Spencer Rifle w/ BP

[Fox Creek Kid]

Just curious for those of you with a Spencer rifle (not carbine) in 56-50 (not other calibers) is holding up for long strings of shots using real BP (no subs) and what bullet you are using with what lube.

[Herbert]

I genraly shoot only 30 shots through my rifle before cleaning ,not because it needs cleening it is just because thats when I am alowed to do it,the lube I youse is a mixture of bees wax and olive oil(I change the mixture depending on temperture,I just leave it sitting in the open and when it is too hard or soft add oil or wax)for the original NM Spencer rifle I youse the NEI hantools .525 spencer bullet,for a friends Burncide Springfield converted carbine to rifle he has been yousing the Lyman 515-139D bullet and 42gr Swiss FF for best acuracy same lube as me,for my AS Spencer rifle I youse eather the Lyman 515-141 bullet or the BACO Jim 515-440 bullet(to make this practical I have modified the extractor and the cam so it will feed a 1.7 inch OAL cartridge with 35gr of FF powder(IT works very well and feeds as smooth as the original Spencer rifle)

[Fox Creek Kid]

Interesting. I tried the 515139 in my Armisport carbine and fouled out something awful in less than 14 shots. It was a real mother to clean as well. IMO the 515139 does not hold enough lube, however some say it worked for them.

[Herbert]

Interesting. I tried the 515139 in my Armisport carbine and fouled out something awful in less than 14 shots. It was a real mother to clean as well. IMO the 515139 does not hold enough lube, however some say it worked for them.

The 1 in 42 twist rate in the Springfield barell may be be why the 513139 bullet works in this rifle,I also have never had any luck with comercial lubes,also the climate may have somthing to do with it,when I went to NZ to shoot,a much colder country I had to make up a difernt lube to get thing working again

[Arizona Trooper]

I have competed with both M-1865 and M-1867 rifles in N-SSA. I shoot a cut down 50-70 Govt. bullet (Lyman 515141 cut to 2 grooves). It holds plenty of lube, but 2 magazines is about it for accurate shooting. After that, clay pigeons (4") at 50 yards gets pretty chancy.

[Fox Creek Kid]

...I shoot a cut down 50-70 Govt. bullet (Lyman 515141 cut to 2 grooves). It holds plenty of lube, but 2 magazines is about it for accurate shooting. After that, clay pigeons (4") at 50 yards gets pretty chancy.

Is that a Dakota Widowmaker model mould? I have one and LOVVVVVVVEEE that bullet!! I can get 45 gr. FFg in the case drop tubed slowwwwwwwwwwly and there is just a tad of compression. That 335 gr. bullet SMOKES out of the carbine barrel circa. 1200 fps and is accurate. 

[Arizona Trooper]

It's not the Dakota. I've heard great things about the Dakota bullet though.

[Drydock]

Ive got the Dakota bullet.  Its made off a Lee mold.  Wonderful bullet, my SPencer loves it.  Shoot a 2 day SASS match, one hundred rounds, with no cleaning and no loss of accuracy.  I use a 70/30 mix of Beeswax/crisco lube, dipping the bullet and leaving a disc of lube on the base.

[Two Flints]

Hi Drydock,

Please provide more info on the Dakota Bullet.  Any chance of seeing a Photo of the bullet, itself.  Who has it? Where to get the mould?  More info for SSS members, especially the many new members of late, who may want the info.

Two Flints

[Drydock]

DW took the Lee 515-500-F mold and cut the base down to 2 grooves.  This gave a 350 grain bullet that if crimped over the top band was just right in length, fed well, and carried plenty of lube, while allowing for 40-45 grains of black powder.  Here's an entry from 2005 that started it.  http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,5188.0.html

[Drydock]

another  http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,6521.0.html    But I'm not sure if DW is still producing these.  I've got one of the early single cavity molds, and I'll never part with it!

[Fox Creek Kid]

If I remember correctly they weigh under 350 gr., like at 335 I believe.