Shooting 1865 Spencers

[General Lee]

Hello to all,
I am new to the forum, I would like to thank Two Flints for his assistance and Marshall Halloway.  I am particularly interested in members experiences shooting original Spencers.  I own an 1865 Spencer carbine original 56-.50 I have installed a buffalo arms center fire conversion breech block.  I have obtained some custom 56-.50 ammo and I am prepared to fire.  As I told Two Flints I was recently waived off by a fellow muzzle loader shooter/hunter and very conservative metal worker.  He felt the risk was outweighed by the value of the original rifle?  I would be interested in others experience.  I saw one post yesterday that was punctuated often by "did I mention the gun didn't explode!"
General Lee

[Trailrider]

Howdy, Pard,

This is a question with two basic answers:  Yes! and No!

Obviously, the "Yes!" answer is that it can and has been done without problems by a number of people, including Your Obedient Servant.  If the gun is in good shape (which can be DIFFICULT to determine conclusively), and one sticks to BP or a substitute, you MAY be alright!

On the other hand, the "No!" answer is based on the fact that these guns are 142 years OLD, and not only was the art and science of metallurgy in its infancy in those days, but one has to contend with potential corrosion problems weakening the receiver and the barrel, possibly to the point of failure! I'm not sure if non-destructive testing, such as magnetic partical testing, X-ray, etc., would detect such problems or not, and the cost and locating a testing lab might be cost-prohibitive.

I have personally not fired my antique guns lately mainly out of respect for their age, but I might shoot a few rounds now and then.

For continuous useage, I would recommend a replica!  Probably not the answer you wanted...if it is a definitive answer at all, but that's MHO!

Ride careful, Pard!

[Harve Curry]

I shoot an original 1865 carbine, for plinking, target practice, and hunting. I have used it in SASS shooting before it was even thought about by them. For the volume of shooting in SASS/CAS I would get a new one for that. Keep both if you can. There is nothing lilke handling and using the Real McCoy that was there and in the hands of our ancestors.

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[General Lee]

Harve Curry and Trailrider,
Thank you both for your advice and sage advice it is.  I will have to noodle this awhile.  Maybe i will open up my GAD reloads and see how much BP is in them and give some thought to cutting down the load.  I sure would like to see the old girl bark a bit.  The gun is in excellent condition and certainly "look" rugged as heck.  Tha tis hardly a scientific or weighed analysis.  Thanks again for the advice.
General Lee

[Dakota Widowmaker]

Hehe...

As long as the barrel can be pressure checked some how and you use some flourecent dye (like what you do with a bad AC unit in your car) this can be done at home.

As far as loads, either my mold or the rapine mold will drop a nice easy bullet and along with 40-50gr of FFg, your all set to go.

some folks have to use cut down 50-70 brass to get their spencer to work right. Some folks just use a .512" round ball instead of custom cast bullet designs.

Hope you get to enjoy that spencer sooner than later.