Colorado Territory marked Spencer

[treebeard]

Just watched what I thought was an interesting Spencer on a just completed Gunbroker Auction #367329890. It
was marked on the butt stock as U.S. COL. TER and went for the buy it now price of $2500.00. Although this was above my
budget it did raise my interest so I looked it up in Marcot's book and on Page 129 they had one pictured. The shape of
the letters was very close to the one sold and it made me believe it was probably a legit marking.
From what Marcot said it was probably sold to settlers for self protection in the late 1860's.

Replacing the rear swivel is easy but how about the loading tube? Would you have to go with a reproduction?

[Two Flints]

Treebeard,

Unless you were extremely lucky to find original parts for the Spencer on the Internet, and they do appear every once in a while, your best bet would be to try and get the parts from S & S Firearms, albeit reproduction parts, but they would work just fine and you could always try your hand at antiquing them

Sometimes even with very good reproduction parts, some sanding of the original wood is needed to get a proper fitting for the replacement parts, as I have discovered.

Two Flints

[Snakeeater]

An original detachable magazine (complete) may run you about $350, which was the price Joe Salter had on the last one I saw advertised in 2009. Complete magazines from S&S cost $150 and you still have to fit it to your rifle or carbine. Just make sure you buy the one with the brass follower that is cupped-faced for the CF primer and not the original RF version. The brass magazine followers alone are about $35 (originals $45). The magazine tube base (smooth for rifle or grooved for carbine) cost $30 for reproductions, and I've seen asking prices of as much as $65 for an original tube base in relic condition.

[treebeard]

Snakeeater--I hope who ever paid the $2500 for this carbine was prepared to pay the cost of a new tube--besides the
asking price was over my budget I am also aware that I am a newbie to Spencers so I passed on this one. I do think
that it was interesting because it had some history to it while so many have none we can now discover.

[Snakeeater]

Unless that carbine had a strong provenance, I think you were wise to pass on it. It was in pretty rough condition, and might have been worth about $1500 tops. Besides, there are quite a number of better conditioned Spencers for sale in the same price range (and for less) without spending additional funds for missing major parts like a magazine.

[ndnchf]

Treebeard - If you are serious about buying a Spencer, I would suggest looking at online antique gun dealers, as well as the usual auction sites.  From what I've seen, they tend to be fairly priced and many will accept a reasonable offer.  I looked at a lot of them and talked/emailed with  4 or 5 before cuttng a deal on my M1871 Springfield Spencer infantry rifle.  I was polite and made a resonable offer and we settled on a fair price well below the buy-it-now price of that Colorado carbine.  There are fair deals out there - good luck with your search.