Mell How did a Spencer rifle work?
The Spencer was a lever action repeating rifle that held seven metallic cartridges in the stock. To fire the weapon, the lever was moved back and forth to eject a spent cartridge case and load a new one. However, the hammer had to be manually cocked before pulling the trigger.
What caliber was the Spencer rifle?
.52 calibre
The carbine was almost exclusively a cavalry weapon, and it was normally chambered in . 52 calibre. The weapon had a 22-inch (56-centimetre) barrel and was 39 inches long overall. The Spencer rifle was of similar design but had a barrel 47 inches long.
Where was the Spencer model 1865 carbine made?
The Spencer Model 1865 Carbine was made just after the end of the Civil War in 1865 until late 1866 by the Spencer Repeating Rifle Company in Boston, MA.. The serial number range was from 1 to approximately 23,000. They featured a 20″ inch barrel with 6-groove rifling chambered for the .56-50 Spencer cartridge.
What was the muzzle velocity of the 1865 carbine?
To conform, the rechambered Spencer carbine in .56-50 became known as the Model 1865. This new cartridge was a formidable round, containing 45 grains of black powder behind a 350-grain bullet and producing 1,175 ft-lbs of muzzle energy and a muzzle velocity of 1,200 fps. It was deadly accurate on man-size targets out to 300 yards.
What kind of ammunition was used in the Spencer carbine?
Two versions of the Spencer were manufactured by both the Burnside Rifle Company (30,496) and the Boston Rifle Factory that was owned and operated by Christopher Spencer (64,685) for a total of 95,181 weapons and 58,238,924 cartridges. The 56-52 and 56-50 rim fire metallic cartridges were used in the Spencer Carbines.
When did the Spencer repeating carbine go out of business?
After the war demand for the Spencer declined and the Company went out of business in September 12, 1869. Its assets were purchased at auction by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company in 1870. Which brings us to this fine example of an 1865 Spencer Repeating Carbine which has the Stabler Cut-Off Device.