Spencer serial number

[minerotago]

Any help identifying a Spencer would be appreciated. At the local gunshop the owner has an old Spencer. Once upon a time it had rifling but the steel water pipe I have as a garden stake now has more. The stock has a split along the line of the magazine tube for about three inches. The hammer is a rude replacement but works and the fore end has been reprofiled because the fore end band got lost.

Well thems are the down sides but it has to have a history.

It is a Spencer made one and NOT a Burnside. Its serial number is 39616

On the top of the barrel about about a third of the way along from the rear sight to the front sight it has stamped R ? 8

The second stamp between the capital R and the 8 appears to be a half sized capital R but the stamp may have hit twice as the first strike was only partial and the second over it was also partial and has made it hard to read

Any help in identifying would be greatly appreciated. If it has an identifiable history I had thought of trying to get it at around $700 US - IF that is a reasonable price then trying to locate a hammer, fore end and fore end band for it.

[Two Flints]

Hi minerotago ,

Your Spencer Carbine, serial # 39616, MAY have been issued to Company L, 2nd New York Volunteer Cavalry in March, 1865.  I found two Spencer Carbines with serial #s 39611 and 39633 issued to the same unit.  Hope you read my Spencer Serial # Disclaimer.

Hope this helps.

Two Flints

[minerotago]

Many thanks for that Two Flints - yes I read the disclaimer

In near relic condition but mechanically ok with terrible looking huge replacement hammer and fore end do you think it is worth $700 US

[Two Flints]

Worth $700.00???  Hard to say, sight unseen.  If all you want is a wall hanger, still more than I'd be willing to pay . . . haggle with the guy.  I bought a wall hanger for $400.00 and decided to fix it up and now it's a shooter!  Down the road if you start thinking to make it a shooter, the cost of parts alone will bring you way over the $700.00  Just my opinion!

If you're looking for a shooter, try Shiloh Relics online or Dave Taylor's Antiques online . . . I'm not connected with either, but they seem to have a good selection of Spencers from time to time.

Two Flints

[El Supremo]

Hello:

Another well established and credible dealer is David Stavlo at Lodgewood Guns in WI. 
Lodgewood usually has shooter grade originals that range in price between $1600 & $1900.
I have no connection there, other than a few years of observing his Spencers at N-SSA skirmishes and buying one pristine Spencer rifle for a very reasonable price a couple years back. 

Buying many parts to elevate a relic/wall hanger to shooting shape is often a cost issue. 

In May while at a large gun show, two gray beard dealers separately told me that prices for originals have dropped a lot.  Just the cycle.  One said he was "buying collections and not listing them until prices rise".

Regards,
El Supremo/Kevin Tinny