Hey there folks. I was fortunate to have stumbled upon an Evans Repeating Rifle receiver and buttplate recently, and was excited about the prospect of sourcing parts and rebuilding the rifle. Unfortunately, there aren't many resources out there for the Evans. So, with the help of an unnamed benefactor, I've managed to take an Evans Repeater apart and photograph the innards to help get an idea of the pieces that I'm missing.
First off, let's get some history out of the way for those of you who aren't familiar with the Evans Rifles. The Evans Repeater was designed by Warren R. Evans, a dentist from Thomaston, Maine. Warren, with his brother George, opened the Evans Rifle Manufacturing Company in 1873 in Mechanic Falls, Maine, and marketed their firearms through Merwin & Hulbert.
The brothers' original aim of creating a new firearm for the United States Army failed, due to the rifle's inadequacies during the standard dust testing. The Evans brothers then marketed their firearms for sporting use. The Evans Repeater shared some features with the Spencer, but the magazine was vastly different. The universally described "Archimedean Screw Magazine" located in an elongated portion of the receiver that stretched through the buttstock. The original Evans design (now designated the "Old Model"), was chambered in 44 Evans Short, a centerfire cartridge with a case length of approximately 1 inch, loaded using 33 grains of black powder and capable of propelling its 220 grain projectile at roughly 850 feet-per-second. The Transitional model Evans also found some success with the 44 Evans Short, but the later model (now designated the "New Model") upped the ante with the 44 Evans Long cartridge (with case approximately 1 and 1/2 inches in length), loaded with 40 to 43 grains of black powder and launching its 280 grain projectile at 1200 feet-per-second.
A total of approximately 15,000 Evans Repeating Rifles were created between 1873 and December 1879, when the company went bankrupt. While the Evans rifle does hold the title of being the only mass-produced firearm in the state of Maine during the 1800's, it was more widely known for its incredible magazine capacity. The Old Model and Transitional Model Evans Rifles boasted a magazine capacity of 34 rounds of 44 Evans Short, while the New Model's capacity clocked in at 28 rounds of 44 Evans Long. Due to the magazine's odd design, a shooter was required to rack the lever 28 to 34 times (depending on model) for their first cartridge to reach the chamber. Rather than a follower, the rounds were forced upward through the screw magazine by a cartridge carrier or guide. Unfortunately, this made loading the rifle a chore, and required that the shooter load a round after every round fired if they wanted to keep the magazine topped up. If, however, the shooter fired 5 rounds successively, then loaded a cartridge, there would be 5 empty spaces in the magazine that could not be filled until all previous rounds had been fired or ejected and the magazine topped up during this process.
The "Old Model" Evans was produced from 1873 to 1876, with a total of only 500 units made. The Old Model stands out from the Transitional Model and New Model as it has no lower buttstock, only an upper. Old Models do not feature a dust cover, as these were added with the introduction of the New Model Evans in 1877. Barrels on the Old Model were stamped with “Evans Repeating Rifle/Pat. Dec 8, 1868 & Sept. 16, 1871”. The Old Model was offered in several different configurations. These were the Sporting Rifle (Walnut stock, checkering and engraving available with special order, featuring a 26, 28 or 30 inch octagonal barrel. Estimated quantity produced ~300), the Military Musket (30 inch round barrel, full forend attached via 2 bands. Estimated quantity produced ~50), and the Carbine (22 inch round barrel, short forend attached via 1 band, sling swivels. Estimated quantity produced ~150).
The "Transitional Model" Evans was introduced in 1876 and continued production until 1877, resulting in an estimated 1750 units. The Transitional Model featured an upper and lower buttstock, but still lacked the much needed dust cover. Barrels on the Transitional Model were stamped with “Evans Repeating Rifle Mechanic Falls Me./Pat, Dec. 8, 1868 & Sept. 16, 1871”. The Transitional Model was offered in very similar variants to the Old Model. The Sporting Rifle (estimated quantities produced ~1050), the Military Musket (now with an option for a third barrel band. Estimated quantities produced ~150), the Carbine (estimated quantities produced ~450), and the addition of a 4th variant, the Montreal Carbine (a rare model believed to be sold in Canada by Ralph H. Kilby, a sporting goods dealer in Montreal and the Evans brothers designated Canadian agent. Estimated quantities produced is less than 100).
The "New Model" Evans (pictured above) found small success with its introduction in 1877 until 1879, with estimated quantities believed to be over 10,000. The New Model came about largely due to demand for a more powerful cartridge. By this point, Warren Evans had since relinquished control of the company to George, who can be credited with the creation of the 44 Evans Long cartridge and the improvements to the Evans Repeater displayed by the New Model. The New Model featured a larger receiver and a distinctive dust cover over the ejection port that moved with the lever. The front of the receiver was cut straight, rather than profiled as the previous models had been. The New Model barrels were marked with “Evans Repeating Rifle Mechanic Falls Me. U.S.A./Pat, Dec. 8, 1868 & Sept. 16, 1871”. The New Model was offered in the same three variants that its predecessors had been. The Sporting Rifle (estimated quantities produced ~3,000), the Military Musket (many converted to sporting rifles. Estimated quantity produced ~3000), and the Carbine (occasionally featured a bayonet lug. Estimated quantities produced ~4000+). Few New Model Evans Rifles were marked with "Evans Sporting Rifle". Largely Military Muskets with 30 inch round barrels, they featured a short forend attached with a screw. It is believed that these firearms were assembled with parts left over after the company went bankrupt in 1879.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Regarding the Evans Repeater that I was lucky enough to disassemble, I have to say I was very impressed with the overall design inside the receiver. The part fitment and alignment was very simple, and the operation of most of the internals was dictated either by channels in the bolt body, or by a single spring that protruded out of the front of the receiver. This "lever spring", if you will, also featured a tension adjustment via a small block attached to the underside of the barrel. The rifle also features a cocking / decocking lever, with a very hearty safety built next to it to interrupt its path. With such a mechanism in place, it would not be surprising to learn that most shooters would carry the Evans with a round loaded into the chamber, where they would simply move the safety's position, and pull on the cocking lever to ready their rifle. Other noteworthy features for the less-familiar out there, is that the receiver is in two halves, split lengthwise down the firearm. The barrel sits in a channel, with a small screw providing the correct indexing. From all of the information that I've gathered, it would seem the receiver's two halves were forged, rather than cast, which would have drastically slowed production times. Estimates show that in a peak period, the Evans Rifle Company were producing just 10 firearms per day, on average.
Lastly, I leave you all with the results of this disassembly. I've photographed and labelled (to the best of my ability) all of the parts that were willing to co-operate from this fine example of a New Model Evans Repeating Rifle.
More information will be coming regarding reloading practices for the 44 Evans Long and Short cartridges.
