*** Photos Posted *** Spencer Buffalo Rifle

[umc1984]

Thanks for the add to the group. I was at a gun show and traded a muzzle loader for a Spencer rifle that was period converted to a long barrel buffalo rifle. I have not done a chamber cast. The rifle bore is 52 cal. It is still a rimfire.  Serial number is 5231. Any comments are welcome.

Pictures posted by Two Flints: 

[Coal Creek Griff]

Welcome, and looking forward to the photos!

[Cap'n Redneck]

Cool to see another Spencer Buffalo Rifle....they certainly look the part...!   

I have an ArmiSport Spencer military rifle in .56-50 centerfire that I've played around with some. 
And while I've been able to ring a steel gong at 300 yards occasionally,  I've never really had great faith in the cartridge as a big game round...
But by removing the two-pronged "steel-finger" that rests on top of the breech-block I've been able to partially insert a .50-70 Gov't round in the .56-50 chamber.  So I have been toying with the idea of having the barrel re-chambered for .50-70, in order to turn the "pop-gun" into a full-grown single-shot rifle.
And if I had a Stabler Cut-Off installed I would still have seven rounds of .56-50 "on tap" in the buttstock in case the "injuns" jumped me while I was "running bufflers"....!

(Come to think of it I DO have a .50-cal. barrel blank lying around....and a fore-end sized piece of hardwood....and my local gunsmith does have a .50-70 reamer....Hmm...; winter project...?) 

[Reverend P. Babcock Chase]

Howdy UMC,

Cool rifle. What cartridge does it shoot? Original or something else?

Rev. Chase

[Jack Wagon]

That sounds like a good trade, I love those frontier conversions. On page 40, California Gunsmiths 1846-1900, there is pictured a gun very similar to yours. The rifle is marked B. Bigelow Marysville. I have a Spencer conversion of a new model carbine to a mountain rifle. It features a 26" octagon, single set trigger and a Spencer cut off device. It was re-chambered to 56-46 caliber.  Jw

[Two Flints]

Dean (umc1984),

Lots of Spencer conversions to Sporting Rifle for buffalo hunting.  One link for you:

https://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,10019.0.html

or this one:

https://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,10132.0.html

Do a search using "Gemmer Spencer" or "Buffalo Spencer" for more links.

Two Flints

[Dave Fox]

One  questions the advisability of firing cartridges much more potent than the original chamberings in a Spencer. It is not a robust action. .50-70 loads would perhaps more than explore the action's limitations.

[Cap'n Redneck]

"It is not a robust action."

I respectfully beg to differ. 

The lock-up of the Spencer action is in my opinion fully comparable with at least the Trap-Door and the Ballard.  Perhaps not quite on a par with the Sharps, Remington and High-Wall.
John M. Browning copied the lock-up principle from the Spencer in the Winchester 1887 lever-action shotgun, and that action was "skeletonized" and lightened for good measure.
The eventual weak-spot would be at 6 o'clock at the very rear of the chamber, where the extractor claw comes up.  But with modern solid-head brass I don't think that it would become an issue.
Additionally I was talking about re-chambering a modern made replica by ArmiSport of Italy. 
And of course loading it with blackpowder.
I would not recommend rechambering an old original Spencer to anything but it's original range of calibers.