Burnside carbine rifle with name and company engraved, how to research?

[Nelda]

First, you must know that I know nothing about guns or rifles. I just know this has been in my dad's gun safe since the 1940's.
I broke it out today to try and research it and somehow I found this forum. I hope I'm posting this in the right place.
I have a burnside rifle with the serial number 32043 which is probably not important but I feel the carving might be.
It simply says "Flint Co L" scratched or carved into the stock. It's two lines, with the FLINT on top and the Co L underneath.
Can anyone guide me in researching this? I have pictures!
Thanks,
Nelda

[Southron Sr.]

It sounds like it was issued to some soldier named "Flint" who was assigned to a "Company L."

You can Google "Springfield Research Service" because they have the serial numbers of some,but not all, Burnside Carbines and in some cases, the units they were issued to.

Unfortunately, the owner of the service is rather Greedy, so he will charge you a hefty fee to look up the serial number and require you to subscribe a magazine he publishes. Again he MIGHT NOT have records on the serial number of your carbine.

Another possibility is to sign up with one of those Civil War websites where all the records on Union and Confedrate soldiers are computerized-then do a search for soldiers named "Flint" assigned to a "Company L."

GOOD LUCK