Just Arrived - Spencer Carbine and Rifle

[Beaumont]

Hello, UPS man just delivered my two spencer that I bought in Germany. A carbine and rifle.
I very pleased with it.

Can someone help me,who it may have issued to, and in what year its manufactured?

Serialnumber Carbine, 38414
Serialnumber Rifle, 28728

The carbine has a fixed sight, is this correct?

I will try to upload some foto's

Thanks,

Ad

[Two Flints]

Hi Beaumont,

These are pretty good "guestimates"

Spencer Carbine, serial # 38414 - maybe  issued to a member of Company L or M of the 2nd New York Volunteer Cavalry in March 1865:

Spencer Rifle, serial # 28728 - maybe    issued to a member of Company G of the 105th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry in June 1865.

Send me the photos if you can't post them yourself, but not too many

Two Flints  fsgrand2@fairpoint.net

[Beaumont]

Hello all

two foto's of my recently bought carbine. It has a fixed sight and the sadle ring at the end?
Is this normal?

Regards   Ad

[Herbert]

Your carbine apears to be one of the Springfield converted 1860 spencers to 56-50 from the shape of hammer and the cut for the Stabler cutt off,can you see a solder mark for the barrel liner and the top of the action frame opening should all so be rounded off.The replacment of sights and removal of carbin bar and ring is a common way to sporterise the carbines after being sold to the public,this can affect value to some collectors but to me it is part of its history

[Beaumont]

Hello Herbert

Thank you for de information, it's always welcome. What exactly do you mean with the solder mark?
I made a foto of the top of action  / barrel. Is this what you mean?

Hope to hear from you.

Ad

[Herbert]

When these carbines were converted to 56-50, it was done by boring out the old barrel and soldering a 56-50 liner in,you can oftern see the solder ring around the liner at the breach and the muzell

[DJ]

Greetings Beaumont--

As others have mentioned, your carbine appears to be either an 1865 model or an 1860 model altered to 1865 configuration.
The crown-over-V mark on barrel and receiver are German and came into use about 1893 (as a result of 1891 German proof law).  It appears from your photo as if the receiver has very faint manufacturer's markings underneath/around the proofmark.  You might be able to read it if you use a magnifier and try varying the lighting.

If you search the Spencer forum you can find photos of how it would appear.  
Or maybe this link will work:  http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,17789.0.html

You can see that there can be variations on the size and alignment of the letters.  Also, there was a marking used by the Burnside Rifle Co. for the Spencers it manufactured that has different wording but is similar to the Spencer factory markings.

The fixed rear sight is not original for a military carbine.  M1860 carbines have 22" barrels, while M1865 models have shorter, 20" barrels.

Now, where's that rifle?

--DJ

[Beaumont]

Hello all

Has take me agreat time to get back on line. Just make some foto's of my spencer Rifle.

Is this a Model 1860?

regards   Ad

[Herbert]

From what I can see it is a unalterd 1860 56-56 civil war Spencer

[Arizona Trooper]

It is an M-1860 with the post war receiver modification for easier single loading. It started life as a carbine. You can see where the saddle bar inletting in the receiver has been filled with metal. It would be interesting to know the story on that. It looks well done.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

It started life as a carbine. You can see where the saddle bar inletting in the receiver has been filled with metal.

In looking at the photo showing the bar where the saddle ring used to be, I see two round marks.  Might that be the original saddle ring fitting, with the loop cut off?

CORRECTION;  I was looking at the third picture of the CARBINE!

[Herbert]

It is an M-1860 with the post war receiver modification for easier single loading. It started life as a carbine. You can see where the saddle bar inletting in the receiver has been filled with metal. It would be interesting to know the story on that. It looks well done.

I should have lookeked harder,it does look like it started life as as a carbine can you show a photo of the top of the the action,I have never seen a carbine converted to rifle like this before,very interesting