Exceptional and Scarce U.S. Marked Indian-War Conversion Spencer Saddle Ring Carbine Spencer repeating carbines and rifles were among the best weapons of the Civil War and were technologically far superior to the single shot muzzle loaders that most of the troops were armed with and were a real tactical advantage at close range. General James Wilson wrote, "There is no doubt that the Spencer carbine is the best firearm put into the hands of the soldier, both for economy of ammunition and maximum affect both physical and moral." A small unit could lay down fire equivalent to a force several times it size. Spencers were present at many of the most historical battles of the second half of the 19th century including the Battle of Little Bighorn. Even Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth was armed with a Spencer when he was killed after assassinating President Lincoln. The president had personally fired Spencers on at least two occasions. The first met with failure and led him to inform a unit requesting the rifles that they would not receive them. Word of this led inventor Christopher Spencer to personally demonstrate the mechanics of the weapon to President Lincoln and them firing the weapon near the then unfinished Washington Monument. As a result of this trial, Lincoln instructed the James Wolfe Ripley of the Ordnance Department to increase orders. Ripley defied the president and was ultimately replaced for his stubborn refusal to adopt more breech loading firearms. Unlike the muzzle loaders and even many of the Civil War breech loaders, the Spencer also didn't need any alteration for use with metallic cartridges, but around 11,000-12,000 of these carbines were altered by Springfield Armory around 1867-1874 in an effort to standardize the use of the .50 rimfire ammunition (.56-.50 ) in the carbine. This cartridge had been used in the late war and early post-war Model 1865 Spencers manufactured by the Spencer Repeating Rifle Co. and Burnside Rifle Co. At that time, the U.S. military had a wide variety of firearms on hand but was looking to standardize as it downsized following the war. Many of these altered carbines saw heavy use during the Civil War and were also used during the late 19th century Indian Wars by U.S. Cavalrymen and allied scouts and tribes as well as by hostile Native American nations who captured them or purchased them and were fighting to defend their territory. As such, few are in high condition like this one which has standard blade and notch/folding ladder sights, "US" marked on the left on the breech end of the barrel, side of the receiver, and tail of the saddle ring bar base; "US" on the bottom of the forearm and buttstock (preceded by a "D" and with a sideways "S" on the buttstock), "VP" on the left side of the forearm and following the Erskine S. Allen "ESA" cartouche on the left side of the buttstock, faint manufacturer and patent markings on the receiver ring, a saddle ring and bar on the left side of the wrist, small inspection markings, "EA" (inversed) on the right side of the butt, and a Stabler cut-off device. The latter allowed use of the weapon as a single shot while leaving a full magazine in reserve in case the need for rapid fire arose. Manufacturer: Spencer Model: Carbine BBL: 22 inch round Stock: walnut Gauge: 56-50 Finish: blue/casehardened Grips: Serial Number: 57253 Class: Antique Condition: Very fine as arsenal refurbished with 70% of the thin blue finish, 50% of the subtle case colors, crack in the saddle ring bar base, minor scratches and edge wear, and some minor spotting. The wood is fine and has strong oiled finish, some minor scrapes and dings, a small chip above the hammer, and mostly crisp markings. Mechanically excellent. This is a very attractive example of a Spencer carbine. These are among the most desirable of the Civil War and Indian War firearms, and a high quality Spencer carbine like this one truly belongs in every antique American firearms collection.

  • Condition: See Description

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by Rock Island Auction Company
December 2, 2017 9:00 AM CST
7819 42nd Street West
Rock Island, IL, US 61201

Rock Island Auction Company

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Bid Increments
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$0 $199 $10
$200 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
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