Antique SPENCER SPORTING RIFLE .45 Rimfire Conversion from Military Rifle Civil War Rifle Made into Frontier Weapon

Product Description

Antique SPENCER SPORTING RIFLE .45 Rimfire Conversion from Military Rifle 

Civil War Rifle Made into Frontier Weapon

Here we present an antique Spencer Repeating Rifle, made circa 1863-1865 in Boston, Massachusetts, during the Civil War. After the war, this military Spencer was made into a sporting rifle, a useful tool for the American frontier. It features a 30-inch barrel in about .45 caliber. The breechblock remains in the rimfire configuration, making it possible to have been chambered for.46 Rimfire (.456” bullet diameter). The forestock has a metal cap and sling swivels were installed. An adjustable front sight was installed, the barrel-mounted rear sight modified, and a peep sight has been installed behind the receiver.

These lever-operated, breech-loading rifles were marvels of the time and had a lasting impact on how war was to be fought in the future. Though their service life in the U.S. military was relatively short, the Spencer story includes Christopher Spencer, the inventor of the rifle, demonstrating and shooting with President Abraham Lincoln, who gave his full endorsement of the piece. Supposedly, during the battle at Gettysburg, a captured Rebel that day said one could “load in the morning and fire all day!” This was due to the Spencer’s most endearing quality: a 7-round magazine tube in the butt of the gun. This gave the shooter phenomenal firepower in a day when most soldiers were muzzle-loading single shots or even singly loading their breech-loading carbines. This is truly one of the iconic rifles of the Civil War and Western Frontier.

The Spencer was the world’s first military metallic cartridge repeating rifle, and over 200,000 examples were manufactured in the United States by the Spencer Repeating Rifle Co. and Burnside Rifle Co. between 1860 and 1869. The Spencer repeating rifle was adopted by the Union Army, especially by the cavalry, during the American Civil War but did not replace the standard issue muzzle-loading rifled muskets in use at the time. Among the early users was George Armstrong Custer. The Spencer carbine was a shorter and lighter version designed for the cavalry.

The overall condition is very good. Gray patina throughout. The action is excellent. The bore is bright with sharp rifling. There is a chip on either side of the fore stock that has smoothed from use. There is a short split along the grain between the bottom of the lock and the trigger guard tang. The stock shows wear, solid throughout. Altered rear sight. Tang mounted peep sight.

Own the original! This is a legitimate antique and not a reproduction.

Barrel is 30 inches.

Caliber: .45

Overall condition as seen in photos.

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$4200
#233659