.56-56 Spencer. 22" barrel secured by a single spring-retained rounded barrel band. SN: 392. Blued finish, iron mountings, walnut stock and forend. Single shot metallic cartridge breechloading carbine with dropping block action and "split breech" block. Weak Ballard patent markings on right of receiver and weak Merwin & Bray markings on left, with serial number. Equipped with folding leaf military rear sight, dovetailed front sight blade, manual extractor under forend and sling swivels in the toe of the butt and on the barrel band. These scarce carbines were assembled by Ball & Williams after the failure of Dwight, Chapin & Co, using parts produced by the bankrupt company. They were part of a total of roughly 1,800 carbines in this configuration produced circa 1864 initially for a US military contract that had been secured by Merwin & Bray, but which due to production delays and the Dwight, Chapin & Con bankruptcy was essentially canceled with only about 115 guns being delivered. Roughly 1,000 of the carbines produced were subsequently sold to the State of Kentucky in in April of 1864. A scarce secondary martial US Civil War carbine.