The Keen-Walker Carbine - A Simple Confederate Breechloader
This video explores the rare Keen-Walker Carbine, a single-shot .54 caliber breechloader used by the Confederacy. Few details are known about the Keen-Walker Gun Company, with surviving records indicating 282 carbines were delivered to the Danville Arsenal in 1862. The design shares similarities with Maynard and Perry carbines but is not a direct copy. Loading involves swinging down the trigger guard lever to reveal the breechblock, which is then fired with a percussion cap. Exterior markings are minimal, typically only a single-letter proof mark. The description also mentions the company's subcontracting work for Read & Watson, converting Hall rifles.











