Infantry rifle

[savagefellow]

Don't know about you guys, but i thought all the infantry rifles were being made with the sling bar for cost reasons. Well, I just picked up a Taylors in .45 Colt, Infantry rifle, with no sling bar, or machining for it! I'm very pleased.
Mike Pearson

[Sean Thornton]

Don't know about you guys, but i thought all the infantry rifles were being made with the sling bar for cost reasons. Well, I just picked up a Taylors in .45 Colt, Infantry rifle, with no sling bar, or machining for it! I'm very pleased.
Mike Pearson

I looked at a .56-50 Taylor Infantry rifle that did not ahve the saddle ring but did not buy it because it had some other problems.  I ended up with a .56-50 Infantry rifle with the ring.  Without the ring is more correct for those wanting to use them for Civil War reenacting with blanks.  I did not know they offered the infantry rifle in .45 Colt, that is good.

[Preston County Rider]

Sean and everybody else - do we have any documented evidence that the Spencers carried by cav units in 1863 had slings bars? I know they were rifles but haven't seen any word on how they were carried

PCR
1st WVA Cav/17th PVC

[Sean Thornton]

Sean and everybody else - do we have any documented evidence that the Spencers carried by cav units in 1863 had slings bars? I know they were rifles but haven't seen any word on how they were carried

PCR
1st WVA Cav/17th PVC

According to the Marcot book on Spencers the rifles did not come with the sling bar & ring.  The carbines that first came out in late 1863 did have the sling bar and ring on them.  However there is a picture of one of Wilder's men that has a rifle with a sling bar & ring that has been added to it.  It is the only picture I have seen with a ring on a Civil War spencer rifle, that is not to say that others may have also added a ring to their rifles also.  I have handled 7 different Spencers used by Wilder's men over the years most from the 123rd Illinois Infantry and none of those had the ring.  Wilder's men were mounted infantry and not cavalry.  I know of no documentation of cavalry armed with Spencer Rifles having the sling bar and ring.  I wish mine did not have the sling bar and ring but it is all I could find when I was looking for a spencer rifle.

[Two Flints]

The saddle ring and bar on Spencer rifles was discussed year years ago.  This is the link.

http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,6441.msg83004.html#msg83004

Two Flints

[Trailrider]

The only Infantry Rifle Spencers that had the ring/bar were re-conditioned carbines.  According to Marcot, p.125, Springfield Armory Rifle Musket Conversions were originally Burnside Carbines rebarreled with a 32-1/2", .50 caliber (.56-50), 3-groove barrel. Apparently these barrels were the same as used on the M1868 Trapdoor Springfields, except for the chambering, the Springfields being chambered for .50-70. "Each gun retained the original carbine ring and bar on the left side of the frame, a rather unusual feature for a rifle."  A total of 1109 were thus converted.  So, apparently, for CW re-enactment, the ring and bar on a rifle isn't authentic.  But, then I have learned NEVER to say, "Never!" 

[Arizona Trooper]

If you want a Spencer rifle with a sling ring, do it like the attached picture. This is Henry Salmon's rifle, from Co. A. 123rd Ill, Wilder's Brigade. I have seen a couple done like this. The bar is a coach strap staple from the back of a McClellan saddle (there are 3 and you only really need 2). The ring is a lead strap ring off the same saddle (there are 2 and you only need one of them).  


                                                     (Re-posted by Two Flints)

[Jobe Holiday]

Very nice ID'd rifle. I especially like the scarring on the stock from the square edge of the snap ring on the shoulder belt.

JH

[Fox Creek Kid]

As far as the forearm problems go with the Armisport one could buy an aftermarket forearm that has correct band spacing.

http://www.dunlapwoodcrafts.com/MilitaryStocks.php#26