HISTORICAL
The Cavalry’s Last Charge The 1921 M1903 Prototype Carbine
Even though the last cavalry carbine of the U.S. Army was the M1899 Krag-Jorgensen, the U.S. Cavalry didn’t give up on fielding its own gun until the early 1920s. BY BRUCE N. CANFIELD, Field Editor After the adoption of the U.S. Model of 1903 rifle, the U.S. Cavalry, like these troopers in Mexico in 1916, had to give up their short-barreled carbines. They tried the 20"-barreled cavalry carbine concept out again in 1921—but it never went beyond the prototype phase.
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MAY 2018
rior to the 20th century, the “horse cavalry” was an integral part of the U.S. Army and played a role in every armed conflict from the American Revolution through the Spanish-American War. Traditionally, in addition to a saber and handgun, cavalry troopers were typically armed with a short-barreled carbine, which was better suited for use on horseback than the longer infantry rifle or musket. During the American Civil War, there were numerous types of cavalry carbines issued that were unique in their own right and, with the exception of the Spencer, did not necessarily have an infantry rifle counterpart. Beginning with the .50-70 Gov’t Model 1871 WardBurton, the Army issued several types of infantry rifles AMERICAN RIFLEMAN
Rifle photos courtesy of James D. Julia Auctioneers; jamesjulia.com
