Tube spring

[dsaylor]

I purchased a M1865 Spencer carbine last spring and am finally getting around to giving it a good clean.  The gun is in pretty good shape.  About the worst is the magazine tube.  Quite a bit of rust and, as it turns out, a piece of the spring busted off and got stuck in the tube.  I got the piece out and am currently soaking everything in oil.  Couple of questions: what is the little screw for in the side of the follower?  Upon reassembly, do I use the screw to somehow reattach the spring?  Speaking of the spring, any suggestions for ordering a replacement?  Right now I plan to return the original spring.  Down the road, I'm thinking I should buy a replacement tube for use in shooting and save the original.
Any thoughts?

Thanks much.

Darren

[Herbert]

The follower screw is just a stop screw,you need to take it out to remove the follower and spring,replace by lining up the screw hole in the magazine slot when you put the magazine spring and follower back in the magazine tube

[Walksfire]

When I changed over to the blunt nose follower to use with the Center fire block from S&S, the screw you are referring to was too long in the new set up. It stuck out too much to allow the mag tube to insert all the way into the butt stock. If you intend to shoot this gun, and buy replacement spring and follower and screw, make sure the screw sticks out enough to stop the follower at the top of the tube, but not so far out that it impedes the tube from inserting in the hole.

Like a newbie, I assumed the magazine tube was loaded like modern firearms. After putting 4 bullets in the tube, they did not stay there and were spring shot across the floor. Several you tube videos later, I noticed you just pour the bullets down the butt stock, bullet end first, then push and rattle the magazine tube into the butt loading them that way. I like the new modern way of loading a magazine than the original way.

[dsaylor]

Thanks much gentlemen!

Some good advice.  You are correct Walksfire!  I think I would have just loaded the tube like a modern magazine.  Do you think that they loaded the tube in 1865 the way you suggest? 

I have some trepidation in actually getting the center fire block and committing to live firing.  I guess all I can do is go ahead and hope everything works out.

Anyways, thanks again and have a great holiday!

d