Hello gentlemen,
I am now the proud owner of a minty Spencer carbine. Some pictures can be found here :
http://www.wildwesttreasures.org/item.php?id=1044&location=newest&title=Spencer%20carabine%20new%20model%201863%20in%20superb%20conditionWhen I saw it a few weeks ago, I decided it would be mine, so I waited until I could take a day off, took my car, drove 350 km from Paris to Belgium and traded some of my other guns.
Exit my 1865 Spencer carbine and my New Model rifle, + 1 trapdoor carbine (made from a cut-off rifle), and enter the new Spencer. I really liked my carbine and my rifle, but although they were nice shooting guns, I couldn't resist the appeal of the new toy, with so much bluing and case-hardening left ! I plan to shoot this Spencer 3-4 times a year and not more, so by taking extreme care I think it will not deter of its value. My centerfire breechblock will need some filing, this will be done when I have some time.
You will certainly see that the description on the merchant's website is not completely accurate. The carbine is not a civil war model but a model 1865. The bore is not 6 grooves but 3, which is correct for a Burnside made Spencer. There are 2 strange features. First, the cartouche is ESA, which does not correspond to the cartouches listed in Roy Marcot's book on Spencers. Second, the carbine has a Stabler cut-off, a bit surprising for a relatively eary serial number (12622). Marcot states that the first 16000 Burnside 1865. But everything else is correct, so I think it is just some exception here.
I'd like to tell you also that the merchant is a very nice guy. When I told him I had driven 350 km to see him, he offered me some coffee, some food, and we chatted for nearly 3 hours. He showed me ALL his guns, including some that he had just brougth from a trip to the States. He put a revolver in my hand.... that was a real Colt Walker ! Apparently it was one of the best Walkers known to exist, that he purchased from a well known american gun collector. The gun was sold to a european collector but was not yet shipped. Then he told me the gun was worth EUR 250,000 !!!! I gasped and put it carefully on a table, making all my best not to drop it or scratch it or whatever ! But now, I am one of the few people to have handled a real walker ! Gosh, was that a day !!!
If you have a look at the website, you'll see some other nice spencers, including an engraved one. That is not my taste (nor in my budget !!!), but an interesting piece all the same.
I hope you could feel some of my enthousiasm in this post
BTW, I think my "new" Spencer carbine was never issued, but if Two Flint you can have a look in your files and let me know what the serial number 12622 tells, I'd be grateful.
kind regards, take care all
Clyde