Triplett & Scott
The Triplett&Scott is one of the first American-made repeaters; it was issued in the Civil War era and is interesting from a mechanical point of view.
About 5,000 of these carbines were manufactured in 1864-65 by the Meriden Mfg Co of Connecticut on basis of plans drawn by Charles Parker. As you probably know, from 1867 on, Charles Parker would become one of the most famous American producers of top-class hunting shotguns.
Together with Triplett & Scott (who were only investors and shareholders), Parker was one of the founders of the Meriden Mfg Co.
On January 2, 1865, the makers filed a contract with the pro-Union part of the State of Kentucky for the delivery of 5,000 of these carbines, destined for the Home Guard regiments whose mission was to protect General Sheridan's supply lines during the Atlanta campaign.
The contract was respected and all carbines were delivered in due time, but they came too late to play any significant role in the war, that would come to an end on April 14th of the same year. After the war, the State of Kentucky sold the weapons on the civilian market.
The carbine is of the .50 caliber and has a 7- rounds tubular magazine located in the butt stock. Two barrel lengths were available: about 3,000 were equipped with a 30" barrel, the remaining 2,000 having a 22" barrel. The short-barrelled ones have become very rare today.
The carbine features a ingenious and very uncommon loading system: depressing a small lever located at the right side of the breech unlocks the barrel that can be rotated in order to pick up a cartridge from the protruding magazine mouth. In the same rotating movement, the empty shell is expelled.
The system is very ingenious and allows for firing as rapidly as is the user's hand, but shows a conceptual fault that leads to split and cracks in the butt stock wood. This was due to the facts that the tubular magazine is located too low in the stock wood and the heavy recoil shock of the powerful .50 cartridge.
Specimens in good condition can bring up to 4-5,000 euro on today's collectors market.
Marcel
