Who Were the New Model Spencers Issued to?

[djossi@yahoo.com]

Everything that I have read to date indicates that none of the New Model Spencers went to the Army. The "up close and personal" battles of the Civil War, where the limited range of the Spencer wasn't a major handicap, were over by the time the New Model became available. Given the wide-open spaces in which the Indian Wars were fought, the Army needed a rifle that was effective and accurate at a range far greater than what the Spencer could handle. Thus, none of the New Models saw military service, at least according to the sources that I've researched so far. If that's the case, then where did they go?

[Herbert]

Some were sold to Brazil,Japan,Siam,but most were sold to the French for the Franco Prushian war,the Prushians took them as war booty and they stayed in storage untill the late 19th early 20th centuray as I understand,then they were sold on the surpus market ,this is why they are more common in Europe and are oftern found in exelent condition.A large quanity of the other modle Spencer were also sent to France and there fate was the same