Gywn & Campbell

**Dave Fox** · 08-15-2015

Today at the Marietta, Georgia, Civil War relic show my frail good sense left me entirely and I purchased a Gywn & Campbell type II carbine. I think its ugly factor and bad reputation unduly influenced me; that and the really good price which matched what I had in my pocket, precisely. Why the government was still buying these turkeys in 1864 is a puzzlement. Condition is tight, unfired apparently, with an excellent bore and badly stored exterior metal finish.
Mainly I purchased it to play with. Home, it appears Maynard/Smith bullets would work. Also, Sharps ringtail bullets are a good fit and, seated in cut-down Charlie Hahn Sharps cardboard cartridges, load easily, though there's not much room for powder. I could punch a small hole in the cardboard cartridge side and paper over with tissue for the cap flash. I've read Schiffers's account of shooting one in "Civil War Carbines, Myth vs. Reality".
Anyone have experience shooting the Gywn & Campbell? I'd appreciate any practical advice, beyond not leaving ones forearm under the action when squeezing the trigger.

**Eggman** · 08-15-2015

Jim Koch, Forrest's Escort, is an expert on these, has a collection (jfkoch1950@gmail.com). Keep in mind the "fire extinguisher" kept on the range is not a fire extinguisher - it's compressed air used to remove bullets. If you spray it on your burning sleeve it will enhance the fire, not put it out.

**Dave Fox** · 08-15-2015

Thanks, Eggman. I'll e-mail him.

**John Holland** · 08-16-2015

Richard Hill of the 14th Miss. is who you want to talk to about actually shooting them.

**Dave Fox** · 08-16-2015

I thank you, Mr. Holland. Can someone get me up with Richard Hill?

**Eggman** · 08-16-2015

It's a little known fact that the reason Forrest trounced Stugis at Brice's Crossroads, despite being heavily outnumbered, is that the 3rd Iowa Cavalry deployed on the front line went up in flames when they actually fired their Gywn and Campbells for the first time.

**Richard Hill** · 08-16-2015

I never finished working up a load for mine. It would seem it's CW-era reputation has some truth in it. I pulled the hammer back to half cock one day and the tumbler broke. Mine is a near-mint example. After a long search I had to get a new tumbler made, as there seems to be no spare parts available. I finally found a complete lock but a quick inspection showed the tumbler and mainspring had been repaired by brazing or welding. and most parts had file marks on them. If you are willing to take the risk go ahead and shoot it, but keep in mind that the lock parts appear to be brittle.

**John Holland** · 08-16-2015

Thank you, Richard, for replying. A friend also found the same lock issues to be true with his G & C carbine. He also found a spare lock only to discover nearly all the internal lock parts had been buggered up!

**Dave Fox** · 08-17-2015

FYI: I took this newly acquired G & C to the range this morning. Had a handful of .515 Smith/Maynard lubed bullets available. Seated the bullet then, initially, filled the chamber with 45 grains of FFFg. Pleasantly stout load. Was very positively surprised by this "dog" of a carbine: it showed a capacity for 2.5" groups at 50 yards and leaked very little gas. Trigger pull is quite heavy and I had to fold up one wing of each percussion cap to see the rear sight clearly(!) Shall hereafter make up paper cartridges with a starting duplex load of 15 grains of Cream of Wheat and the balance being FFFg, whatever fills the cartridge.
My friends and I casually shoot original Sharps, Maynards, Spencers, Smiths, and Burnsides. I never contemplated purchasing a Cosmopolitan, but the price was so righteous I couldn't pass it up.This ugly little brute might become my favorite. Thumbing back that jolly big hammer is a hoot in itself. Shall never suffer the embarrassment of hammer envy; it sports what has to be the biggest gun hammer in Christendom. Friend Wayne Spears is going ahead and making a new tumbler, based upon the information in this tread. Thanks for the insight.