Swedish Spencer Rifle *** Photos Added ***

[Bolt Action Viking]

I am a gun collector in sweden that just got found of old good American service rifles. Got me a 1917 Eddystone, 1884 Trapdoor carbine, M1 carbine, 1897 Trenchgun, and some cowboy rifles such as winchesters and Marlins.

But my latest gain is a bit interesting, it´s an 1865 Spencer 56-50 cal that has some swedish history accually.

-In 1867 the swedish army hastly needed a breach loading standard rifle for the troops. King Oscar II ordered an comitee of 5 swedish officers and 5 norwegian officers to make trials on some different rifles. ( By then Norway was a Swedish colony ). The selection of applicant rifles was the Remington Rolling Block ( later on approved ) the 56-50 Spencer, Henry rifle and som two European rifles... After torture testing a couple of months the comitee pointed the RB.

However my private investigations shows this rifle of mine very likely was one of the testing rifles by then. And in 1867 it was given to the Gotheburg Marksman Club as a Prize rifle at the big Gotheburg shooting competition. The donator was the very famous celebrity Oscar Dickson. Oscar D was by the days Swedens richest man,, he and his brother had immigrated to sweden from Scotland and with two empty hands they buildt up an enormous empire... They bought up almost every tree in the far wasted woods of North Sweden. The lumber millionaires later on donated a lot´s of funds to swedish goverment so it would fund the building of many public schools, hospitals and more. The Dickson brothers became very popular amongst the people whom sufferd very hard from poverty. The brothers became so popular so when arriving with train to cities,, especially garrison cities, the garrison orchestra and parads were welcoming them,,, even if this was a procedure for officials only.
That was a bit history about my Spencer.

I just started to reload the 56-50 brass that I recieved from a buddy in the states.. loading with what I have by the moment and that happens to be a LEE 515 cal mould 500 grains boolit....-Not much space left for powder,, but it works to plink on 60 yards ...

Enjoy pics folks














                                 (Photos Added by Two Flints)

[Herbert]

BY the serial number on your rifle it is in the fist 200 of the 1867 modle Spencers,fitted with a 1865 barrel.The 1867 modle differd from the 1865 by not using the Stabler cutt off(most 1867 will have the Spencer cutt off,yours apears not to)some 1867 Spencers were fitted with the Lane type extractor and some with the largeblade type,the trigger on your rifle apears to have been reshaped or a diffrent triger fitted.

This is a very historic Spencer and you are very lucky to have found it, did it have a centerfire block or did you convert it to centerfire, very interested to see photos of block if it is a original centerfire.

For bullet mould there are proper Spencer moulds that work very well ,made by BACO or NEI hand tools(NEI if your groove diameter is larger than .520) that I can recomend,the RCBS .512-350 cowboy mould is all so a very good one should your groove diameter be .512 or less .Other members may recomend other moulds,these rifles can shoot very well when loaded properly

[Two Flints]

Additional photos of the "Swedish" Spencer, showing the reproduction and original breechblocks.


















                                        (Photos Posted by Two Flints)

[Herbert]

I was hoping it might have been a experamental center-fire Spencer ,clealy it is not,still a important historical trials Spencer.Very suprised it is not fitted with the Spencer cutt off.The extractor spring and screw wich are missing are avialable at S&S Firearms

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

I believe the Spencer will accept the same cast bullet as the Swedish Remington round.    About 350 grains is correct i believe and I use the Lyman 515139 in .50-70 cases for my Swedish Rollers.