{"product_id":"original-u-s-spencer-model-1865-repeating-saddle-ring-carbine-converted-to-centerfire-serial-11997","title":"Original U.S. Spencer Model 1865 Repeating Saddle Ring Carbine Converted to Centerfire - Serial 11997","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginal Item: Only One Available. This is a very good condition Spencer Repeating Rifle Company Model 1865 Saddle Ring Carbine. While most M1865 carbines we have seen were made by Burnside Rifle Company, about 40% of the total produced were manufactured by Spencer itself. This is one of the few model 1865s we have had made by Spencer, and it is definitely not an M1860 conversion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Spencer factory manufactured nearly 23,000 M1865 Spencer carbines, of which 12,502 were equipped with the Stabler cut-off. In the post-war period, Springfield Armory retrofitted about 12,000 M1860s to incorporate M1865 features. The .56-50-cal. M1865 Spencer carbines manufactured by the Burnside Rifle Co. and the Spencer Repeating Rifle Co. weighed 8 pounds, 5 ounces with 20-inch barrels, and they had an overall length of 37 inches.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnderstandably this weapon became known as the one you \"Loaded on Sunday and shot all week.\" First produced in 1860 by Christian Spencer of the Spencer Repeating Rifle Company, which remained in business until 1869.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHere we have a nice condition genuine Spencer Repeating Rifle Company Model 1865 Saddle Ring Carbine. It is marked on the receiver tang and under the fore stock with serial number \u003cstrong\u003e11997\u003c\/strong\u003e, and really is a very nice example. The maker’s markings and patent information fully legible on top of the receiver:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ccenter\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSPENCER REPEATING\u003cbr\u003eRIFLE CO. BOSTON MASS.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePAT'D MARCH 6, 1860\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/center\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is the same marking that was used on the Model 1860 Carbines, however there is a clear M1865 on the chamber end of the barrel. The Model 1865 carbine was made by both Spencer and by Burnside under license. They each had their own serial number sequences. We checked the barrel, and it has not been sleeved, and has the correct 6 groove rifling used by Spencer on the Model 1865, so it is not a converted Model 1860.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was however converted in another way, and that was by altering the breech block from rimfire to centerfire. This was done to lengthen the service life of the rifle, as Spencer went under in 1869. Converting to centerfire allowed .50-70 cartridges to be adapted for use with the carbine. This was often done for use on the frontier, when they were sold out of service. However, this carbine is not in the usual condition a frontier used firearm would be.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe metalwork of this carbine is in good shape, with a lovely worn patina, with a bit of light peppering in places. The receiver still has some of the original case hardened finish, as does the action, which can be seen when opened. The barrel under the forestock still shows strong bluing, which is also visible near the woodline. This one of the 12,502 originally fitted with the Stabler cutoff, which is still present and fully functional. The bore is in very good condition, with crisp lands and grooves and a mostly bright finish. There are just a few spots of light oxidation visible.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBoth the fore and butt stocks are in great shape, with no major damage, and a great grain. There is a bit of staining on the right butt stock near the butt plate, probably from oxidation staining. The left side of the butt stock shows two faint U.S. military inspection cartouches, however we cannot make them out.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOverall a great example of an iconic weapon. Perfect for any collection, and ready to display!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSpecifications:-\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYears of Manufacture: circa 1865\u003cbr\u003eCaliber: .56-50 Spencer\u003cbr\u003eAmmunition Type: Centerfire\u003cbr\u003eBarrel Length: 20 inches\u003cbr\u003eOverall Length: 37 inches\u003cbr\u003eAction: Lever Action with Manual Hammer\u003cbr\u003eFeed System: 7 Round Tube Magazine\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHistory and overview of the Spencer repeating rifle and carbine-\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe design was completed by Christopher Spencer in 1860, and was for a magazine-fed, lever-operated rifle chambered for the 56-56 Spencer rimfire cartridge. Unlike later cartridge designations, the first number referred to the diameter of the case ahead of the rim, 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere were also 56–52, 56–50, and even a few 56–46 versions of the cartridge created, which were necked down versions of the original 56–56. 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 56–56 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 .50–70 and .45-70.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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 popular. 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. 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Spencer showed itself to be very reliable under combat conditions, with a sustainable rate-of-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. 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDespite 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 .50–70 brass.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNOTE: This gun is NOT considered obsolete calibre, so we are not able to ship to the United Kingdom. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Original Items","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39825484578885,"sku":"ONSV22DCS88","price":2595.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1524\/1342\/products\/ONSV22DCS88__01.jpg?v=1645220381","url":"https:\/\/www.ima-usa.com\/products\/original-u-s-spencer-model-1865-repeating-saddle-ring-carbine-converted-to-centerfire-serial-11997","provider":"International Military Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}