I'd like to preface my question with the admission that I'm a newbie. Therefore, I'm hoping you'll be kind enough not to flame me if I say something patently ridiculous. Everybody's got to start somewhere.
My questions:
1. I've come across sources that indicate the correct designation for the initial Spencer infantry rifle, commonly referred to as the "Model 1860" or "M1860", is actually the "Army Model". As the next two versions were termed the Model 1865 and Model 1867 to distinguish them from the initial version--all three shared the same patent year of 1860--the M1860 designation slipped into usage in order to keep things simple. Is this correct?
2. Are the five different versions of the Spencer military rifle, in order of introduction, as follows:
- Navy
- Army
- Model 1865
- Model 1867
- New Model
I restricted it to rifle models in order to exclude the Canadian and Burnside carbine versions.
3. Can an animal such as a "Spencer M1860 N.M. Infantry Rifle" exist? If the assumptions I've listed above are correct, then the M1860 model was the first model introduced by Spencer while the New Model was the fifth and final. Therefore, it doesn't seem possible that a given rifle be considered both.
I'm this question as I just came across an auction for a rifle described that way.
Thanks!