Why is the Spencer address on the reciever so lightly stamped on so many guns

[Cannonman1]

Its my observation that the Spencer address on the top of the reciever is more than not lightly stamped.. Is this a factory refinishing or is it a matter of metallurgy or other??  I know guns going back in for conversion to 56/50 were refinished but a lot of those who remained as original 56/56 have similar light stamping.

[Cannonman1]

Is it safe to say that at the end of the war and with the flood of surplus arms coming into government storage, that most if not all of the surplus Spencers were "fixed up" and this included refinishing stocks, metal and replacement of broken or worn parts ?  That would explain the diminishing of stampings and inspector cartouches on a lot of arms.

[Coffinmaker]

I searched high and low but was unable to find anyone who was there at the time and could remember what went on.  I also used extensive Google Foo to no avail.  Ergo, your guess is as good as any. 

150 years later, the issue is rather moot .... no??

[River City John]

Perhaps it could be the difference between a roll engraved address line and an impact, stamped address line?

This is, as suggested by Coffinmaker, a very uninformed guess upon my part. But it's mine, and special to me, therefore I cherish it and pronounce it as good as another.

Armchair RCJ

[Cannonman1]

Coffin maker.. Keep on looking.. If you find one I think we would all like to talk to him..

[Dave Fox]

Three thoughts: the receiver stampings are light because the letters are tiny and couldn't be heavily struck, the receiver metal was hard, and/or the markings being on a flat, the they were subject to heavy filing or polishing during refurbishment.

[Cannonman1]

Not sure if anyone has ever done a modern test on hardness on receivers to see how they stand up.. I know I have seen plenty of Spencers where the hammer has deformed the reciever metal where the hammer impacts it. Makes me think the steel was not all that hard. Probably a refinishing thing after all.

[Blair]

Many Arms contractors used small fonts and light markings, going back into the 1840's.
It is true that some of the Spencer arms were refinished/furbished at places like Springfield. These do show evidence of polishing of the address.
I hope this helps?
My best,
Blair