POTD: The Morse Carbine – The Confederacy’s Lost Opportunity
Sam.S 02.24.25

Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have the Morse Carbine! In 1856, George Morse of Baton Rouge patented an innovative breech-loading system and centerfire metallic cartridge that could have revolutionized Civil War firearms. Initially working with the U.S. Army to convert existing rifles, Morse’s project was interrupted by the outbreak of war when he sided with the Confederacy. Despite capturing the manufacturing machinery from Harper’s Ferry and relocating it through Nashville, Atlanta, and finally Greenville, SC, the Confederacy never fully embraced Morse’s design. Only about 1,000 brass-framed .50 caliber carbines were produced under a South Carolina state contract, featuring an upward-tilting breechblock and using Morse’s advanced centerfire cartridge system. Though his carbines saw limited service, Morse’s impact on firearms development was significant. After the war, he unsuccessfully sued the Union for royalties on 170,000 breech-loaders he claimed infringed his patents. While his firearms never achieved widespread use, his cartridge innovations helped pave the way for modern ammunition design.
“Manufacturer: Morse
Model: CarbineType: RifleGauge: 50 CFBarrel: 20 inch roundFinish: brightStock: butternut”

Lot 300: Civil War Confederate Morse First Type Centerfire Carbine – Desirable and Rare Civil War Confederate Morse First Type Breech Loading Centerfire Carbine. (n.d.). Rock Island Auction Company. photograph. Retrieved February 23, 2025, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/4090/300/civil-war-confederate-morse-first-type-centerfire-carbine.