Just won another spencer

[Ibgreen]

S/n 4820.  Possibly a shotgun conversion.  No carbine bar and brass mag well( my NM is steel).  Missing the lock plate and magazine.  Probably paid too much, but have been itching for a project rifle.   $335.00 shipped to my door.  I will post some pictures when the box arrives.

[Two Flints]

Ibgreen,

Good luck with your "project"   What do you have in mind for it?  When you are all done, what will you be holding in your hands and shooting?

Two Flints

[Ibgreen]

Ibgreen,

Good luck with your "project"   What do you have in mind for it?  When you are all done, what will you be holding in your hands and shooting?

Two Flints

Going to have to look at the poor fella once it arrives.  I think this will be set up for hunting.  Would I be drawn and quartered for going with a tang sight?

[Ibgreen]

Hey Two Flints,  any s/n hit for 4820?

[Two Flints]

Ibgreen,

I'm sure you've read my infamous Spencer Serial # Disclaimer

I checked your serial #4820 in my SRS Books.  I find a Spencer Rifle serial #4819 and another with serial #4821 issued to members of the 72nd Indiana Volunteer Infantry.  Spencer Rifle #4819 went to Company E in April of 1863, and Spencer Rifle #4821 went to Company A in 1864 with no month given.  Now, if your modified Spencer Rifle has a serial # of 4820 . . . what reasonable conclusion can you make  Well, I think maybe it went to the same unit, but who knows what company

Remember, this is a "Two Flints Guestimation," at best

Hope this helps.

Two Flints

[Ibgreen]

Ibgreen,

I'm sure you've read my infamous Spencer Serial # Disclaimer

I checked your serial #4820 in my SRS Books.  I find a Spencer Rifle serial #4819 and another with serial #4821 issued to members of the 72nd Indiana Volunteer Infantry.  Spencer Rifle #4819 went to Company E in April of 1863, and Spencer Rifle #4821 went to Company A in 1864 with no month given.  Now, if your modified Spencer Rifle has a serial # of 4820 . . . what reasonable conclusion can you make  Well, I think maybe it went to the same unit, but who knows what company

Remember, this is a "Two Flints Guestimation," at best

As always, much appreciated!  I am just happy to have a spencer with a s/n on it.  My NM has nothing on it!

Hope this helps.

Two Flints

[Ibgreen]

Well, the rifle came to my door on Friday.  I question if it has seen a drop of oil in 80 years!  Surprisingly the barrel was never cut down, the front sight was filed and groved for a sight insert, the short blade extractor has a broken tip, the rear sight has another dovetail in it and it is missing  the lock assembly, magazine and front stock.  Everything else is complete. 

Question for the group.  Were the receivers origionaly blued, or just cased hardened? 

[Herbert]

The rifles were case hardened,it should also have a long blade leaf extractor with no spring asist unless it has been through the Sprinfild up-grade,the short blade extractor will not be suported by the frame of the 1860 modle rifles,so unless the extractor slot has been modified by partialy filling the extractor slot the short blade extractor will not work properly,the short blade extractor also will need the later 1867 or NM lower blocks for the extractor to fit

[Ibgreen]

Sorry typo.  It does have the full slot for the long blade. 

[Ibgreen]

Here are some shots.

[Ibgreen]

And some more.

[Herbert]

Yes defintly a 1860 rifle,replacment parts should be relitvley easy to obtain,what condition is the bore in

[Ibgreen]

I have not given it a good scrubbing, but would doubt  its in shooting condition.  Then again I purchased it figuring a reline would be necessary.

[Snakeeater]

Yes defintly a 1860 rifle,replacment parts should be relitvley easy to obtain,what condition is the bore in

Based on the restoration costs of my M1860 Rifle (#8226) in 2010, I would estimate the cost of the replacement parts alone at about $1250, plus the cost of relining the barrel at easily another $300-450 depending on who does the work (Hoyt, Whitacre, or Romano). Might be advisable to have Romano make you a new 30" barrel in .56-50 (costing about $750) and save on the cost to reload. Most of the replacement parts came from S&S and Lodgewood. Bought an original full-length rifle forearm from Lodgewood for $200 and all the bands and band springs from DGW in near mint condition. You will have to decide what "overall" condition you want to restore your rifle to and select your parts accordingly.

[treebeard]

Based on the restoration costs of my M1860 Rifle (#8226) in 2010, I would estimate the cost of the replacement parts alone at about $1250, plus the cost of relining the barrel at easily another $300-450 depending on who does the work (Hoyt, Whitacre, or Romano). Might be advisable to have Romano make you a new 30" barrel in .56-50 (costing about $750) and save on the cost to reload. Most of the replacement parts came from S&S and Lodgewood. Bought an original full-length rifle forearm from Lodgewood for $200 and all the bands and band springs from DGW in near mint condition. You will have to decide what "overall" condition you want to restore your rifle to and select your parts accordingly.

Why not reline in 56-50 and save a few hundred for other parts and still save on reloadiing ?

[Ibgreen]

I will have the reline done to match my other NM rifle.  I need to talk to Hoyt and see if I
He can cut his Kerr rifling into it.  Not sure about a ratchet profile on the rifling though?

[treebeard]

I will have the reline done to match my other NM rifle.  I need to talk to Hoyt and see if I
He can cut his Kerr rifling into it.  Not sure about a ratchet profile on the rifling though?

You might want to ask Hoyt about the chambers he cuts as to Starline  VS cut down 50-70 and how they
are working in his chambers. Let us know what he says about the Kerr rifleing --I am still thinking about
having him reline my M1865.

[Snakeeater]

If you are interested in the Kerr rifling, then you might like to read the article published in the MLAGB's magazine at the link below:

http://www.mlagb.com/blackpowder/index.htm

Extract from the article relating to the rifling twist:

First 3 to 4 in. of rifling is straight (The 1861 registration statement by Kerr is not specific as to the exact length, but here
is what DeWitt Bailey says about it "The twist of the rifling was also progressive for the first half of the bore, from whence
it began its spiral some four inches ahead of the breech plug, but by mid-bore it stabilized at the standard pitch of one turn in
twenty inches..." Guns Review, April 1970.

Personally, I will defer to Romano's rifling for a Spencer to Hoyt's Kerr rifling except in an Enfield barrel. I think Hoyt gets either $400 or $600 for his Kerr rifled Enfield barrels.

[Snakeeater]

You might want to ask Hoyt about the chambers he cuts as to Starline  VS cut down 50-70 and how they
are working in his chambers. Let us know what he says about the Kerr rifleing --I am still thinking about
having him reline my M1865.

My new barrel by Romano accepts Starline .56-.50 as well as cut down BACo .50-70 and also Bell brass, all without any extraction problems. It is just that when I decided to restore the rifle, although I had entertained having Hoyt reline the bore, I elected not to reline or alter the original barrel such that if I ever sold the rifle, both barrels would go with it. That was just the choice I made at the time of restoration.

[Ibgreen]

Thanks for the link.  I have been monitoring Hoyt's progress with the Kerr project for 6 months now.  I keep spending my enfield Kerr replacement barrel funds on spencer project guns.  My only reservation would be to see if a spencer bullet would stabilize properly.  Maybe I can trade Hoyt a reline for setting him up a proper website?