POTD: Spencer Model 1865 Repeating Saddle Ring Carbine
Sam.S 03.22.22
Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have the famous Spencer Carbine. This American Civil War-era black powder cartridge carbine is a fairly mainstream “western” rifle. Due to its exposure in Civil War movies, westerns, and video games like the Red Dead Redemption series, this carbine has been given new life in pop culture. This partnered with companies that are kind enough to give us reproduction firearms like the Italian Chiappa company is why the rifle is more recognizable despite its relatively small role in history in comparison to others. The Spencer was a unique lever-action rifle. It was compact due to its tubular style magazine being built into the buttock (think like a Nylon 66 or a Browning 22). The action was not quite like our modern lever actions since it still required the user to manually manipulate parts separately. Step one would be working the lever which would load a cartridge into the chamber. After that, you would need to cock the hammer. For obvious ease of use reasons, the Spencer lost popularity due to the newest and coolest repeating rifles that would come out during and soon after the Civil War.
“Manufactured in 1864-65 and fitted with the Stabler cut-off.”
Lot 2161: Spencer 1865 Carbine 56-50. (n.d.). Rock Island Auction Company. photograph. Retrieved March 22, 2022, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/1027/2161/spencer-1865-carbine-5650.
