stabler cutoff

[murbas]

can any one show a picture, or pictures of what the stabler cutoff should look like on my 1865 burnside spencer?

[Snakeeater]

S&S Firearms generally have on hand and sell both the first type (solid) Stabler device, and the later (split) type like was installed on those M1865 Spencer Carbines (typically those of the Burnside Contract) that were altered by Springfield Armory into the 2-band rifles. Springfield also converted other Spencer Rifles and carbines to the Stabler device during repairs or refurbishment,  and these often utilized the split type device. So if your Model 1865 Burnside Contract Spencer carbine has a lower block that was modified for the Stabler device, then it is one of the 14,494 carbines delivered with the Stabler device, plus an additional 4,000 carbines as were sold privately to soldiers and civilians that were also so modified, though the switch may have been removed in the years since, the type of the device should be the first (solid) type with the screw that is countersink in that device.

[Two Flints]

Murbas,

See if this link is of any value to you . . .

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=photo+of+burnside+spencer+with+stabler+cutoff&id=35048F4A666C4C0B9A22727E23C952AFB3453E3C&form=IQFRBA&first=1&cw=1117&ch=411

Two Flints

[El Supremo]

Thanks, Two Flints:

The posted link is to images and one, if clicked, leads to a CAS/SSS 2007 Thread.  That picture shows a RIFLE. 

So far, with the help of Blair, here, I am only aware of very early Armisport CARBINES having the Stabler. 
Hopefully someone can share if they know of an Armisport RIFLE with it.

The 2007 CAS/SSS Thread includes Appalachian Ed's post about his Romano 1860 Model Spencer with a Stabler.  I am familiar with that example because it was offered to me.  It was enhanced to include a fitted carbine barrel and non-stabler parts to allow the 1860 Model to be used in N-SSA competition.  Technically, since the Stabler was not on CW issued 1860 Spencers, any modified for the Stabler or with it attached are not approved by the N-SSA.  Yes, 1860's and 1865's were modified AFTER the CW to include the Stabler.
Ed's Romano Spencer with the extra carbine barrel is now in the hands of at least a third owner. 

Respectfully,
El Supremo/Kevin Tinny

[Herbert]

All the original Burncide Spencer carbines I have seen have the split Stabler cut off,that is the ones that were made with the cut off,the Springfield refinished ones can have either type,if they were not originaly fitted Springfield fitted a new trigger plate and solid cut off as well as machining the slot in the lower block

[Dave Fox]

Herbert: my Burnside Spencer came with the cut-off. Alas, it had to be removed when I fit a Buffalo Arms centerfire breechblock, the action not functioning until I did so.

[Herbert]

The cut off works in the groove of the lower block when switched on(it works by stoping the upper block fully rotating)the upper block should make no difference with the working of the action with the cut off fitted

[Snakeeater]

The lower block for my Burnside Contract carbine (#8296) was not milled for the Stabler cut-off. Although the post with the photos of my carbine no longer are available on the site, the link Two Flints included above still shows those images floating on the world wide web. If you click on the iCollector image, it should pull up the photos from my earlier post and those images. As I recall, the Burnside Rifle Company got a 60 day extension on their contract due to the changes made during the contract, mainly adding the Stabler device which was not incorporated on the Spencer production until the shipment of 16 June 1865. Although Tony Beck suggested that my carbine was refinished by Springfield Armory, circa 1870, as it has only one inspector's cartouche (the master armorer's cartouche not being applied to the stock) would indicate that it was surplused rather than returned to the government's stores. Where it sat afterwards is anyone's guess, but it must have been in ideal conditions to remain pristine condition.

[Herbert]

Only about half of the original 1865 Burncide Spencers were made with cut offs,latter many were refinished by Springfield and if they had no cut off one was fitted by machining the groove in the lower block and fitting a Springfield Trigger plate and cut off in most cases(sometimes a spare Burncide cut off and plate was fitted)Still not uncommon to find one with no cut off

[Snakeeater]

I think the assumption that was made was that all rebuilds and refurbishments of these carbines were to receive the new parts, but just like in General Dyer's letter to Warren Fisher (Marcot, top of page 97) describing how easily the alterations  could be effected by simply annealing the lower portion of the carbine block and cutting the groove for the vut-off on the finished carbines, which only required the annealing and re-case hardening of a single piece. That one modification slowed the deliveries of the contract carbines down by some 60 days to effect that portion of the carbine production. Now, imagining a rebuild or refurbishment at SA, unless Spencer Repeating Rifle Company or Burnside Rifle Company supplied Springfield Armory with the machine for cutting the grooves into the lower block (see Dyer's letter, bottom of page 86), making such modifications to any of the Spencer carbines by Springfield would have been rather cost prohibitive without the machine that could produce that same identical groove in every carbine so modified. These processes in the period was not quite like they were 100 years later. They still didn't understand heat treating of steel until the 1920s because they didn't have the steel hardness testing procedure yet established.  This particular Burnside Contract carbine has a blued buttplate, obviously being one of the changes adopted in the post-war period. Another one of the same lot of carbines (with serial number two digits different) had a buttplate that was color case hardened and was modified for the Stabler device. Go figure?