Armi Sport .45 Schofield Spencer

[Six Shot]

Anybody have an Armi Sport .45 Schofield Spencer? What is the maximum number of rounds it can hold in the magazine? Anybody figure out a way to hold more than seven?

[Two Flints]

Six Shot,

Could you explain your loading problem better? 

The loading capacity in the magazine for an Armi Sport Spencer is 8 rounds, and you can add an additional round into the chamber.

Two Flints

[Six Shot]

Six Shot,

Could you explain your loading problem better? 

The loading capacity in the magazine for an Armi Sport Spencer is 8 rounds, and you can add an additional round into the chamber.

Two Flints

That's what I thought. I don't know why it only took seven when I loaded it this morning  but it did take eight after I read your post and tried it again. We can't have one loaded in the chamber because of SASS rules so I have to load one or two manaully "on the clock".  Thanks

Six Shot

[WaddWatsonEllis]

I think I might clarify his concern a bit with the number of cartridges.

It seems like and Spencer has two marks against it as a competitive weapon in SASS shoots.

First of course is the need to cock the hammer for each round fired. But that could be refined with lots of practice and manual dexterity, I would imagine. So that alone would not be a deal breaker.

The second is that every rifle stage I have seen (in a SASS competition) was set up for a ten round magazine, 'cause that is what lever actions hold.

So in order to keep up with the one round/second firing rate of a lever action, a Spencer would have to at minimum hold one round in the chamber and NINE in the magazine to be anywhere near competitive ...... i.e., the time it takes to reload PLUS the time spent cocking the hammer on six or seven rifle stages would make the weapon non-competitive.

And although I have always wanted a Spencer, and although the Schofield model would dovetail perfectly with my two Navy Arms Schofield pistols, I just can't justify owning a rifle that is needs to be reloaded in a competition.

So even 'though a lever action is far down my want list, I think a .45 Colt LC Marlin or Winchester is what I will be purchasing.  Shame on you   Such BLASPHEMY   May God forgive you for making that purchase   Two Flints

[Tuolumne Lawman]

The Spencer is only competitive in a CAS match in Style Points!  I used my 56-50 Spencer as my main match rifle.  I kept 4 or 5 rounds in my vest pocket for the on the clock reload and after firing the7 in the weapon, I popped the tube out, dropped in three and continued to blast.  I would always come in last in time, but first in style!    Thanks T.L.  Speed isn't always the better way to go in SASS.  Two Flints

[Bead Swinger]

Well, although I sold my old Spencer Rifle, I fully expect to be back in the Spencer business once I get the $$. That being said...

I'm going to be trying out an Evans NM this season. Less lead, less powder... It'll be a hoot if they actually give me a stage where you can load as much as you want/can - Just think: 26 rounds on an EMPTY chamber... Now that's fun.  All the fun and style of a Spencer, but with an internal hammer .

I have to admit that I really enjoyed reloading the Spencer on the Clock - they even let me use a Blakeslee tube, which was very fun. I was going for clean stages, not fast ones.  I usually screwed up with the pistol, not the Spencer  .   

WaddWatsonElis - I'd rethink the lever gun thing - Spencers are way more fun. In 56-50 it's 350+ gr of lead going downrange in a huge cloud of (30-35gr FF) smoke - something you want to see on film, and stand behind - The assault rifle of 1860-65. I'll even send you a handmade tin 56-60/56-56 Blakeslee tube if you want one (you only need one for CAS). Thank you Bead Swinger, Hopefully, WadWatsonElis will see the light      Two Flints

[Tuolumne Lawman]

I'm trying to work a trade with an N-SSA shooter for his Armi Sport Spencer 56-50.  He is interested if it doesn't sell at Spring Nationals.  Say your prayers to the gods of Spencers (and the Good Lord, too!) that it works out!  I love my Smith, but I MISS MY SPENCER!

[WaddWatsonEllis]

Just don the math ... if the .45 Schofield is 2/3 the length of the 56/50 (just guessing here), that would mean that the tube magazine should in theory hold 10+ shells .... or enough to avoid reloading on time and might make the Spencer at least give lever actions a run for their money.

Don't understand why this could not happen. possibly with a different spring in the tube magazine?

There may be a very rational reason why it does not happen. But wouldn't it be worth a gunsmith looking into it?

[Tuolumne Lawman]

It seems to me that when I got the first Armi Sport Spencer in 45 Schofield as a sample for the Cowboy Chronicle when they first came out about 2001, it held 8 Schofields, except with 180 BHA, it held 9.  The problem is, that then  the 180s would not cycle.  I toyed with the idea of trimming down the center "spring guide" of the magazine follower to allow that 9th 45 Schofield round, but it was an author sample, so I didn't.

With the 56-50, loading three on the clock was part of the style points...that and knocking over plates that aren't supposed to fall down!  The first match I used a Spencer at, it was an original 56-56 1860 model.  It was before SASS allowed them, but the local club said what the heck and allowed me to shoot it.  It was a good thing I brought plenty of ammo, as everyone on my posse wanted to shoot it after the match,

[Preston County Rider]

 I regularly shoot my .45 Sch Spencer at our local matches - it holds seven rounds - I've tried eight but it will jam - seven works the best - I use a section of 1/2" copper tube with corks in the ends to hold the additional three rounds for the stage - usually tuck the short tube in my boot. Have gotten pretty good with the lever-and-hammer sequence - as long as I remember to count rounds! Found the gun must be in the lever closed postion to load and chamber the reloaded rounds. The only regular problem I have is the first round not loading without some heavy effort and empty cases not ejecting (twist the gun to the left to dump the case). If the little gun was more dependable, less jamming, dependable ejecting and smoother, with a reasonable trigger pull, would be almost competitive. As it stands now, the RO usually puts down the electric timer and picks up a sundial to time my stage! Hey but I get the best comments from the other shooters about "love to see you shoot that thing" and "are you crazy?" and others. Oh, I load my own BP rounds, Starline brass, 240/452 Goex bullets over 30 grains FFg. It is the history thing.

[gevens]

A Spencer will never be competitive in a competition designed for speed.  But, you can't argue about the style points you get from using it.  I heard there was some thought being given to establishing a category that would mainly involve Spencer's but I suspect with all the other SASS categories, that won't go anywhere.

My cowboy shooting club is not a SASS club, but has been around almost as long as SASS has and we generally follow SASS rules.  When I first started, we used to shoot some stages that only required one revolver, but we haven't done that for several years now.  The guys that come up with the stage scenarios are pretty good at slowing down the "gamers" by including stages that emphasize accuracy more than speed.  We also ocassionally have stages that call for you to shoot your rifle and/or pistol from the hip...what a hoot.  About the only time the "gamers" get too concerned about speed, etc. is usually in the weeks before a major match like the Ohio State SASS Championship or the Guns of August.  We also have a lot of SASS affiiated clubs close by--within a 40 mile radius of Dayton we have at least 4 SASS clubs--and those shooters that want to focus on competitiveness tend to shoot with them and not our club.  We do have a few of speed demons--one is in his 70's and can outshoot just about everyone on a regular basis, one is about half his age and it is a toss up which one will be the overall winner at the monthly shoots, and a third one that is very fast but also misses a lot.  We have more fun trying to count all of his misses, which can total more than the cumulative misses of the rest of the shooters on his posse.

I have found one way to make the rest of the shooters happy when I bring out my Spencer.  Our range is in the woods and during the Spring or following rainstoms, the mosquitos can be fierce.  They just love it when I step up to the line and clear all those pesky bugs away with my clouds of BP smoke!

Reb

[Drydock]

I shoot a .45 Spencer reguarly, it holds 8 rounds in the magazine.  In the GAF Milspec BP repeater class, all weapons start out with 5 rounds in the magazine, with unlimited reloads to finish the stage.  Great fun.