Description:
Believed early Canadian North West Mounted Police 1876 Winchester Carbine scabbard – This scabbard was purchased from a friend in VT who bought it in Canada in 1986. Made of single piece of heavy bridle leather, stitched at one seam with an expansion joint of heavy leather stitched into the scabbard at the front edge and extends 12 inches from the front throat in an elongated rectangular shape terminating in a pointed end with a reinforcement strap sewed into the top. Russet colored leather is 28 inches from toe plug to top throat in front, which curves sharply upward. The rear of the throat is about 33 inches from the toe. The Mounted Police used both “California style” (western style) saddles (introduced in 1878, the same year that the first 50 M-1876 Winchester Carbines were purchased from I.G. Baker & Co., Fort Benton, Mont.) and English rigged saddles, used both before and after that date. Prior to and contemporaneously with the purchases of 846 M-1876 Winchester carbines between 1878 and 1885, the British Snider conversion (and later Snider Mark III (made as a cartridge gun) - which was 34-1/2 inches long), remained in use. The 1876 Winchester Carbine was 42 inches long. The 1876 Winchester carbine scabbards used with the western saddles were an unusual type that twisted around the saddle horn. Those used with the English rigged saddles similar to the Snider carbine scabbards, mounted vertically behind the rider’s leg with an unusual leather tab or “arm” about 2/3rds the way up the scabbard that attached to the top of the iron stirrup. This is of that type. The tab is 19-3/8th inches above the toe plug, is just under 3 inches wide and 14-1/4 inches long from the front of the scabbard. The front of the “arm” has a central adjustment strap that loops through a leather cross-strap and has 3 holes with slits to fit over an iron, round headed stud in the center of the arm. The tab and the top rear or the scabbard is heavily reinforced and quite thick. It has a diagonal leather flap that fits over an iron stud, but would only partly cover the carbine, tending to hold it towards the rear of the scabbard. A thin leather belt comes from under the flap and is held by a brass buckle. My reference is the Museum Restoration Society Historical Arms Series No. 6 “Small Arms of the Mounted Police.” It shows an 1876 Winchester carbine in an English rigged scabbard similar to this, but with a s slightly curved open throat, a reinforced toe and a slightly different arm or “tab.” It also shows a Snider Enfield carbine in a scabbard also with an English rigged saddle and has the tab and appears to have a closure flap like this one and an iron stud. Since the Canadians bought only 50 carbines in 1878 and a further 100 in 1880, and further lots in similar quantity per year, there was probably initially no standard scabbard for the Winchester, at least with English-rigged saddles. However, I do not know this for a fact. It is possible that this was a Snider scabbard adapted to a Winchester, or it may be a Snider Scabbard with no adaptation that was used for a Winchester. Or it may just be a Snider carbine scabbard. In 1882 Winchester made certain modifications to the 1876 carbine specifically for the Mounted Police. Perhaps a standard English rigged scabbard was adopted at this time and corresponds to the open throated one shown in the reference? The leather near the throat is marked “30,” followed by two broad arrows, “56” or “50” followed by one broad arrow and what appears to be an upside down “T” or possibly a “1.” The toe is sewn in and has a brass ringed hole in the center. The scabbard is solid and in very good condition. The markings are worn down, especially at the top. The flap has a 1-1/2 inch tear at the edge (it is so straight it almost looks like someone cut it). The flap has loss of finish and scuffing at the bend, but the rest of the scabbard though worn, has nearly all of its finish.
Condition:
Used - See Item Description
Brand:
Made in England
Location:
MA
Trades Accepted: Generally not, but maybe.
Shipping Notes: USPS first class with tracking number of Fedex ground.
