Palmer carbine
First bolt-action rifle accepted for use by the US Army Ordnance Department
The Palmer carbine, a single-shot bolt-action firearm, was patented in 1863 by E. G. Lamson and Company of Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts. It holds the distinction of being the first bolt-action rifle to be accepted for use by the US Army Ordnance Department. One thousand of these carbines reached Union forces a month after the Civil War ended, and afterward all were sold to civilians. Unlike later bolt actions with a centered firing pin, the Palmer’s bolt was machined from a solid tube of metal. Screw-like lands and grooves locked the bolt in place using a short, stubby handle. The hammer, positioned on the right side of the receiver as was common for percussion rifles of the era, held the firing pin at its tip. A milled slot on the bolt head, canted to the right, allowed the hammer’s firing pin to strike the rim of the cartridge—typically the .56-50 rimfire. Because it was a single-shot design, each cartridge had to be loaded individually. The design was considered revolutionary at the time, essentially a simple breech modification to convert existing percussion rifles to accept metallic cartridges, replacing the slower process of powder, ball, wad, ramrod, and percussion cap. The inventor hoped gunsmiths could adapt current rifles from the breech as easily as flintlocks had been converted to percussion. However, the Palmer had a critical flaw: the hammer’s firing pin struck the cartridge rim in a cramped space on the bolt, where the two parts met the bullet rim when the trigger was pulled. Ultimately, actions like those of the Spencer and Sharps rifles were preferred. Still, the Palmer’s design is considered a forerunner of all modern bolt-action rifles. In 1870, France purchased a number of Palmers for use in the Franco-Prussian War.
Quick Facts
- Origin
- United States of America
- Is Ranged
- yes
- Service
- 1865
- Used By
- United States
- Manufacturer
- E.G. Lamson & Co.
- Number
- 1,000
- Length
- 37 1/8 inches
- Part Length
- 20 inches
- Cartridge
- .56-50 Spencer
- Action
- Bolt-Action
- Feed
- Single-shot
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The Palmer carbine's bolt was machined from a solid block of tubular metal with screw-type lands and grooves that locked the bolt in place via a short, stubby handle. Unlike traditional bolt actions, the firing pin was not centered in the bolt; instead, the hammer, located on the right side of the receiver like other percussion-fired rifles of the period, held the firing pin at its tip. A tooled, milled slot on the head of the bolt, canted toward the right side, allowed the firing pin atop the hammer to strike the rim of the 56-50 rimfire cartridge. The design was seen at the time as a simple breech modification to existing percussion rifles to accept metallic cartridges, replacing the slower process of loading powder, ball, wad, ramrod, and percussion cap. The designer hoped gunsmiths could modify current percussion rifles from the breech in a manner similar to how flintlocks were converted to percussion. However, the rifle had a downfall: the positioning of the hammer where the firing pin hit the cartridge rim, and the small space on the bolt where the two parts met the bullet rim when the trigger was pulled. In 1870, France purchased a number of Palmers for use in the ongoing Franco-Prussian War. Ultimately, actions like those of the Spencer rifle and the Sharps rifle were preferred over the Palmer.
Reader's Guide
The Palmer carbine's significance lies in its role as a pioneering bolt-action design, being the first such rifle accepted by the US Army Ordnance Department. Its bolt, machined from a solid block with screw-type locking lands and grooves, represented a departure from traditional bolt-action construction. The weapon was conceived as a breech modification to convert percussion rifles to metallic cartridge use, a concept that aimed to simplify and speed up loading. However, the design's reliance on a side-mounted hammer striking the cartridge rim through a slot in the bolt proved problematic, as the small contact area between the firing pin and cartridge rim led to reliability issues. This weakness, combined with the preference for competing designs like the Spencer and Sharps, limited its adoption. Nevertheless, the Palmer is considered a predecessor of all modern bolt-action-type rifles, marking an early step in the evolution of breech-loading military firearms. Its purchase by France for the Franco-Prussian War indicates some international interest, though it did not achieve widespread success.
Did You Know?
- The Palmer carbine was the first bolt-action rifle accepted for use by the US Army Ordnance Department.
- The hammer was located on the right side of the receiver, holding the firing pin at its tip.
- France purchased a number of Palmers in 1870 for use in the Franco-Prussian War.
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