While guns are not my forte, as is well known, I like to learn so Ive spent some time seeing what I could find on this attractive carbine, and yes, Agra is a very important city in Uttar Pradesh in India, also famed for the Taj Mahal.
Agra was also important for the fort there, and its arsenal, and it is tempting to associate the AGRA marking as well as the numbers with the other markings with the Indian Mutiny of 1857. The mutiny began to the west in Meerut on May 10,1857, but spread rapidly.
Agra, to the east, had the fort and was garrisoned by a battery of artillery, primarily European ,as well the 3rd Bengal Fusiliers, an East India Company regiment, comprised with many European troops. There were two regiments of native troops for the Crown, the 44th and 67th Native Bengal Infantries.
This carbine appears to be of the pattern 1842 artillery carbine form, and as it does not carry the usual government stamps or markings, would likely be a weapon from a contractor to the EIC.
These are facts that we know concerning Agra in these times, so with that we can speculate as follows:
Perhaps the carbine was used by one of the EIC unit members or possibly the artillery unit. Either of these might have used these carbines.
The so called Battle of Agra was more of a siege that is not widely included in histories of the Mutiny although it had considerable importance. During this period large numbers of Europeans sought refuge here, and during that time there were ersatz units formed by civilians, some irregular cavalry.
The crude manner in which this is inscribed with AGRA, as well as the apparantly inventory type numbering might indicate such ersatz use.
As far as I can tell, sepoys of the Crown regiments which as noted, were infantry, were issued the M1853 Enfield muskets....the source of the resultant furor charged with starting the mutiny, the greased paper cartridges. It is noted that Mutineers seem to have forgotten that issue when they used the rifles against the British, suggesting that that issue may have been a bit overplayed.
Obviously these observations on this percussion carbine are mostly speculation, but may illustrate the events taking place at the time it was in use and explain the reason for AGRA on the gun.
Best regards,
Jim
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