Spencer Sporting Rifles

[SpencerSporter]

Hello All,

        I just wanted to check to see who else out there had some Spencer Sporting rifles, or frontier gunsmith conversions like the Gemmer or Gove, and of course the work any of the hundreds of unknown folks that turned them into buffalo rifles, etc.

to start off I have the following:

Spencer Sporter, standard trigger, round barrel
Spencer Sporter, Double Set Triggers, round barrel, tang site
Spencer Sporter, Factory Single Set, 30" Octagon barrel
Spencer Buffalo Conversion, heavy octagonal barrel
Spencer Buffalo Conversion, heavy octagonal barrel (VERY well used)


Thanks

Mike

[Harve Curry]

No sporters, just my original 1865 56-50 carbine. For some reason the serial number falls into 1864 year range.

I'm curious. Do you know how the buffalo conversions performed on buffalo or if any of yours were used to hunt them??
, Bill

[Two Flints]

Hi Spencer Sporter,

How about some photos...that is quite a collection of Spencers.  Photos would be nice to look at.

Two Flints

[Black River Smith]

Yes please some photos of those rifles.  That would be appreciated.

[Mossyrock]

I was fortunate enough to have recently examined a Spencer Sporter with a 28" octagon barrel in 56-50.  That was the rifle that gave me the Spencer bug to begin with.  I keep looking at my Taylor Spencer and thinking, "What if..."  Oh, by the way, it had a rear sight from a SHARPS!  Which is where I got the idea to add a Shiloh Sharps rear sight to mine.

[Two Flints]

In the Summer 2007 issue # 58 of the Black Powder Cartridge, Ed Wojnarowski has written an article entitled, "Speed Goats and the .56-50 Spencer" (The Hunting Trail).  I mention this article because the photo of his Spencer shows it with an added long-range sight, perhaps it is a Sharps sight.  Fox Creek Kid may know exactly what kind of a sight it is as he posted something about that article some time ago.

Two Flints

[SpencerSporter]

Can do! I'll get some photos taken and posted up as soon as possible. I've located few other oddities recently too, so I might be able to put a few others soon.

An interesting note on the Sharps sights, I was recently in the presence of the largest collection of Sharps factory documents known and there was a file of some thickness labeled Christian Spencer. As many parts of the lock part are identical to the Sharps, it makes one wonder about the sights. Given the double set trigger set I have and the ones I've seen recently I've been wondering how much interaction there was between the two companies.

On the double set trigger note, did anyone buy the rifle that was on GunBroker about 2-3 weeks ago? I got a chance to see it in person on my way through PA. Looked like a trigger set out of a Lancaster style PA muzzle loader fit to it. It was a great little rifle, just sold before I could get back and organized. Probably one of the ones purchased by the troops returning to PA. The one I have is really interesting as I was able to determine it is a factory sporter, but the trigger group is harder to determine. One thing I can determine is it was used a LOT.

On that note, would anyone interested in some sporter reproductions? Now that we can get the actions in 45LC or 44-40 I think it would be a more popular option for other folks out there too. Makes me wonder what else I could cram in there.


Mike

[Gimpy Gus]

SSS  folks,  The tang sight pictured in my article, "Speed Goats and the 56-50 Spencer" was an extensively modified mid-range sight offered by Track of the Wolf. It was mounted on a steel base that I  partially inletted into wrist of the stock. I used shortened wood screws and Brownell's Acra-Glass to attach the base.  Original tang sights for the Spencer had very long bases and were screwed to the rear of the receiver right where today's Taylor Spencer has it's serial #'s. I have since replaced that sight with  one offered by Jeff's Outfitters of  Cape Girardeau, Mo. 573-651-3200. It's a repro. of a Stevens sight. With the exception of adding a set screw to lock the windage adjustment, I've used it as is. It comes with only one appeture but Marble's tang sight appetures fit.  Great sight for those 60+ year eyes when hunting or informal target shooting. GG

[Two Flints]

Hi Gimpy Gus (Ed?),

Thanks for the tang sight information.

Two Flints

[SpencerSporter]

All 3 together

[SpencerSporter]

The Single Set Spencer and notice the drill holes in the wrist.....looks like someone had a sharps style sight on there at some point.

[SpencerSporter]

Notice the trigger bar and the filled in section. Looks to have been a factory single set converted to double set, perhaps a factory piece.

[SpencerSporter]

This one is the "regular" sporter. I've included a picture of the 2 different ladder bar sights. The one missing the level is from the DST Spencer

[SpencerSporter]

Oh yes, and before I miss it again, I am working on compiling accounts of Spencers used in Buffalo Hunting. I've only found referencial material to date, but they seemed to be the most popular among the repeaters. If I had to venture a guess at this point I'd say they were probably the fast shooting choice for when you had a group with in about 100-150 yards.