Sears and Wards catalogs

[John Brooder]

I needed to do some research using late 19th and early 20th century department store catalogs on another topic and decided to look at the firearms sections for Spencer ammo.  Some members have noted a few of these before.  I found that all 4 Spencer Rimfire cartridges could be found in each company's 1894 catalogs and in the 1902 Sears catalogs.  By the 1908 and 1911 Sears catalogs only 56-50 and 56-52 were available.  No Spencer cartridges were listed in Sears 1927.  I would like to get a 1917-1921 catalog to see if WWI was the end of these cartridges, as I suspect.   Several members have posted over the years about the 1902 Sears catalog and Spencer's that were for sale.  There was another post 10 years ago where the author had information from 1915? Sears catalog with Spencer's still for sale with 100 rounds included.  If that's true these weren't hot sellers.  The fact they are not in the 1911 catalog suggests more than one group of these were brought in by Sears.  It interesting that folks were still buying and shooting these 40-50 years after the Civil War especially with the ammo being so expensive compared to other rifles. While Winchester and Marlin rifles were over 3 times more expensive, centerfire ammo like the 44-40 was 25-30 percent cheaper per 100 rounds than the Spencer cartridges.  I'm going to see if any colleagues have catalogues from the late teens to early 20s.  Hopefully more to come.

1902 Sears ad

[DeaconKC]

Like button

[matt45]

Any idea about the age of the rounds- e.g. Were they of recent manufacture or left over from the days of Spencer production?

[John Brooder]

DeaconKC and Matt45 - thank you for the replies!  I am assuming the person that posted here about an interest in a Spencer carbine with associated Sears cartridges could see a Sears marked headstamp or a Sears box. So, I will assume recent (1894-1911) manufacture.  Having said that Sears could have obtained old ammunition and put it in new Sears boxes.

[John Brooder]

A search of the International Ammunition Association Forum suggests there were shotgun shells headstamped Sears but not rifle and pistol ammo even when found in Sears marked boxes.

[matt45]

I've got to call Cody about some unrelated stuff, but I'll check to see what Winchester's production of Spencer ammo was in those years.

[John Brooder]

Spencer cartridge availability in the 20th century update - Remington UMC 1911-1912 and 1918-1919 catalogs have 56-50, 56-52 and 56-56 cartridges for sale.  Winchester 1916 catalog has 56-50, 56-52 and 56-56 cartridges for sale.  Montgomery Ward 1918 and 1922 catalogs have no Spencer cartridges for sale.  I do not know anyone with a Sears catalog between 1916 to 1920 and I cannot justify buying an expensive original for work.

[Abilene]

Would libraries have those catalogs?

[John Brooder]

They might have the recently (1960s-1970s) republished versions.  However, I don't believe any of the 1916-1920 catalogs were redone. 

Matt45 - any luck with Cody?