The Spencer repeating rifle

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Spencer Repeating Rifle

Spencer repeating rifle

Type

Manually cocked Lever Action Rifle

Place of origin

United States Service history

Used by

United States Army, United States Navy, Confederate States of America, Japan

Wars

American Civil War, Indian Wars, Boshin War Production history

Designer Designed Manufacturer

Christopher Spencer 1860 Spencer company, Burnside Rifle Co,[1] Winchester

Produced

1860-1869

Number built

200,000 approx. Specifications

Length Barrel length

30 inches (760 mm) 22 inches (560 mm)[2] 20 inches (510 mm)[3]

Cartridge Caliber Action

56-56 Spencer rimfire .52 inches (13 mm) Manually cocked hammer, lever action

Rate of fire Muzzle velocity Effective range Feed system

14 or 20 rounds per minute[4] 931 to 1,033 ft/s (284 to 315 m/s) 200 yards[5] 7 round Tube magazine

The Spencer repeating rifle was a manually operated lever-action, repeating rifle fed from a tube magazine with cartridges. It was adopted by the Union Army, especially by the cavalry, during the American Civil War, but did not replace the standard issue muzzle-loading rifled muskets in use at the time. The Spencer carbine was a shorter and lighter version.

Contents

1 Overview 2 History 3 See also

4 Notes 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Overview
The design was completed by Christopher Spencer in 1860, and was for a magazine-fed, leveroperated rifle chambered for the 56-56 Spencer rimfire cartridge. Unlike later cartridge designations, the first number referred to the diameter of the case at the head, while the second number referred to the diameter at the mouth; the actual bullet diameter was .52 inches. Cartridges were loaded with 45 grains (2.9 g) of black powder.

Diagram of the Spencer rifle showing the magazine in the butt To use the Spencer, a lever had to be worked to extract the used shell and feed a new cartridge from the tube. Like the Springfield Model 1873 Trapdoor Rifle, the hammer had to be manually cocked in a separate action. The weapon used rimfire cartridges stored in a seven-round tube magazine, enabling the rounds to be fired one after another. When empty, the tube could be rapidly loaded either by dropping in fresh cartridges or from a device called the Blakeslee Cartridge Box, which contained up to thirteen (also six and ten) tubes with seven cartridges each, which could be emptied into the magazine tube in the buttstock.[6] There were also 5652, 5650, and even a few 5646 versions of the cartridge created, which were necked down versions of the original 5656. Cartridge length was limited by the action size to about 1.75 inches, and the later calibers used a smaller diameter, lighter bullet and larger powder charge to increase the power and range over the original 5656 cartridge, which, while about as powerful as the .58 caliber rifled musket of the time, was underpowered by the standards of other early cartridges such as the .5070 and .45-70.

[edit] History

By Alfred Waud : men of the 1st Maine Cavalry with Spencer carbines during the battle of Middleburg . On the right, one man, kneeling, takes a precise and far aim (front sight unfolded), while his pal, standing, piecemealy feeds a cartridge into the chamber (under-lever pushed down) At first, conservatism from the Department of War delayed its introduction to service. However, Christopher Spencer was eventually able to gain an audience with President Abraham Lincoln, who subsequently invited him to a shooting match and demonstration of the weapon. Lincoln was impressed with the weapon, and ordered that it be adopted for production.[1] The Spencer repeating rifle was first adopted by the United States Navy, and subsequently adopted by the United States Army and used during the American Civil War where it was a popular weapon.[7] The South occasionally captured some of these weapons and ammunition, but, as they were unable to manufacture the cartridges because of shortages of copper, their ability to take advantage of the weapons was limited. Notable early instances of use included the Battle of Hoover's Gap (where Col. John T. Wilder's "Lightning Brigade" effectively demonstrated the firepower of repeaters), and the Gettysburg Campaign, where two regiments of the Michigan Brigade (under Brig. Gen. George Armstrong Custer) carried them at the Battle of Hanover and at East Cavalry Field.[8] As the war progressed, Spencers were carried by a number of Union cavalry and mounted infantry regiments and provided the Union army with additional firepower versus their Confederate counterparts. President Lincoln's assassin, John Wilkes Booth was armed with a Spencer carbine at the time he was captured and killed.

Spencer 1865 Carbine .50 caliber The Spencer showed itself to be very reliable under combat conditions, with a sustainable rateof-fire in excess of 20 rounds per minute. Compared to standard muzzle-loaders, with a rate of fire of 2-3 rounds per minute, this represented a significant tactical advantage.[9] However, effective tactics had yet to be developed to take advantage of the higher rate of fire. Similarly, the supply chain was not equipped to carry the extra ammunition. Detractors would also complain that the smoke and haze produced was such that it was hard to see the enemy.[10] In the late 1860s, the Spencer company was sold to the Fogerty Rifle Company and ultimately to Winchester. With almost 200,000 rifles and carbines made, it marked the first adoption of a removable magazine-fed infantry rifle by any country. Many Spencer carbines were later sold as surplus to France where they were used during the Franco-Prussian War in 1870. Despite the fact that the Spencer company went out of business in 1869, ammunition was sold in the United States up to about the 1920s. Later, many rifles and carbines were converted to centerfire, which could fire cartridges made from the centerfire .5070 brass. Production ammunition can still be obtained on the specialty market.

[edit] See also

M1819 Hall rifle Henry rifle Volcanic rifle List of individual weapons of the U.S. Armed Forces

[edit] Notes
1. 2. 3. 4. ^ a b Walter, John (2006). The Rifle Story. Greenhill Books. p. 69. ISBN 978-1853676901. ^ The M-1863 version ^ The M-1865 version ^ Walter, John (2006). The Rifle Story. Greenhill Books. pp. 7071. ISBN 978-1853676901. "The fire-rate of the spencer was usually reckoned as fourteen shots per minute. The Spencer rifle with a Blakeslee quickloader could easily fire twenty aimed shots a minute" ^ "The Spencer Repeater and other breechloading rifles of the Civil War". http://www.aotc.net/Spencer.htm. Retrieved 2/23/11. ^ "Blakeslee Cartridge Box". National Museum of American History. Smithsonian Institution. http://www.civilwar.si.edu/weapons_blakeslee.html. Retrieved 2008-06-12. ^ "Spencer Carbine". CivilWar@Smithsonian. Smithsonian Institute. http://www.civilwar.si.edu/weapons_spencer.html. Retrieved 9 September 2010. ^ Rummel III, George, Cavalry of the Roads to Gettysburg: Kilpatrick at Hanover and Hunterstown, White Mane Publishing Company, 2000, ISBN 1-57249-174-4. ^ "The Spencer Repeater". aotc.net Army of the Cumberland. http://www.aotc.net/Spencer.htm. Retrieved 9 September 2010. ^ "More on Spencer's Seven Shot Repeater". Hackman-Adams. http://www.hackmanadams.com/guns/spencermore.htm. Retrieved 9 September 2010.

5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

[edit] References

Earl J. Coates and Dean S. Thomas, An Introduction to Civil War Small Arms. Ian V. Hogg, Weapons of the Civil War. Barnes, Cartridges of the World. Marcot, Roy A. "Spencer Repeating Firearms" 1995. Sherman, William T. "Memoirs" Volume 2 - contains an account of the success of the Spencer on combat (pp. 187-8) and reflections on the role of the repeating rifle in warfare (pp. 394-5).

This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (May 2009)

[edit] External links

The patent drawing for the Spencer action Description and photos of Spencer rifle, serial number 3981 Production information on the Spencer carbine

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The Patent Drawing:

ArmsCollectors. com Main Page

"JOHN C'S"
Learn - Basics
Dates in Firearm History Frequently Asked Questions Frequently Asked

Spencer Repeating Rifle

Questions
(From the Cody Firearms Museum)

Links to Forums At Other Sites

Evaluating History of a Gun
Article by Jim Supica

& IT'S ENGLISH BAYONET

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Factory Letters And Military Records Museums With Arms Exhibits

LEFT SIDE VIEW OF THE SPENCER REPEATING RIFLE - SN 3981

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U.S. Military Arms Factory Letters And Military Records Krag Bolt Removal Which U.S. Bayonet? M1917 Enfield Parts Markings
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JOHN C's MARK

M1917 Enfield Sling Instructions

I have had this Spencer rifle so long that I cannot remember from whence it came. Like most war time issued Spencers, it saw hard usage and exposure to the elements. It went through a war but at least it came out in one piece. However, it didn't survive the years with out any scars. It's missing the front sling swivel and a previous owner liked it so much

M1 Garand Disassembly and Parts

(from CivilianMarksmanship.com)

Cartridges and Ammunition International Ammunition Association

CartridgedCollectors.org

European Cartridge Research Association

http://www.ecra-net.de/

CartridgeCorner.com
(headstamp info)

that he carved his name, "JOHN C", in the left side of the stock, under the comb. Whether this was done during or after the war is unknown. But without doubt, this weapon was JOHN C's at one time or another. It also came with a surprise, a perfect fitting bayonet of English origin. When preparing for this week's posting, I went through various reference books looking for a record of this rifle's serial number - 3981. It was found that a Spencer rifle with serial number 3980 was issued to Company K, 9th Michigan Cavalry. It appears from the serial number ranges of the Spencers issued to the 9th Michigan Cavalry that this rifle was very likely to have been utilized by a trooper in the 9th Michigan Cavalry. They twice bested the forces of General John Morgan CSA, went with Sherman on the march from "Atlanta to the sea" and had the prestige of being the first regiment of Sherman's army to reach the coast. In a skirmish with General Johnson's forces at Chapel Hill, N.C. just before news came of Lee's surrender and the order to "cease firing", it is asserted that the Ninth fired the last hostile shot of the war east of the Mississippi. Could this be the rifle used?

Edged Weapons Society of American Bayonet Collectors

BayonetCollectors.org

Sword Collector Homepage Internet Sword Collectors

RIGHT SIDE VIEW OF THE SPENCER REPEATING RIFLE - SN 3981

Recommended

Dealers
OldGuns.net

Manufacture Dates
Pre-1899 Antique Serial Numbers
(From Empire Arms. Use at

The introduction of the seven shot repeating Spencer rifle has been called by some the turning point of the Civil War. This rifle is caliber .52 rimfire utilizing the Spencer No. 56 straight copper case which measured .56 at the top and bottom of the casing, hence the oft times used designation of 56/56 cal. when referring to the Spencer cartridge. It was the most powerful cartridge used in any repeating rifle of the Civil War. The rifle is 47 inches long and weighs approximately 10 pounds. It has 6 groove rifling and the front sight doubles as a lug for a socket type bayonet. The Civil War Army model was manufactured by Spencer Repeating Rifle Company, Boston, Massachusetts. 11,471 of these rifles were purchased by the government out of about 20, 000 manufactured. The government purchased models were in the serial number ranges of approximately 700 to 11000 with another small group in the 28000 range.

own risk.)

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Gun Marks House Brands U.S. Inspectors WWII German Codes & Markings Mosin Nagant Markings

The faded case-hardened lock is 5-1/4" long. The curved hammer was also case-hardened. The black walnut two-piece stock terminates at a case-hardened fore-end cap 9/16" long that is 3-1/4" from the muzzle. The butt stock measures 14-1/8" with a 9-1/4" comb. The fore-stock has a length of 25-3/16". The once blued barrel, now mottled, is 30" long. The front sight, which has a pinned brass insert, doubles as a bayonet lug. It is 3/8" high, 3/8" long and 7/16" wide at the base. It is positioned 1-1/4" from the muzzle. The single-leaf folding rear sight sits on a curved spring base. The sight is 3-3/8" from the breech. The iron barrel bands, springs and butt plates were originally blued. The three 1/2" wide solid oval barrel bands are retained by conventional springs under the stock. The middle band once held the upper sling swivel which is now missing. The lower sling swivel, 4" from the butt, is centered on a 1-5/8" long screw held plate. The 14" tubular magazine fits into a 7/8" diameter opening through the unmarked slightly curved butt plate. There is an extracting handle on the magazine that covers the opening. It turns counter clockwise toward the top of the butt plate where it is secured by a button spring. The only government inspector's marking on this rifle is "S. L." It is on the left barrel flat near the breech. The initials are those of Samuel Leonard - Armory Sub-Inspector, 1862-1875.

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FRONT SIGHT

REAR SIGHT - SIDE VIEW

REAR SIGHT - TOP VIEW

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FRONT SLING SWIVEL BAND

REAR SLING SWIVEL

BUTT PLATE VIEW 1

BUTT PLATE VIEW2

(Magazine Tube In Place)

(Magazine Tube Removed)

MAGAZINE LOADING TUBE

EXTRACTING HANDLE

"S. L." INSPECTOR'S STAMPING - BARREL (Samuel Leonard -Armory Sub Inspector)

Between the breech and the barrel, the receiver is marked on the top flat " SPENCER REPEATING - / RIFLE CO. BOSTON MASS . / PAT'D. MARCH 6 1860." in three lines. At the rear of the breech, near the back of the hammer is the serial number "3981". The tubular magazine/loading tube extends the full length of the butt stock. The seven rimfire .52 caliber, 56/56 cartridges are fed into the receiver through the pressure of a helical spring secured to a rounded follower. The breech block is dropped, extracting the fired cartridge cases, by pulling downward and forward on

the operating lever/trigger guard. This action also places the next cartridge in the magazine into position. By lifting the lever back into position the cartridge is driven into the breech chamber for firing. The hammer must be manually cocked before every shot. The action of the lever does not cock the hammer, it only serves to eject the fired cartridge and to ready the next one for firing. An expert marksman could get seven aimed shots off in less than 10 seconds.

BREECH STAMPING

CLOSE UP OF BREECH STAMPING

SPENCER REPEATING RIFLE CO. BOSTON MASS . PAT'D. MARCH 6 1860.

SERIAL NUMBER STAMPING "3981" BREECH BLOCK - OPEN

RIGHT SIDE VIEW OF BREECH

LEFT SIDE VIEW OF BREECH

As mentioned, this Spencer rifle came to me with an perfect fitting bayonet. The surprising thing is that it is an English made socket bayonet! It is undoubtedly a bayonet made for a large bore English Enfield. But, it fits the Spencer like a glove. The inside diameter of the bayonet throat is 1-27/32", a fraction under 1-7/8". It mikes out at a little over .81 of an inch. The muzzle length is 1-3/16" and the lug channel is 9/32". The blade measures 17" from the shoulder to the point with a face flute of 15-1/2". It is 31/32" wide at the shoulder. There is a stamped number of "107" on the socket. The blade is marked with a "WD" over a crown, over an "E", over a "1". The scabbard throat markings may be a "6" over a "46" - hard to tell.

OVER ALL VIEW OF BAYONET & SCABBARD

TWO VIEWS OF BAYONET FIT

BAYONET & SCABBARD NUMBERS ("107" On Bayonet Socket - "6" Over "46" On Scabbard Throat)

BLADE MARKING ("WD" Over Crown Over "E", Over "1")

FOR CIVIL WAR HISTORY OF THE SPENCER RIFLE AND CARBINE

CLICK HERE http://www.civilwarguns.com/01beckpage.html

Credits for this week's posting go to FLAYDERMAN'S GUIDE TO ANTIQUE AMERICAN FIREARMS... AND THEIR VALUES, by Norm Flayderman, U.S. MILITARY SMALL ARMS 1816-1865 by Robert M. Reilly and to SPRINGFIELD RESEARCH SERVICE -SERIAL NUMBERS OF U.S. MARTIAL ARMS - VOLUME 4 - 1999EDITION by Springfield Research Service, Silver Springs, Maryland and, of course, to my son and webmaster, Reed Radcliffe of Sunset Hills, Missouri.

Good night, "John C." wherever you are. I hope to be back to everybody soon.

Dave Radcliffe