2" is visible on the bottom surface of the receiver behind the chamber (requires pulling the bolt back to view), and a "crown/9" proof is stamped on top of the rear sight base.

Fine with bright surfaces, a few scattered areas of light pitting, and sharp markings and edges in the metal. Stock is also fine with a few moderate dents and small chips, a pin-sized hole in the left of the buttstock likely from a display plaque, numerous light lines in the buttstock from display, and defined edges. Mechanically excellent.