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MODEL 1879 HARTMAN
“SPLIT SPRING” CARBINE SOCKET – ONE OF THE MOST RARE OF
THE INDIAN WAR HORSE EQUIPMENTS:
Designed by Sgt. Henry Hartman of the 1st
Regiment of Cavalry, and submitted to the Equipment
Board of 1878, the Model 1879 Carbine Socket, or Hartman
Socket as it is known by modern collectors, is one of
the few pieces of new horse equipment approved by the
1878 Board that survived being shelved by the
financially restrained army and was produced by the
arsenals, albeit in extremely limited numbers.
While the details of the
equipment presented to, and selected by, the Board of
1878, and the ensuing discussion, endorsements,
approvals and eventual holds placed on the production of
new equipment until existing supplies of equipment on
hand had been sufficiently reduced has been revealed in
detail in a number of different published works, there
still exists some question as to the quantity of the
select pieces of Model 1879 Horse Equipment that were
eventually produced for trial or regular issue. For
example, records indicate the army procured at least 570
Whitman Saddle trees, and a contemporary field action
report from a unit in the Arizona Territory in the
1880’s specifically mentions the Whitman Saddle in
service in the field, however no arsenal- produced Model
1879 Whitman Saddles are known to exist today, and it is
doubtful very many were originally made. Conversely,
the Model 1879 Saddlebags while far from common today,
do exist in sufficient quantities to suggest a
substantial number of them were produced and issued –
certainly more than the possible 570 saddles, based on
the modern survival rate of the saddlebags.
The benefits of
Hartman’s carbine socket were readily recognized by the
1878 Equipment Board. The spring base of the socket
allowed for the rapid release of the carbine, whether
the carbine was being drawn for action by the soldier or
as it twisted free due to the soldier falling from or
being thrown from the saddle. The split ring was
regarded as a considerable advantage over the Model 1859
Carbine Socket, particularly for the safety of the
soldiers connected to their carbines via the heavy
leather shoulder sling. Although the board heartily
recommended the socket be adopted and that
recommendation was endorsed by General Benet, Chief of
Ordnance, there is no record of how many were eventually
produced. Given the tremendous stocks of serviceable
Model 1859 sockets still in inventory and the
introduction of the 1st Pattern Carbine Boot
in 1885, it is not likely very many of the Hartman
Sockets were ever produced, perhaps only a limited
number for trial, and this low production is certainly
substantiated by the low survival rate in modern
collections. I personally actively sought one of these
for my own collection for many years and I found them to
be particularly elusive, identifying less than 10
scattered in collections across the country, and none of
them being for sale.
This specimen is in very
good condition, retaining a bright, clear, smooth finish
to the majority of the leather surface. This socket
does show use, which is all the more compelling as it
serves as confirmation that they were indeed issued.
There is some chafing to the flared edge of both the top
and bottom rims of the socket where the carbine barrel
would have worn against the socket. This chafing is
purely cosmetic and in no way affects the integrity of
the socket. All of the seams are intact, the retaining
strap is full length and the brass buckle is present.
There are no arsenal marks or inspector’s stamps,
however this seems to be the case with the few examples
that have been examined.
One of the truly rare
and unique pieces of Indian War horse equipment, this
Hartman Carbine Socket will be an exceptional addition
to any collection. (0515) $1250
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