Shooting the Spencer rifle at last CAS event

[Four Sixes]

Finally, I took the courage to use my spencer rifle (.56-50) and Colt SA 3rd generation on the CAS stage last saturday. It was fun to shot both weapones but I was so nervous in shooting the Spencer rifle. I got to fire 3 rounds before the Spencer got jam by a bullet stucked in the breech. As I was ejecting the 3rd round (seen in the video), the empty brass didn't got throw out completely which led to a misfit of the following round. Regardless, it was still fun to finally play with it.

After the regular event, we also had a long-range (110yd) shoot-out on the 'white buffalo' with a trapdoor near the heart. My Spencer shot well and have no feeding problem with all 7 rounds. I am a happy camper

Here is the video in you-tube 

Enjoys...4-sixes

PS: Feel so bad that my friend got hit to his face by the lead. IT scared me to watch it in the video.

[Two Flints]

Four Sixes,

Thanks for sharing your video...do you have any idea why the case did not extract, causing your jamm?

Two Flints

[Four Sixes]

Hi Two Flints,

My guess is as good as yours. Sometimes, the empty brass will fly out with easy, some just don't (as stubborn as me  ). As others have indicated before, loading of the spencer is tricky, one has to open and close the beench with a swift motion in order to chamber the round properly. I guess I hesitated in closing the level on my 4th round while trying to remove the empty brass that remained on top of the beench.

But after that, I tried to lower the stock while cycling and that solved all my problem. I guess the gravity helped to throw the empty brass away.

Hope this answered your question.

4-Sixes

[major]

4-6s
I think what happened is that you levered the gun and unknown by you the empty case blocked the breach.  You then started to close the breach by pulling back on the lever.  When it didn't close you pushed the lever forward again and a second cartridge slipped out of the magazine and into the works.  This, I believe caused your jam.  If you had not pushed the lever forward and just pulled the empty out, then I think you would have been OK.
Major

[Deadeye Don]

Makes one wonder how often this actually occurred back in the day especially in the heat of battle.

[Two Flints]

Hi Deadeye Don,



Good question. Maybe the originals just worked better resulting in fewer jams in the heat of battle

Two Flints

[major]

Hi Deadeye Don,

Good question. Maybe the originals just worked better resulting in fewer jams in the heat of battle
Two Flints

No, the originals jammed the same way.  I use to shoot my original 56-56 for N-SSA competition and this kind of jam would occasionally occur.  This is why I recognized the problem in his video.
Major

[Two Flints]

Hi Major,

Was your original converted to shoot centerfire rounds?  Would this have made a difference?  Maybe the rimfire cartridges and the original blocks were less prone to jamming.  Just speculating here, more informed SSS members should chime in.

Two Flints

[French Jack]

You can jam any repeater by short stroking or relevering them.  A fairly quick way to clear this is to tilt the muzzle up, unlock the loading tube, slide it back to take the pressure off the cartridges, and move the lever forward and shake the jammed round back down into the magazine tube.  This will allow you to close the action, chambering the round that was on the block.  Then you seat the loading tube and relock it.

[major]

Hi Major,

Was your original converted to shoot centerfire rounds?  Would this have made a difference?  Maybe the rimfire cartridges and the original blocks were less prone to jamming.  Just speculating here, more informed SSS members should chime in.

Two Flints

TF
Yes, it was converted for central fire.  But I don't think this had anything to do with the jamming.  You can try it your self.  Put 3 -4 rounds in the magazine, lever the action forward so it picks up a cartridge then pull the lever back until the cartridge is not quite in the chamber.  Then go forward again.  Another cartridge will be pushed into the rotating block and you will have two rounds trying to get into the chamber.  And there is your Jam.
Terry

[Cooleemee Edd]

Great video, thanks!

I notice that you are a leftie. That adds even more "adventure" to shooting the Spencer, doesn't it?  You also cock the hammer before you lever. Is that standard, or just your way?  I have never fired one, but want to do so when I get to the USA. It is easy to see that you are one who enjoys shooting for the sake of having fun, not for taking home a buckle!  GOOD FOR YOU!!!  I could hear the "Clang" of those targets, and to me, accuracy is more important than speed.

FUN!!

[Deadeye Don]

Great video, thanks!

I notice that you are a leftie. That adds even more "adventure" to shooting the Spencer, doesn't it?  You also cock the hammer before you lever. Is that standard, or just your way?  I have never fired one, but want to do so when I get to the USA. It is easy to see that you are one who enjoys shooting for the sake of having fun, not for taking home a buckle!  GOOD FOR YOU!!!  I could hear the "Clang" of those targets, and to me, accuracy is more important than speed.

FUN!!

The 56-50 REALLY makes that steel hum.  There is no mistaking a hit on steel.  They are brutal to those steel targets.

[Four Sixes]

Thank you Cooleemee, I am still very new into the CAS so my skill 'suck'. Yes, shooting Spencer and any other civil war or early 20th century weapons (like the .58 cal Springfield musket, 1859 Berden Sharps rifle and Springfield trapdoor) does creat a problem for leftie...I guess armys at that time don't worry about whether you are left or right hand shooters....hahaha

I had heard that, not sure if it has any merit or not, sometime one might accidently fire a round with a hammer down while cycling the chamber. But the owner's manual did say that one need to half cock the hammer, cycle the lever, then full cock the hammer and fire. I was cheating it by fully cock the hammer then cycle the lever and fire. Since it was the 1st time I used it in the CAS stage, my loading sequence was sluggished and you can see it in the video. Nonetheless...it was so much fun shooting it.

I let my other CAS friends to shoot it as well during the long-range match...they all love it. The rifle is very accurate too. We could even see the 'silver' bullet flying toward the target with a spotting scope. So neat to see that.

I did use it before to shoot a metal gong at 200yd, bench rest, in my local gun range and it was so much fun to hear the "ping" after 1 or 2 seconds...and seeing the metal gong swinging.

4-sixes

[Bead Swinger]

Hi All -
I just had my 56-56 rifle out at a shoot this weekend, and worked 60 rounds through her during the day.  All of the five stages were 10 rounds rifle, in which the rifle (if not the shooter) performed flawlessly. In one of the side matches I jammed on an ejection.

I was using some FFg & 777 loads, and was very pleased with how she performed - I did a few long-range targets in a side-shoot, and was 3-for-3 on the 110-yd buffalos.  I'm pretty sure they were sight-on.  'Had a harder time with the shorter range buffalos, though. 

My pard at the shoot was taking video, so hopefully I'll get something to post.

[Appalachian Ed]

I shoot a Romano and the firing pin completly floats so there is no problem cycling the action with the hammer down, them cocking it like you would an original. It seems MORE dangerous to cycle a cocked firearm. Especially since the Spencer is designed to have two fingers in the lever. One in front and on behind the trigger. Can the Italians not figure out how to make the pin 100% internal? The chance is much greater to hit the trigger in the "heat" of competion and fire the gun at who knows what it may be aimed at. It just seems the Italian copies are 90% right, but not quite there.