*** FOR SALE: *** Spencer Sporting Rifle @ Joe Salter.com Antiques

[Two Flints]

Here is the link:

https://www.joesalter.com/category/products/Scarce-Spencer-Sporting-rifle

[Ibgreen]

That was fast.  What was the list price?

[Two Flints]

Ibgreen,

If you send Joe Salter an Email and ask him, he will tell you the selling price.  I think, as I best remember, the selling price was about $1250.00  I think!

Two Flints

[Snakeeater]

That was fast.  What was the list price?

From what I have found on-line, the rifle has been around for a while. A few months ago, it sold on Gun Broker in June for $683 when it had a cold blued finish; the it was sold on Proxbid for $900; then it next was sold by Amoskeag Auction Company for $1,035; then finally Salter advertised it at $1,295 and was bought for parts.

http://www.gunbroker.com/item/565413630

https://www.proxibid.com/asp/LotDetail.asp?ahid=9943&aid=111744&lid=30283552

http://www.auctionzip.com/auction-lot/lot_53E4797955

http://www.amoskeagauction.com/110/478.php

[Ibgreen]

Looks like Joe was the winner on the gunbroker auction. 

[Snakeeater]

Apparently, I was mistaken about the auction dates. This rifle was evidently a part of Auction No. 110 featuring fine collectible arms by Amoskeag Auction Company (via Proxbid and others) held on 6/4/16 when the highest bid was $900 "by onsite". Amoskeag's website indicate the rifle sold for $1,035, and it must have been purchased by someone in Waterville, Maine, who must have tried to cold blue all the metal surfaces before it was put on Gun Broker, which then sold for $683 with no reserve. Bet you they are not a happy camper!

[Snakeeater]

Just what you guys were wondering about. Who bought it? I bought it, and it has just arrived today. But it is not in .56-.52 but like #1335, the other sporting rifle I was restoring, it is chambered in .56-.46. While the bore looks like someone tried to clean it using Drain-O, and made a mess of things. Actually, the front 10-inches of the bore is rough, and scaly like the exterior. Luckily, the rear half of the bore is almost pristine with no visible rust. Though the chamber is red in color I was able to chamber a empty cartridge case and extracted it without any difficulty. So with a little work and patience I think that the whole rifle will clean up nicely.

The crusty rust around the front sight is by far the worst. The remainder of the barrel has generally a smooth patina but not anything some 000 or 0000 steel wool and penetrating oil wouldn't cure. That goes for most of the remaining metal surfaces. And for Herbert, this rifle has the small knife extractor not the Lane. Internally, the lower block still has about 95% of its color case hardening, while the face of the upper block is covered with surface rust, probably just transfer from the chamber which is red in color but still smooth inside, and well defined. I will probably get Rob Lewis of Tri-L Machine to do a TIG repair of the hammer spur, and Romano to reline the bore.

Although I was initially interested in the rifle only for the sporting rifle parts, thinking how it would speed up the restoration of the #1335 receiver that I already had and the barrel that I acquired here a few months ago, this rifle should not take nearly as much labor or additional parts to complete its restoration. Though the original barrel for #1335 was just as rough as this one on the inside, when I slugged it, only one groove appeared lost, but the chamber was badly corroded on one side, and was going to necessitate having it filled and re-cut before it could be shot. I am thinking this rifle just needs some cosmetic tweaks and a re-line bore to make it drive tacks again. I will get some pictures uploaded just as soon as it gets cleaned up.

PS. I have now disassembled and cleaned off a layer of hard dirt that had covered so much of the metal surfaces, and suspect that much the same may be true for the dull appearance of the barrel and rear sight. The red rust on the interior surfaces is now gone, and the chamber and lower half of the bore are very nice. It now appears that only the upper 4-inches of the bore closest to the muzzle is covered with scale rust or pitting. This seems consistent with the rifle perhaps being immersed in water, possibly in a flood and not getting proper care and attention quickly enough? Beyond that, the rifle appeared to be in excellent condition on the inside, retained much of its color casehardening and bright surfaces. The inside of the lock was immaculate.

[Ibgreen]

That is a great deal on a 67/NM action.  Should handle Starline modified brass wonderfully!  I wish I was in the position to aquire but alas, with a new house and starting a new business, not the best time.

[Two Flints]

Snakeeater,

Keep us updated on your restoration progress . . . and photos would be great to see. Send them to me if you need to, and I'll post them for you.

Two Flints

[treebeard]

It would be nice if the reproductions could be offered in this sporting configuration with maybe a tang sight added.