Spencer Original Firing Pin Marks *** Photos Added ***

[FrontierWest]

I have a question on original firing pin marks ect.  Do the rifle and carbine have the same firing pins and does the model 1865 have the same as the m1860?  I have many relics casings dug on sites in the Spencer caliber and need to confirm some questions I have.  I can post pictures of my questionable cartridges and casings.  The casings are fired and the cartridges are misfires or duds.

Thanks for your help.

john

[Two Flints]

Photos would be great to see, post them yourself, or send them to me at fsgrand2@fairpoint.net and I will post them for you.

Two Flints

[Arizona Trooper]

All Spencers used the same firing pin, so their marks would be the same. There were a few other arms issued during the war that used 56-56 Spencer ammo, the Dwight Chapin Ballard and the Joslyn come to mind. If you are looking at 56-50 cases, there would be a lot more alternate candidates, including Peabody, Remington Rolling Block, or even Warner, Ball and Tripplet & Scott.

[FrontierWest]

I'll post some pictures later, but reading some of the Custer archy stuff, they identify some firing pin marks as Spencer, and having one I doubt the statement.  That's why I asked. 

john

[FrontierWest]

Two Flints,

you have mail!  hope you enjoy them like I did finding them.  I know what some are, but need to seperate them and put the confirmed weapons that fired them.  I know the Starr Conversion and Spencer m1860 very well as I have them in my collection.  Others.. well, ones I need to add to compliment the relic collection.

john

[Arizona Trooper]

The top ones are Spencers, the bottom two are not. Can't tell enough for teh middle one to make a guess, but it's nit really Spencer looking. The bottom two may be Dwight Chapin or Merrimack Ballards. The last one looks like the lever wasn't closed all the way. Is the one with the center punched a 56-50? It was definitely tried first in a Spencer, but if it didn't go off there, it may have be tried in a Remington 1868 carbine. A lot of state contract RBs (and the 1868 Navy contract) were chambered in 50 carbine/cadet, which was a center fire round only .1" longer than a 56-50. Those were bar anvil inside primed, so they look like a rimfire. It would be easy to assume that if the round didn't go off in a Spencer, it was center fire ammo for the Remmy. Alternatively, if it is punched clear through, it could have been used in a dual ignition Merrimack Ballard. Those were made just after the war.

Did these come from A CW site, or post war?

[FrontierWest]

@ Arizona Trooper..

The one you commented on was originally fired in a Spencer, but it was found in a May 1868 battle site with Sitting Bull In Montana.  I have found numerous casings with a square nail hole in them ect. that many folks think were for tinkle cones.  I disagree with that theory and think that they were somehow used in a percussion or a modified weapon like a m1866 springfield that had the firing pin removed and a nipple pushed into the firing pin hole and a cap inserted.. problem with that is I've found very few caps in th Indian positions,  Who knows.  The top two are a Spencer on the left and a Starr conversion on the right.  The one w/ a half moon firing pin is a Joslyn I believe.  The others I am not sure on.  I have a pretty good number of many calibers that the Indians fired that have strange things they tried to do to get it to fire.  Hence I believe it was fired with a hole in the back like the one pictured.  Any how did this to spur some interest and discussion and to further educate me.   Thanks,

John