Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very good condition genuine 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.

The 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.

Understandably 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.

Here we have a very good genuine Spencer Repeating Rifle Company Model 1865 Saddle Ring Carbine, which is definitely one of the better Spencer manufactured examples that we have had. It bears original serial number 14418 clearly on the tang of the receiver, as well as on the underside of the barrel under the fore stock. The barrel is correctly marked M.1865 over the chamber, and it has complete Spencer maker markings on top of the receiver, which show light wear:

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

The Model 1865 carbine was made by both Spencer and by Burnside under license, and they each had their own serial number sequences. These were widely used in the Post Civil War period on the Frontier, such as in the numerous conflicts with Native Americans. This example looks to have definitely have traveled quite a bit farther afield, as indicated by the stamped marking on the left side of the butt plate:

Trujillo (or Truxillo) is a city on the north coast of Honduras, originally set up as the Capital of the country, but then later a major port city. It was notably where U.S. pro-slavery mercenary William Walker, who had previously seized power in Nicaragua 1856-1857, was captured during 1860 and executed. We unfortunately have not been able to find any information about Fred C. Owens, and this carbine was made long after the period of organized U.S. interference in the country, so we leave this as an interesting research opportunity.

The metalwork of this carbine is in very good shape, with the original finish faded to a plum patina in most areas, with just a bit of peppering in areas of the barrel. The saddle ring bar on the carbine has been cut off, and a swivel and sling ring were installed on the front barrel band in its place, a modification we have not seen before. The original sight ladder is present, however the slider and end screw are missing. The action functions well, though we have not tested the ability of the magazine to feed. This is one of the 12,502 Carbines manufactured by Spencer with a Stabler cutoff, however it was later removed along with the securing screw, though the set screw next to it is still present.

The stocks are still in very good shape, showing the expected wear, denting, and other issues from long service. We do not see any major repairs, but there is definitely overall wear and some sizeable dents and gouges on the butt stock. The bore is in very good condition, still showing the 6 groove rifling clearly with a mostly bright finish. There is some fouling and oxidation in the grooves, and towards the muzzle there is a bit more overall wear and oxidation. We often see these with bores looking like stove pipes, so this is definitely one of the better bores we have seen. The magazine tube removes correctly, and is in good condition.

Overall a very nice example of an iconic weapon with some very interesting research potential. Perfect for any collection, and ready to display!

Specifications-

Years of Manufacture: circa 1865
Caliber: .56-52 Spencer Rimfire
Ammunition Type: Rimfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 20 inches
Overall Length: 37 inches
Action: Lever Action with Manual Hammer
Feed System: 7 Round Tube Magazine

History and overview of the Spencer repeating rifle and carbine-

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.

The 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.

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.

There 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.

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.

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 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.

The 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.

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 .50–70 brass.

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