GR-0525-6610, Excellent Evans New Model Carbine. 22 inch barrel. 44 Evans cal. 95% original blue finish. 90% bright case color on the lever and butt-plate. There are scattered light bumps on the stock but that is the only thing to complain about with this gun. Crisp and tight mechanics. Excellent bore. The barrel band was either replaced or cleaned a long time ago. Hard to find any gun from the 1870s in this condition.

Est. Retail Value: $3750

Origins and Design

The Evans Repeating Rifle was developed by Dr. Warren R. Evans, a dentist from Maine, with assistance from his brother George, a machinist and owner of a farm machinery shop in Norway, Maine. The first version of their rifle, known later as the Old Model, was remarkable for its time (1874), featuring an impressive 34-round magazine. Cartridges were loaded through the butt plate into a helical magazine that ran the length of the buttstock. Each operation of the lever advanced a round, and a skilled shooter could fire all 34 rounds in under 20 seconds with controlled aim.

Military Interest Falls Short

Though the rifle was designed with military use in mind and was clearly more advanced than the U.S. Army’s standard single-shot .45-70 Trapdoor rifle, it was ultimately rejected. The problem lay in the ammunition: the .44 Evans round lacked stopping power and was only about as effective as a modern 9mm handgun cartridge—far weaker than the .45-70 round. The U.S. Army passed on the design, but the governments of Russia, Turkey, and Peru did place limited orders. Peru deployed Evans rifles in the War of the Pacific (1879–1884), also called the Saltpeter War, which revolved around control of nitrate-rich lands vital for producing fertilizer and gunpowder. Despite its innovative design, the rifle didn’t impact the war’s outcome.

Shifting to Civilian Sales

After the military rejection, the Evans Repeating Rifle Company shifted its focus to the civilian market, manufacturing rifles in Mechanic Falls, Maine, starting in 1874. Roughly 500 units of the first version were made between 1874 and 1876. George Evans later redesigned the gun, creating a longer cartridge known as the .44 Evans Long. This upgrade, along with other improvements, led to the release of the “New Model,” while the earlier version became known as the “Old Model.”

Period advertisements boasted of the Evans rifle outperforming Sharps, Winchester, and Ballard rifles in competitions. Some testimonials made wild claims, like one saying the shooter downed 60 buffalo in a single run or shot pennies from his wife’s fingers at 40 paces.

Mechanics and Build

The New Model Carbine was modestly marked, with the only identifying text stamped on the barrel: “EVANS REPEATING RIFLE MECHANIC FALLS, ME PAT. DEC. 8 1868 & SEPT. 16, 1871.” It had a 22-inch round barrel and measured 39 inches overall, weighing about 8.5 pounds. Its rear sight had three stepped settings—likely for 100, 200, and 300 yards—and a flip-up ladder sight marked up to 1,000 yards.

The receiver and internal magazine were made from two longitudinal halves held together by five screws. One screw doubled as a hinge for the lever and ejection port cover, while another acted as the trigger pivot. The top of the receiver featured intentional circular milling marks, likely added to reduce glare when aiming.

Functionality and Operation

Though often mistaken as hammerless, the Evans rifle does in fact have a hammer. It sits beneath the lever and is cocked either by operating the lever or manually pulling it downward. A second, shorter piece near the hammer serves as a locking mechanism, engaging only when the hammer is not cocked—it doesn’t function as a safety.

The buttstock consisted of two wooden pieces, top and bottom, encasing the magazine tube. Each piece was secured by a central band and additional screws at the butt plate.

Final Production and Closure

All in all, the company manufactured around 12,000 rifles, carbines, and military-style muskets before going out of business in December 1879. The downfall was likely due to the underpowered ammunition rather than the rifle’s design itself.