"Making Cartridge Cases For The Spencer "

[Two Flints]

Making  Cartridge  Cases  For  The  Spencer

By Ron  Borjeson

This  article  appeared in the October 1955 issue of The Single Shot Exchange Magazine. No photos or diagrams accompanied this article.

PLEASE NOTE:  During the process of scanning the article and doing a copy and paste in order to upload this article, typographical errors appeared which I have tried to edit.  If I missed any of these errors, take pity on me and my deficient eye!  I did not alter the text in any way!  If you find the article of any value, GREAT!

The  increasing  popularity  of the  Spencer carbine/rifle  is  apparent  in  two  ways;  its rapidly  decreasing  availability  and its rapid increase  in  price. This  has  occurred  because the  collectors  see  the  strong  recognition  factor  of  the  Spencer  to  the  Civil War and  Indian Wars  eras,  the  incredible  growth  of the reinactors  in  both the  Civil War and  Indian Wars  groups  who strive to  maintain  the  era of authenticity  by  using  the  Spencer,  and the North-South  Skirmish  Associations (N.S.S.A) recent  allowance  of Spencers  and Henry rifles  in  the  breech  loading  individual target  event.  

This ruling has allowed the Spencer to be used for individual target competition  at National  Shoots.  Some  regional  N.S.S.A matches  allow team events for Spencers  and  Henrys shooting  at  a variety  of breakable  targets  at  50 and  100 yards.

The  original  Spencer  shoots  a rimfire  car tridge  that  is  not  available  today.  S &  S Firearms  of  New  York  City  partially  over came  this  problem  by  offering a center fire breech block  that  fits  perfectly  and  replaces the  original  rimfire block.  The second  problem  is  to  obtain  center fire  cartridge  cases  for your  Spencer  with its  new  center fire  breech block.  You can  not  buy  these  cases  and therefore  you must make  you  own strong  and reusable cases  that  will  fit  and  work  in  your particular  Spencer. You  must first determine if your  Spencer  is  chambered  for  the  56-56  or 56-50  cartridge.  The  Model 1865  military  Spencers are chambered  for  the  56-50 cartridge  while the  earlier military  models  are chambered  for  the  56-56.  

We start out with a 50-70  case which  can also  be  obtained  from  S and  S,  Firearms. Don't use  cases  made  from  .348  Winchester cases  as they  have  rims  which  are too  small and will not extract,  the  Spencer  having  an odd knife  blade-like  extractor.  The  50-70 case is  perfect  for  altering  to  the  Spencer because the  case  dimensions  are  large  enough that they  can be altered  down  to  fit  into  Spencer  dimensions.  Potentiallv.  the  altered  case can  be  used  forever.  

The  dimensions  used  are specifications  for  the Spencer  cartridges  found  in  Spencer  Repeating  Firearms  by  Ray M. Marcat.  The first  dimension  to  be altered  is  the  over-all length,  which is  done  by  reducing  the length  of the  50-70  case  from  1.750"  to  .890" for  the  56-56,  or  1.150"  for  the  56-50  case.  I do this by  making  a mark around  the  case  with a marking  pen  about  1/16"  longer  than  the required  length.  Put a 1/2" dowel  into  the  case which  is  several  times  longer  than the  case  in order to  hold  the  dowel  in  a vise, horizontally.  Scribe  as  mark around  the  case  with  a hacksaw following  the  marking  pen  line.  The dowel  in the  case  takes  the  pressure  of the hacksaw  thus preventing  case  crushing: The  cut  through  the case  is  then  made with  a pipe cutter.  The  pipe cutter  blade  fits  nicely  into the  scribe mark  scr that  by  carefully rotating  the  case. still on the dowel,  the  cut  is  made fairly  even  and smooth.  but at this point  still  about  1/16" longer than finished  case  length. The next operation  is  to  reduce  the  diameter of the rim to the  Spencer rim diameter of  .640".  I do this  in  a drill  press,  although  a 3i8"  hand drill in  a fixed  position  will  also  work.  To  hold the  case, I push  it  onto  a712"  drill  (.505").  It is  not a snug fit,  so use a piece  of  paper as a shim  between  the  case  I.D.  and  the  drill O.D. I  put  the  shim  paper  across the  case  in  order  to make the  run-out  of  the  case uniform as its being  rotated  in  the  drill  press.  

Rotating  the case  on  the  drill  press. held by  the  drill.  I hold a file  to  the  rim  for  several  seconds until its diameter  has  been  reduced  from  .660"  to  .640".  Now  with this  dimension,  the  rim  diameter will fit  into  the  Lyman  case  trimmer  and the case  is  trimmed  evenly and accurately  to the Spencer  length  of.890" for  the  56-56  and 1.150'  for  the  56-50.  The  bullet used for  the  56-56  is  rebated with  a base  measurement of  .513"  and  .533" at  the  band  top.  For the  56-50  I  use  a  bullet which  is  not rebated  and  has a diameter  of .520".  

Rapine  sells  moulds for  the  Spencer bullets.  The  simplest method of  enlarging the  case mouth  (I.D.)  to  accept  the  bullet  is  by grinding  (enlarging)  the  LD.  of the  case  mouth with  a mounted  grinding  wheel-  Norton  Company shape  A-1 38180-P8V,  which  is  tapered.  The  taper  is  ground  into  the  I.D.  for about  5/16" depth. This  allows  room  to  start the  lubed  bullet  so  that  it  can  almost  be seated by  thumb  pressure.  I  do  hold the  case  with pliers  with cushioned jaws  when  positioning the  grinding  wheel  to  the  case.  The  volume in  the  case at  this point  is  sufficient to  hold up to  30 grains of FFFG  black  powder,  sufficient  for  accuracy  to  100  yards.  More velocity  can  be  obtained  by using  FFFFG if  desired.  WARNING,  never  use  smokeless powder  in  a Spencer !  

This  weapon  has a very weak  left  hand chamber  side  wall  where the knife  blade extractor  is  located.  Only  use moderate  to  small  amounts of  black  powder! The  dimensions  used  are  about  average  for Civil War  and  Indian  War  era produced  cartridges.  Variation between  chambers  is  fairly large  as tolerances  must have  been  huge.  A chamber  casting  should  be made  to  determine  the  exact  dimensions  of your gun's chamber.  In  competition these  guns  are  shot in single  shot  mode,  most having  a Stabler cutoff  devise  limiting  them to  single  shots. They  are  seven  shot  repeaters,  the  first  assault  weaponsl  They can  be  fired  as repeaters, by loading  seven  cartridges  into  the  butt stock  magazine tube.  Only  flat  nose  bullets should be  used  and the  magazine  follower should  be  filed  flat  or replaced  with one  from S & S Firearms  designed for  center fire cartridges.

The  Spencer  is  an  accurate  weapon  and capable  of shooting  excellent  scores  as has been  proven  by N.S.S.A shooters  in  competition.  It  is  one of  the  most significant
weapons  in  firearms  history,  the  first  truly functional  and effective  military cartridge repeater.  To  shoot  one  of these  fine  weapons gives  one  a sense  of  history  associated  with the  battlefields of the  Civil  War and  the Indian Wars 1860s.

[Trailrider]

Very good, Pard! I also published on this and "the other" forum my techniques for producing .56-56 brass from Dixie .50-70 brass. I had an inside reamer for use with NON-heel bullets made up by IIRC Clymer Mfg. I also recommend annealing the shortened brass half-way down the case, using a propane torch and half-submerging the case in water resting on a pill bottle or some other item, so when the case changes color, it can be knocked over into the water to lock in the anneal.