Original Spencer Rifle Update

[Two Flints]

Hello SSS,

Finally was able to finish working on my recently acquired original Spencer Rifle. Of course, I had to install the lower breech block and chose the case hardened lower block assembly from Buffalo Arms.

The first of two problems I encountered was the Buffalo Arms breech block hanging up on the front end of the trigger plate.  I was very careful and determined what was causing the hangup.  The Buffalo Arms Lower Breech Block has a slight protrusion that is the cause of the hangup.



I carefully filed the protrusion on the firing pin to bring it in line with the rest of the contour line from above the firing pin. Hope my photo helps.  When I worked the lever up and down the hangup was gone and the action was very smooth.

I had one heck of a time trying to remove the hammer from the lock plate.  It took me almost an hour to pry and lift and pry that hammer off the lock plate pin.  The reason for removing the hammer was obvious.  When I let down the hammer it was completely missing the firing pin.  I tightened the lock plate and tried to push the hammer in closer to the lock plate but all to no avail.

Finally, I took the rifle to a friend of mine who is a retired blacksmith.  I showed him how the hammer was missing the firing pin and we agreed that the hammer had to be bent so that it would fall directly on the firing pin.  It took several attempts of heating and bending the hammer ever-so slightly to get it to finally hit the firing pin dead-on.

My other chore was to diassemble the magazine tube - cartridge follower and spring and clean up the inside of the magazine tube, and spring of all the "gunk" that had been sitting there for who knows how long.  I replaced the original cartridge follower with a brass cartridge follower from S&S Firearms.

Finally, who ever had the Spencer Rifle before me must have dry fired it quite a few times. From the dry firing and the hammer hitting away from the firing pin and almost off the receiver, a small dent or gouge had been created on the receiver surface. I used JB Weld to fill-in the gouge and while the difference in the receiver surface metal can be seen, the receiver surface has a much cleaner look to it now.

BTW, I would like to recommend Safariland KleenBore Black Magic as a terrific blueing solution. I used it very sparingly on my old beat up Spencer Carbine and the change in the metal appearance is fantastic - just looks so very natural on a very old Spencer.



Back to my Spencer Rifle, I took it out to the woods behind my home and fired five 56-56 test cartridges.  I was very pleased with the Spencer rifle action - the cartridges entered the chamber without any hesitation, and ejected just fine. and chambering the next round(s) was nice and easy with no hangups whatsoever.

Two Flints

[wolflobo76]

       Two Flints glad to see you got the rifle firing and that all is well with it.  What is the make up of the loads that you are shooting.  When I installed the S@S block in my carbine I had no problem with the hammer hitting the firing pin but had to do a little filing in other areas to smooth out the action.

[Two Flints]

Hi Wolflobo76,

The hammer not hitting the firing pin had nothing to do with the S&S Lower Breech Block that I installed.  When I tried another hammer it hit the firing pin just fine, but I wanted to keep the original hammer with the Spencer Rifle as purchased. Bending the hammer as I did solved the problem.

You have my load for the 56-56 cartridge.  I think you have a photo/text of the test cartridges I used.

Happy Trucking!

Two Flints

[wolflobo76]

 Yep I have the info. Was just wondering if you were using a different load. I bet that rifle shoots sweet. I'll be trying out some longer trimmed cases with the Owsiak bullet in the near future and will let you know the results.

[Preston County Rider]

FWIW - I took my rifle to her first reenactment today - only had ten 32 gauge blanks to shoot but they chambered smoothly and ejected. Wow'ed the other reenacters as they plodded through their muzzle-loaders...

OK, I know some of you are saying "Wait, that is an authentic Spence Rifle - what is that fool doing?" Sorry - but with the S&S block and follower, the rifle shoots. And given its 98XX serial number, it was there. And cleaned up it looks great. The rifle belongs back in battle.....

Keep shooting, Two Flints!

PCR