It was one of several firearms either manufactured or altered by Merrill in fulfillment of contracts with the Union government during the U.S. Civil War.

[3] The carbine was a single-shot, percussion, breechloader used mainly by Union cavalry units.

It used the .54 caliber Minie balls with paper cartridges which were loaded by lifting the top of the breech lever.

The First Type included a brass patch box in the stock and had the breech lever secured by a flat, knurled latch.

Of the rifles produced, 770 were purchased by the Union government during the Civil War.