Jeff, They Spencer Repeating Rifle Co Boston, Mass 56 - 50. I am also looking for information on A spencer I just found. Throughout the 1850s, Christopher Spencer was an inventor and tinkerer. This famous longarm is a Civil War Model 1860 Spencer Repeating rifle in very good original condition. brigade moved forward in a single or double line of regiments until it He tinkered around with the idea of a single shot, magazine fed, repeating rifle which used a large metallic cartridge. This is a great rifle that will be a wonderful addition to your collection. We suggest you contact experts in the field of Civil War-era weapons for additional resources and information. Company, Regimental, and Division ordnance records of the regiments under Buford showthat histroopers were armed with Sharps, Burnsides, Merrills, Ballards, and Maynards. Finding the Blue Book value of your new and used firearms, including pistols, rifles, shotguns, airguns, and blackpowder guns is easy with the number one source of gun pricing. In 1861 the Navy Department placed an order with Spencer for nearly 1,200 rifles, but the army refrained to follow suit. Spencer repeating rifles were used in limited quantity by Union cavalry on July 3 and by a few Union infantry. From what I have read and heard from experts the carbine serial numbers start at 11000 Frank Parrish. Your email address will not be published. The rifle displays wonderfully and has the great look of a gun that really saw service, but was never abused either during or after the war. The number was not etched in by hand but stamped with a slightly embellished style not just straight numerals !! All gun metal exhibits light use and wear and scattered light pitting. All rights reserved. i do appreciate your time and comments. All the above regiments were armed with Sharps carbines. To Order: Call 717-334-0347, Fax 717-334-5016, or E-mail. Just saw an article in yesterdays (2012-01-24) New York Times Disunion Blog about the Union Army and Spencer Rifles stating (wrongly) that Bufords cavalrymen were armed with Spencers in their opening actions at Gettysburg. The wood to metal fit is tight all-around and there is even a faint trace of a cartouche at the left wrist. This wonderfully conditioned Spencer Rifle was undoubtedly in the East Field at Gettysburg during the epic Cavalry struggle that many feel saved the day for the Union Army, probably the most important event after the magnificent efforts of the 1st Minnesota, Michigan Iron Brigade and the 20th Maine's action on Little Round Top. COPE. Ill be at the NPS 150 living history event with the Union artillery on July 1-3, but I think hell be too busy for me to pester him then! one fact that is incorrect in this article is that the spencer rifle was also used to great effectivenes at hunterstown, july 2, 1864. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Also, the fact that the weapon does not have a cartouche mark shows that it was purchased privately and was no doubt one of the weapons purchased by Lt. Col. Copeland. This is a great, historical Spencer Rifle. fill: #231F20; The serial number is really hard to make out and I have refrained from using anything on it. However, it is ultimately the responsibility of the buyer to be in compliance of laws that govern their specific location. The 30 barreled, 3 band rifle was designed to take US angular socket bayonet which was almost identical to the standard US M-1855 socket bayonet, although it has a slightly larger socket diameter and is completely unmarked. ' As we shall see, Hunts report made for stirring reading but like many references about Spencers and Gettysburg it had no foundation in fact. Here is a likely first year production Spencer from the American Civil War! In Swords estimate, due to the almost constant mounted active service and fighting, few of the original 1,000 issued Spencer rifles survived the war. This is a rare survivor in very good condition. There is an excellent book on the Spencers by Marcot. 56" Spencer rimfire cartridge. Most good running WW2 jeeps still stateside on training bases brought good money after the war, and a great many were donated to schools, emergency services and other government agencies. This means, as an example, there would be three serial number 1,500 Spencers manufactured, the first a Model 1860 rifle,one of the very rare Copeland Spencers that went with the Michigan Cavalry to Gettysburg, the second a Model 1865 Spencer made in 1865, and the third a Burnside Contract Model 1865, also made in 1865. Union cavalrymen carried Sharps and Burnside single-shot Revolvers, swords, and bayonets were abundant, but the basic infantry I have acquired a rifle that has Spencer Rifle Company stamped on it. The men of these regiments made good use of their Spencers in the July 3 cavalry battle east of Gettysburg, but this was the only place on the Gettysburg battlefield that the Spencer saw action except for those rare cases of soldiers who had privately purchased the weapon. However its fun to learn new things every day. spencer rifle for sale and auction. Featuring a rotating block and tubular magazine in the butt, the gun was a snap to use. Their production followed a Navy contract of about 700 rifles that extended into the 800 serial number range. Nice job folks. Spencer 1860 model carbine serial# 11384 please let me know particulars on this very low serial # Carbine if anyone is familiar with which troops received the first issue of carbines. sometimes held lead balls or shrapnel. I think that the PN unit was sold these carbines and that will help me to determin if this is the case. Learn More , Sept. 16 - 17: 2023 MAC Show, York Expo Center, York, PA Learn More , FANTASTIC FRAMED DRAWING OF THE BATTLE OF DRAINSVILLE DONE BY GETTYSBURG CARTOGRAPHER EMMOR B. 9th New York Sharps and Smith carbines Tom Holbrook is our resident Spencer Rifle expert. Reserve Brigade BG Wesley Merritt [Not with Buford on the first day at Gettysburg]. Any Spencer in the Gettysburg serial number range is rare and this one, #1166, is squarely in the first delivery of 500 M1860 Army Rifles, made by Dec. 27, 1862, and issued to the 5th Michigan Cavalry by Jan. 5, 1863. Bore needs cleaning but is otherwise in fine condition. Receiver is a blue brown patina with some fine surface oxidation. The serial number is 28282 which is in the era of for production in 1863. It fired metallic rim-fire cartridges from a seven shot magazine. Ink cartouches are no longer visible at the wrist. Sights, barrel bands, springs, sling swivels, and the magazine tube are all in place. It was probably a private purchase weapon. John: OK I understand. A handful of rifles were intermixed in the serial number ranges of the carbines, but the large majority of rifles extant exist in these two specific ranges. The receiver even retains some very light traces of swirled case colors in just the right light. Check the post again. This rifle is crisply numbered 2139 and falls well within this third purchase range. Other Spencer rifles were made before Gettysburg, but if you want a Spencer with a real chance of being there and in the hands of famous unit, Swords serial number ranges are the best guide and any rifle falling in those numbers is scarce. generally formed with an attacking line in front and a supporting line Thanks for the information. John: No because the factory records were destroyed in a fire many years ago. a regiment's line was a little over 100 yards. The color (2023-2227). Batteries of from four to six guns occupied the crests of two to five brigades formed a division. carbines and a few infantry units carried Sharps rifles. The ancestor of the guys that perpetuated the $50.00 surplus jeeps at the port of entries after World War Two and the ping of the empty M-1 Garand clip exiting the magazine and pinking on the .ground must have perpetuated the myth on Bufords Unit, Apparently no, on the ground evidence used, just copying others misconceptions, an early rewrite of history, so very common today. cavalry battle on July 3. Nevertheless, the sides of the receiver are smooth metal and even show some faint blues and caramels from faded case color. The Army Spencer rifles were initially contracted for $40.00 with bayonets for 7,500 pieces. http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/hh/9/hh9j.htm. How do I find out when it was manufactured and to whom it was sold? All cannon could fire solid projectiles or shot. Funny thing about it is that it has o the right side of the stock the number 79 stamped in it !! I have two original Spencers just on either side of your serial number so Ive looked at thsi alot. If Im mistaken, I just wonder why a Sharpshooter regiment would be issed a carbine, as the Rifle proved more accurate at distances exceeding 100 yards. The metal is smooth, showing a few vise marks, but with a clear SL barrel inspector stamp on the left breech. The internet is now the classic perpetrator of Urban Legends, but this has been going on for centuries. GENERAL JOHN B. FLOYD, LATE GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIA AND U.S. SECRETARY OF WAR, TAKEN AFTER THE BATTLE OF FORT DONELSON. Your are only asked to join the society online at no cost. I think it went to a PN unit during the civil war. Frederick W. Widmann emigrated to the U.S. in 1816 and set up business in Philadelphia as a die-sinker and sword-mounter using imported sword blades by 1825. (870-279). Gun magazine laws, concealed weapons laws, laws governing new made display guns, airsoft guns, blank fire guns, and other items vary greatly by nation, state and locality. NRA Museums: Spencer Model 1860 Repeating Rifle This Spencer rifle bears serial number 4452 and was manufactured in 1863. of battle the rate of fire was probably slower. Thanks, Joe Patchen. Gettysburgfour bronze James guns and two Whitworth rifles. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day. I was hoping you could help me. tools were in short supply. 32-5/8" rnd bbl. It has what appears to be 29,018 stamped into it behind the hammer on top of the gun. Sold Location: Keller, TX 76244. They were highly prized, so they would have been a handy tool for many years after the war Get that book, youll love it! Fax 717-334-5016, or E-mail. Philip. This rifle is complete, all original, and in good or near very good condition. Bbl retains an even, dark brown patina with very fine surface oxidation, normal nicks, dings and dents. All orders are subject to acceptance by IMA Inc, which reserves the right to refuse any order. I have owned it since I was 10, my dad bought it from an old black man while on a construction site for 10.00 in Montgomery, Al. Significantly fewer Spencer rifles were produced than the carbines, and their association with Custers cavalry and Wilders famous Lightning Brigade make them very desirable collectors items. I will forward your message to him as well as to our museum staff to see if they can help you. The bore is in good shape with good rifling. either howitzers or "Napoleons." Interesting article otherwise, that did a good job explaining why the Spencer didnt get into more Union hands sooner than it did.. Something is amiss, possibly yours Spencer was converted into a carbine form later on. Ron D, NJ. I have an 1860 saddle ring carbine serial # 11384 that was a range match to 19th Penn. Initial army contracts with the Spencer Company of Boston, Massachusetts called for 10,000 repeating firearms at a cost of $40.00 each. Spencer decided to market his new rifle directly toNorthern state governments. The result was fierce hand-to-hand combat over the colors. It is in really good condition. The receiver shows some stains and darker gray spots with some shallow salt and peppering, but has crisp Spencer Repeating Rifle Company markings on the top and the breechblock and loading assembly, when lowered, show significant case colors. For many years, students of the Battle of Gettysburg have sung the praises of the Spencer rifle and its contribution to the great Union victory. We do not have the serial number information for the rifles that were issued to these regiments so cannot tell whether yours might have been one of them. artillery positions sheltered from the enemy's view were still in the I was hoping to get info on the first SPENCER CARBINES. I have read the Marcot book, but am not as close to an answer as I would like. Estimated Price: $ 27,500 - $ 40,000 Price Realized: Details Exceptional Civil War Spencer Model 1860 Army Rifle Manufacturer: Spencer Model: 1860 Type: Rifle Gauge: 56 Spencer Barrel: 30 inch Finish: blue/casehardened Grip: Stock: walnut Item Views: 6694 Item Interest: Very Active Serial Number: Catalog Page: 112 Class: Antique Description: SN 22306. We were close on them before we could see them, and when our seven-shooters got such a chance as that nothing could stand before us. About half of these were rifled iron pieces, all but four canister. The Spencer rifle has a 30 inch barrel of 6 grooves, with an overall length of 47 inches and a weight of 10 pounds. Sword correlated production numbers with deliveries to provide estimated serial number ranges for the 1,200 Copeland Spencers. None of this is out of character with a rifle that saw real, extended field service. Where can I find the manufactures records? GETTYSBURG SERIAL NUMBER RANGE SPENCER REPEATING RIFLE. In fact, the Spencer repeater was the first successful design of a lever-action rifle. ignited by percussion caps, they fired "Minie Balls"hollow-based There was a fringe of bushes along the River that concealed them till they were right at the River bank, when they were not more than two hundred feet from the enemy, and when they got that close with seven-shooters they were equal to five times their number with muskets. 8th New York Sharps Carbines. John if you go to CAS City forums and join the Spencer Shooting Society, its free, there are people on that forum that can probably give you some info. on the East Cavalry fileld. It was also from this battle that an unidentified Confederate soldier has been often quoted as saying That Spencer rifle. The butt and forestock match in color and condition, with deep brown color and handling marks, but a tight fit to the metal. The shooter simply dropped a number of cartridges, nose-first . ALL ORIGINAL SUPERIOR CIVIL WAR SPENCER MODEL 1860 .56-56 RF SADDLE RING CARBINE CIRCA 1863. This contract picked up at the end of a small contract to the Navy and included 1,200 Spencer rifles for the 5th Michigan Cavalry under Colonel Joseph Copeland. Can anyone tell me how much either the Spencer rifle or the Spencr carbine was sold for duirng the Civil War? Model 1865 Spencer Rifle, .50 carbine caliber (this is the .56-50 Spencer), 7 shot magazinloader, manufactured from 1865 to 1866, same serial . With black powder, The story of Spencer rifle contracts, deliveries, and government payments for purchases is complicated, but laid out by Roy Marcot in his book on Spencers and in an 1997 article in Man at Arms by Wiley Sword, who has established the serial number range for Spencers delivered to the Michigan Cavalry Brigade. It looked as if they had set the woods on fire, and in two or three minutes the Johnnies began to run out of the bushes on the other side. Cavalry and infantry were closely supported by artillery. Whichever number you choose, this rifle falls well within this group. The top of which is marked in three lines: The serial number 22733 is very clearly stamped into the rear of the upper receiver, in front of the butt stock joint, and the matching number is present under the barrel, forward of the receiver, hidden by the fore end. I have a Spencer Carbine serial number 8167, not a burnside. Gettysburg. The serial number 22733 of this wonderful Spencer repeating rifle is in the range of Spencer rifles that were issued during the U.S. Civil War! A variety of weapons was carried at Gettysburg. You can find an excellent history of Spencers efforts to sell his exceptional weapons to the military in the book by William B. Edwards, Civil War Guns (Stackpole & Co., Harrisburg, PA, 1962). Almost all of the bronze pieces were 12 pounders, I was under the impression that some(and not all) of Custers men were using Spencer Rifles in the Battle, but my Spencer apparently was not one of them, it is SN 2725, possible with Wilders Units or the Ohio Separate Sharpshooters, in the west(well now midwest). lead slugs half an inch in diameter and an inch long. Thanks, Lloyd. On June 7, 1861- just three months after Fort Sumter- Spencer's rifle was tested by the U.S. Army. While no Spencer carbines were in the field at the time of the battle of Gettysburg (July 1-3, 1863), the 5th Michigan . Pingback: General John Buford's Spencer Carbine Rifles. The buttstock shows some dark staining next to the buttplate and minor chipping indicating it stood upright resting on a damp surface for some time. want to venture a guess as to value. They came in many models, but the The first carbines were accepted by the Union in the autumn of 1863. Alger had nearly 80 of the rifles his regiment received given to a captain friend in the sister 6th Regiment Michigan Cavalry, who used them to arm two of their companies. The mechanics are good and the magazine tube is in place. This is a NEAR FINE example of the US M-1860 Spencer Army Rifle. We want satisfied customers & often "under" describe the weapons. Sold Date: 9 months ago. Thats an eye opener! Also I was wondering how much to sell it for? Ive understodd that some Reb may have ended with one one of the Michigan Spencers from their action at Hanover PA a couple days beforeperhaps thats more likely than private purchase, as there were really no rifles available for private purchase at that time. I am sure that there is a technical term for the style I just dont know it !! Such a formation brought The story of Spencer rifle contracts, deliveries, and government payments for purchases is complicated, but laid out by Roy Marcot in his book on Spencers and in an 1997 article in "Man at Arms" by Wiley Sword, who has established the serial number range for Spencers delivered to the Michigan Cavalry Brigade. It is easy to tell them apart for the Parrott has a I have no doubt that a CW veteran brought it into Western Colorado, since it was a modern rifle at the end of the war, the muskets were obsolete and why would anyone bring an obsolete rifle into Indian country. On July 1st 1863, Bufords Cavalry Division was armed as follows: 8th Illinois Sharps carbines SN 1327. Bore is clean with good rifling. Unfortunately, B.M. They were hard hitting, deadly weapons, very accurate at a (Flayderman mentions only this first batch and a misprint starts it at 100 instead of 1000.) A second lot of 500, with numbers in the 1,551 to 2,050 range were shipped to Copeland from mid-December 1862 to mid-January 1863. converting the cannon into an oversized shotgun. Samual Taggart. The rifles continued in service in the brigade during Lees retreat and subsequent campaigns until the Fall of 1864 when the last of them are recorded in the 5th and 6th Michigan, having been replaced by carbines and lost by attrition. In 1863, the 1860 Spencer carbines were first contracted on June 3, 1863 to the Ordinance Department at $25.00 each for 7,500 carbines. effect at Gettysburg must have been small for one was out of action much 30791. I think yes I think thats right. Did you have any luck here gaining information on the guns history?? We assume no liability associated with misuse of our products. All saw hard service, with many captured or destroyed in service. Many had been lost by that time and those still serviceable were subject to reissue to infantry outfits, further reducing their numbers. Thanks in advance for any return on my query !!! The remaining 200 arrived in February 1863. Confederate attacking forces were Rifle measures 47 overall with a 30 round barrel that features six-groove rifling. I am NOT interested in selling my spencer rifle. I have been looking for a resource for some time that would help me verify where my spencer rifle served and who might possibly haved owned it. . DISCLAIMER: All firearms are sold as collector's items only - we do not accept responsibility as to the shooting safety or reliability of any antique firearm. Weapons influenced tactics. That was my Regiment. In Marcots book, Spencer Repeating Firearms, he details the fact that Custers troops had 479 Spencer rifles that they successfully used to stop Jeb Stuarts attempt to flank and attack the rear.

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