Evans New Model Carbine: High Capacity in the Old West

Published on June 3, 2016
Duration: 17:43

The Evans New Model Carbine, developed by Warren Evans, featured a unique 28-round helical magazine in the buttstock, offering high capacity for its era. Despite its innovative design, it failed US military trials due to reliability issues in dusty conditions and struggled against Winchester's market dominance. The New Model improved upon the Old Model with a dust cover and a modified action for easier case extraction.

Quick Summary

The Evans New Model Carbine featured a unique 28-round helical magazine, offering high capacity for its time. Despite its innovation, it failed US military dust tests and struggled against market competitors, leading to the company's bankruptcy.

Chapters

  1. 00:00Introduction: Evans New Model Carbine
  2. 01:08Old vs. New Model: Capacity & Caliber
  3. 03:58Market & Military Testing Failures
  4. 06:57Helical Magazine Mechanism Explained
  5. 10:44New Model Improvements & Features
  6. 15:22Technical Mysteries & Conclusion

Frequently Asked Questions

What made the Evans New Model Carbine unique?

The Evans New Model Carbine was unique for its high-capacity helical magazine, holding 28 rounds of .44 Evans Long ammunition. This springless system, integrated into the buttstock, was operated by the lever action, functioning like a conveyor belt for cartridges.

Why was the Evans Carbine rejected by the US military?

The US military tested the Evans carbine but ultimately rejected it. A key reason was its failure during a dust test, which raised concerns about its reliability in field conditions compared to other firearms like the Trapdoor Springfield.

What were the differences between the Evans Old Model and New Model Carbines?

The Old Model held 34 rounds of .44 Evans Short, while the New Model reduced capacity to 28 rounds of more powerful .44 Evans Long. The New Model also added a dust cover and a modified action for easier case extraction.

How did the helical magazine of the Evans Carbine work?

The helical magazine used a follower within a spiral track. The lever action manually rotated this follower 90 degrees per cycle, acting as a conveyor belt to move cartridges from the buttplate gate into the chamber.

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