Some Spencer questions

[Jbar4Ranch]

Ho kay... I dropped payment for the rifle in the mail yesterday, then submitted an order to Midway for dies, shell holder, 100 pieces of brass (cheaper from Starline by the 250 count, but I had a $25 *door prize* coupon), and the cheapo Lee mould that I'll turn down. I can make a lubrisizer die easy enough, so I think I'll have everything to start shooting as soon as the rifle gets here. A different mould will no doubt be forthcoming, but the Lee will do to get things going.

Hee hee heeeeee! I'm getting excited!

[Jbar4Ranch]

YAHOO! It has arrived, and looks absolutely brand new - $700 + $30 shipping. I asked the seller after the auction if he had any brass or ammo I could buy and he emailed back that he thought he "might have 20 rounds of Ten-X" I could have for $10 + $7 shipping. Well, the brass is worth more than that, so I sent him a check. Imagine my delight today when the Brown Truck dropped off a 50 count box with 34 loaded rounds and 16 empties! This just gets better and better! Midway's price on fifty rounds is $145.00... plus shipping... So... 145 divided by 50 is $2.90 per, times 34 equals $98.60 plus about a buck apiece for the sixteen empties equals $114.60, bringing the price of the rifle down to $585.40, if you want to look at it from that angle.

I don't have to be to work til 11:00 tomorrow morning... I think I'll set the alarm for about 5:30...

[Two Flints]

JBar,

Wow, just too early for all those numbers  it's only 4:45 A.M. here in Maine  I'm not awake yet.  But, best wishes with your test shooting.  Hope all goes well.

Happy Spencer Shooting,

Two Flints

[Jbar4Ranch]

I was under the impression that Taylor's and Cimmaron were the only ones importing these, but this one is roll marked Dixie Gun Works. Interesting.

[Patrick Henry Brown]

I know that DGW has had them listed in their catalogs for a while. BTW, are you set up to recreate the mold from the Lee? I cannot llocate Dakota Widowmaker, and I'm not a machinist. Also, you have made a real score with the ammo and the Spencer. Congratulations. You must be living right!   

[Jbar4Ranch]

Yes, I cut a Lee mould down for this project a week ago that I ordered from Midway when I won the auction... however...

The Lee design hangs up in my rifle somewhat. I cycled several through the rifle this morning, and shot forty rounds with the modified Lee, and never could get them to cycle as well as the Ten-X factory rounds. The Ten-X rounds cycle perfectly, regardless of how fast or slow you cycle the action, while the Lee works best when running the action fast & hard. Contrary to what I've read on here, the Lee seemed to work better as I progressively seated the bullet deeper. When I got to the same OAL as the Ten-X rounds, they definitely worked better than when seated out and crimped just over the driving band. I broke down one of the Ten-X rounds and found 21.1 grains of a powder most closely resembling Li'l Gun, in that it is an irregular flattened ball powder of some sort. I don't think it is Li'l Gun, but it's the closest resemblance to any of the forty or so powders I have on hand. The bullet weighs 340.0 grains, exactly, and has a crimp groove and a single grease groove with no grease. The bullet doesn't seem to be coated with any kind of lube either. Both bullets were extremely accurate, putting them all in one ragged hole at 25 yards.

I could only get five rounds into this thing, and, when I looked closer at the magazine tube, I saw there was a rod screwed into the base of the follower that prevented seven rounds from being loaded. How come? It screws right out and then seven will fit.

Any idea what mould this may have been cast from?

[Two Flints]

Jbar4Ranch,

Your comment:  I could only get five rounds into this thing, and, when I looked closer at the magazine tube, I saw there was a rod screwed into the base of the follower that prevented seven rounds from being loaded. How come? It screws right out and then seven will fit.

It's my understanding that it has something to do with exportation of firearms from Italy and into the USA and being required to have a limit on the number of rounds that can be loaded in the Spencer (and other long arms).

Two Flints

[French Jack]

The bullet resembles the Rapine 350-T.  Both the Rapine and Buffalo Arms Jim 513-350 have one large grease groove.  The Rapine is slightly more pointed, but the Jim Bullet has proven very accurate and feeds slick as goose grease for me.  The O.A.L. is the same with the Jim bullet as with the Lyman 515139, and allows for 34 grs.or so of FFg with each.

[El Tigre]

44.-40s will NOT fit in the 44 Russian, nor will 44 Special.  WHile 45 Schofields will fit in a 45 Colt Spencer, they will not feed.  Spencers are picky about the the length from the base to where the cartridge guide engages the ogive of the bullet.  That is why bullets of the same length, but different design may not both work in the same Spencer.

In my experience 44 Russian are the most temprimental, followed by 45 Schofield. 44-40s work well, but the best is the 56-50, since that is what the frame size was designed for.

44 Russian hold 8 to 9 generally Depending on bullet design) and 45 Schofield hold eight. 45 Colt, 44-40, and 56-50 hold seven.  Then you can add one in the chamber.

The only one I do not personally have experience with is the 45 Colt.  All of the others work great once you find the right diet to feed it.

Absolutely right, 56-50 is the best

[kurt250]

only have the 56-60 rifle and carbine. mine was made buy armi-sport but imported threw taylors. i like the original cartridge. mine has shoot well over a thousand times. no problem. some of the screws seem to work themselfs lose now and then but a little lock tight fixed that.use star line brass, never seem to wear out or split at the rims. i only shoot 2f black powder. gotzguns