Spencer in Competition

Charlie Prince · January 26, 2014, 11:57:37 AM

Hey all,

I have an itch to buy a Spencer one of these days, probably a lightly used .45 Schofield repro to match my No.3 Schofield revolvers.

While I know there are far more practical lever guns available for CAS (like my Burgess), the fact that I'm not a very quick or even very accurate marksman means I tend to lean more towards style than performance. A Spencer seems like a great way to set yourself apart at CAS shoots, and that's right up my alley.

My question is two-fold; who here actually uses their Spencer (original or repro) in regular CAS matches, and how do you use it? What I mean by the second part is that since Spencers are limited in their capacity to 7-8 rounds and we're typically looking at a 10+ stage, how do you manage that? Do you reload via the buttstock magazine, or is it possible to breechload one at a time ala Sharps? I Googled that same question, but could not find an answer, so I thought I may as well ask around here.

Well, those are my questions for now. Time to go dig my car out of the snow.

All the best!

rbertalotto · January 26, 2014, 04:30:12 PM

Shoot the 7 rounds first and then handload the last three one at a time.

Mine is a 44-40 repro without the Stabler Cut Off. I've thought about a Blakeslee Box to REALLY add style points...

Yup, it's slow, but way too much fun to not give the ol gal a whirl once in a while! Black Powder is a must as you lose Style Points rapidly for smokeless.

pony express · January 26, 2014, 08:20:57 PM

Don't have one myself, but I have observed Windy City Joe in action with his. His system: First, wear tall boots with pants tucked in. Then, use tubes like a with Blakeslee, stuck down in your boot, for a quick reload on the stage.

paledun · January 26, 2014, 08:50:28 PM

Out of respect for the age of my old Burnside, I regularly shoot a single stage of the total match with the Spencer. Kills match scores but this is not the issue as shooting a real Spencer in 56-50 is enough to experience. One stage only as I have had to remove and replace the original hammer that was deforming on the modern steel of the upper breach block. Shooting style is seven in the tube, load and fire. Once finished, remove the magazine tube and insert three additional shells, load and fire. 125 seconds for the stage is not bad for me and the steel does really ring from the 39 grains of 2f and the the 340 grain bullet. I could trim 10 seconds by remembering to leave the seventh case in the chamber, load the next three in the magazine before ejecting the seventh case. I'll bet the old troopers did not confuse the process as I can. Paledun aka Sagerider

Sgt. John McAfferty · January 27, 2014, 12:24:40 PM

I shoot my 44-40 Spencer fairly regularly at SASS matches. Even used it for the Kansas State Championship a few years back, which should say something about my speed.
I load 7 and shoot them, then load singly over the top since the 44-40 has the Stabler cutoff. I never have any problems but my time is usually around 2 minutes. Of course my time with "regular" CAS firearms is around a minute so it don't make me no nevermind.
I have to admit, when I'm shooting my Spencer matched with my Dragoon conversion, an open top and a hammered SxS, I am the most handsome, suave and debonair fellow at the match.

Sgt. John McAfferty

tyrel cody · January 27, 2014, 12:32:45 PM

A good friend and pard of mine(Mortimer Smith a.k.a. Pvt Greg here) shoots his 56-50 Spencer rifle almost exclusively in SASS/CAS matches. He keeps an extra three rounds either staged or in his left hand. It's pretty amazing to watch him shoot a stage with it. I'ts also pretty cool to see a target get knocked off the stand with a 56-50 round

.

PvtGreg · January 28, 2014, 10:31:55 PM

Blair · January 29, 2014, 03:37:07 PM

Great video!

Sorry, but I got to ask... where is all the smoke from BP?
My best,
Blair

Blair · January 29, 2014, 04:48:48 PM

Never mind.

I shouldn't even be replying here.
Thanks.
Blair

PvtGreg · January 29, 2014, 09:15:35 PM

NP Blair. Using trail boss for this one. Ran out of BP lubed bullets.

Respects - PvtGreg

Two Flints · January 30, 2014, 06:51:12 AM

Hi PvtGreg,

Can't really see in the video how you completed your shooting. What technique did you use to load the last of your cartridges, once your magazine was empty. One Spencer shooter I know has a second magazine loaded with several cartridges so when he finishes the first magazine he quickly loads the second and fires the last rounds needed for competition.

Hi Blair,

You're certainly welcome to post on SSS

. . . Your Spencer expertise is invaluable and I hope you will continue to offer your Spencer knowledge and opinion to what is posted on SSS . . . sharing Spencer knowledge is what SSS is all about

Two Flints

PvtGreg · January 30, 2014, 08:45:17 PM

Two Flints,

You can't see it but to my right is a rifle staging shelf. I stage 3 loose rounds there and loaded them in over the top.

That was a 55 sec stage if I remember right.

Charlie Prince · January 31, 2014, 01:36:15 PM

Interesting, gentlemen.

I'm glad that there's people who actually use these things in matches. Right now, myself and one other guy in my local club who uses a Lightning as his rifle seem to be the only deviants from the Winchester clone brigade. If I get and use a Spencer, it'll draw even more attention (and possibly distract from the point that I'm not all that good to begin with, haha).

Thank you for the video, PvtGreg. Very useful!

PvtGreg · February 01, 2014, 10:27:37 PM

Charlie - wait until you knock your first rifle target off its hook and they have to shut the whole range down to reset.

Now THAT'S attention.

Charlie Prince · February 04, 2014, 04:47:49 PM

Haha! I'm not sure that's the kind of attention I'd want!

I came close to that once, though. I use a hammered double 12 gauge as my match shotgun, and when I first started using it I wasn't used to the double trigger idea, so during that first match with it I lit off both barrels a couple of times. One time it looked like the target was rocking back and forth as if it wanted to fall, so I stopped to see what would happen. Luckily, it stayed up.

Bare in mind I'm one of those unhinged people that likes to use off the shelf ammo that's on the stiffer side of the power band, shotgun shells included. It can get interesting when you're a lightweight dude using this stuff...

Jan Buchwald · February 08, 2014, 11:42:53 AM

We have a "Winchester" class in our blackpowder championchip (Denmark), 13 shot in 10 minutes, range 50 meters, standing.
You start with an unloaded gun.
I use my Burnside Spencer carbine.
With 7 shot in one tube, and 6 in another, you are way ahead of the winchesters.
I have never won, but it's fun, and I love that gun.
It can be done with a Rolling block, but with the Spence,ryou have the first shot of, at the same time as the single shots.