Detailed Repair & Custom Restoration of two Spencer Pump Shotguns w/ Photos

[Herbert]

This project deserves to be made a sticky

[Roscoe Coles]

A couple more pictures of the Spencer in progress.  The rust blue on the barrel and magazine is done.  They look a bit shiny because of the light and the coating of oil.  Looking pretty good.  I promise, no more pictures until it is together. 

[Roscoe Coles]

In my last post I promised not to post again until the gun was together.  When the parts came back from refinishing the trigger guard was plum colored and there was a blemish on the outside of the shell stop.  So, I had to send them back for refinishing.  It took a couple of weeks, but they came back today and it was the work of a minute to install them.  So here, at long last is the completed Spencer Shotgun, looking almost like it just came out of the box.  Very glad to be done and I look forward to loading up some brass shot shells and shooting it.

At the end of the project I have to say that it was a silly undertaking.  I have replaced or in most cases made every part except the receiver, the bolt, the trigger, the trigger spring, the hammer-action and magazine springs, and 4 or 5 screws.  I have put a lot more work and money into the gun than it will ever be worth, but I had a great time doing it and now I have a Spencer shotgun that I can shoot. During the project I also learned a lot about the mind of Chris Spencer by better understanding his design. 

I hope people enjoyed reading about the project as much as I enjoyed doing it.  When I finally get a chance to shoot it I will post some more pictures. 

[Herbert]

Perfect,you should print a article on the repair of the Spencer shotgun,I would be  be a buyer

[Reverend P. Babcock Chase]

Howdy Roscoe,

Incredible work! Never seen one before. Now I know not only what one looks like, I know what the best of them should look like.

Congratulations,

Rev. Chase

[Baltimore Ed]

Outstanding work.

[Mo.Jim]

Mr. Cole I have a Spencer/F Brenneman shotgun that I inherited from my father-in-law. The problem I'm having is the roller that's on the arm for the pump action has been broken up and is no longer around. I have made one out of a piece of brass held on by a screw I have welded to screw to the arm but it keeps breaking off. I guessing  welding just to the bottom of the screw inside the hole of the arm is not enough.
Any thoughts ?
When you look inside the shotgun in the back with the stock mounts on, you can see a groove or a slot that the runs a long the receiver for the arm that holds the roller. On the block there's a groove that runs for the roller that guides it to to the shoeing switch. My thinking is these two groves should lineup. My thinking is if I would weld something on top of the lug that is on the bolt block the one that you were putting it with a screwdriver, would line them back up. I was just  wondering your thoughts on it.
Thanks Jim

[Two Flints]

Roscoe,

Thanks for your most recent shotgun post.  For all the work you have done, I think it would be proper to designate you as the "Spencer Shotgun Resident Expert."

I have added your two threads on the Spencer Bannerman Shotgun to the SORI thread.

I certainly appreciate all that you have done and your posts will certainly help others who own the Spencer/Bannerman Shotgun.

Two Flints

[Roscoe Coles]

Mr. Cole I have a Spencer/F Brenneman shotgun that I inherited from my father-in-law. The problem I'm having is the roller that's on the arm for the pump action has been broken up and is no longer around. I have made one out of a piece of brass held on by a screw I have welded to screw to the arm but it keeps breaking off. I guessing  welding just to the bottom of the screw inside the hole of the arm is not enough.
Any thoughts ?
When you look inside the shotgun in the back with the stock mounts on, you can see a groove or a slot that the runs a long the receiver for the arm that holds the roller. On the block there's a groove that runs for the roller that guides it to to the shoeing switch. My thinking is these two groves should lineup. My thinking is if I would weld something on top of the lug that is on the bolt block the one that you were putting it with a screwdriver, would line them back up. I was just  wondering your thoughts on it.
Thanks Jim

Jim,
The late Bannerman shotguns (1896+?) had a separate ring on the stud to reduce friction.  The stud that held on this ring was pressed in and staked, not welded.  The best repair would be to replace it this way.  The studs take a lot of pressure and loosen over time. This is one of the weak spots of the design.  If I understand where you are now, the best thing would be to get the stud out, clean up the weld, ream the stud hole so it's round,  make a new stud and new ring, then press and stake them in.  I am a bit confused with your reference to the lug and screwdriver. I assume it is the picture of me pointing at a lug on the bolt with a screw driver?  If it is, the only thing that lug does is stop the bolt when it springs up to eject the hull.  It does not do anything about locating the bolt when the gun is operated.  As for the slot in the receiver and bolt lining up, that depends entirely on where the bolt is in the cycle.  The critical measurement is the play that develops due to wear.  There are a couple of simple ways to tell if there is excessive wear.  1) is the firing pin strike off center on the primer? 2) does the extractor drag on the top of the bolt? Both of these hint at issues.  I may not be understanding your problem.  Some pictures would be good.  Happy to help further if I can. 

Roscoe

[Roscoe Coles]

Roscoe,

Thanks for your most recent shotgun post.  For all the work you have done, I think it would be proper to designate you as the "Spencer Shotgun Resident Expert."

I have added your two threads on the Spencer Bannerman Shotgun to the SORI thread.

I certainly appreciate all that you have done and your posts will certainly help others who own the Spencer/Bannerman Shotgun.
 

Two Flints

Two Flints,
Thanks, I appreciate the praise and the honor.  I added the honorific to my profile.

Roscoe

[Mo.Jim]

Roscoe I would add some photos but i'm not too savvy on this stuff. I don't know how to add photos. If someone could tell me  Thanks Jim