The Civil War Model 1860 Spencer Carbine

[Aggie1906]

Suggesting further reading: Lincoln's Choice

Fun for me following the Spencer thread.
My bookshelf yielded "Lincoln's Choice" by J.O. Buckeridge, 1956, Stackpole Co, Harrisburg Pa.
I had relatives with Custer, so maintain an interest.
Nothing a quick scan of my copy indicates the weapon Lincoln fired was a rifle or a carbine. If it was a carbine it would have to be a prototype. Everything issued up to Gettysburg was a rifle.
The carbine came a little later.
Another publication "Arming Michigan's Regiments" indicates a "rolling reissue" of long guns over time. My guys seem to have started with Burnsides. Certainly everybody wound up with carbines. Black powder fouling was still an issue with protracted firing after several magazines were used, it seems.

 

[PALADIN85020]

Fun for me following the Spencer thread.
My bookshelf yielded "Lincoln's Choice" by J.O. Buckeridge, 1956, Stackpole Co, Harrisburg Pa.
I had relatives with Custer, so maintain an interest.
Nothing a quick scan of my copy indicates the weapon Lincoln fired was a rifle or a carbine. If it was a carbine it would have to be a prototype. Everything issued up to Gettysburg was a rifle.
The carbine came a little later.
Another publication "Arming Michigan's Regiments" indicates a "rolling reissue" of long guns over time. My guys seem to have started with Burnsides. Certainly everybody wound up with carbines. Black powder fouling was still an issue with protracted firing after several magazines were used, it seems.

Custer's Michigan cavalry at Gettysburg (July 1-2, 1863) used Spencer carbines. Spencer's visit with Lincoln was Aug 18 and 19 of the same year. Carbines were certainly in production at that time.

John

 

[Eltioloco]

Custer's Michigan cavalry at Gettysburg (July 1-2, 1863) used Spencer carbines. Spencer's visit with Lincoln was Aug 18 and 19 of the same year. Carbines were certainly in production at that time.

John

October 1863 was the first delivery of Spencer carbines. The first contract was made in June of 1863 and the first delivery was in October.
Only two units of the Army of the Potomac were armed with Spencer Repeating Rifles at Gettysburg.
In February 1863, Governor Austin Blair of Michigan purchased 680 Spencer Repeating Rifles (not carbines) with state funds which were then issued to Colonel Russell Alger's Michigan Cavalry, which during the battle was in Custer's brigade.
This is from Marcot's book.
I hope this helps.
Ken

 

[Absalom]

Custer's Michigan cavalry at Gettysburg (July 1-2, 1863) used Spencer carbines....

Minor historical note here:

The main action for the Michigan Brigade, and its Spencer rifles, actually came on the third day of Gettysburg, July 3th.

It was one of the true high points of Custer’s military career. As a freshly-baked brigadier, his brigade played a significant role, at one point during the day even THE most important role, in preventing J.E.B. Stuart’s cavalry to circle around the Federal Cemetery Ridge position and support Pickett’s Charge from the rear.

That part of the Gettysburg battlefield is now known as the East Cavalry Field.

PS: So much happened that day that somebody just published another 480-page book about it last year

 

[PALADIN85020]

October 1863 was the first delivery of Spencer carbines. The first contract was made in June of 1863 and the first delivery was in October.
Only two units of the Army of the Potomac were armed with Spencer Repeating Rifles at Gettysburg.
In February 1863, Governor Austin Blair of Michigan purchased 680 Spencer Repeating Rifles (not carbines) with state funds which were then issued to Colonel Russell Alger's Michigan Cavalry, which during the battle was in Custer's brigade.
This is from Marcot's book.
I hope this helps.
Ken

I stand corrected, although it's hard to visualize mounted cavalry using long rifles!

John

 

[Absalom]

... although it's hard to visualize mounted cavalry using long rifles!

Keep in mind that, the efforts of Hollywood’s stunt riders in many western movies non-withstanding, historically the cavalry used only sabers and handguns in horseback fighting and fired their longarms when fighting dismounted.

The difference between rifles and carbines for Civil War-era cavalry was mostly in easier carrying and less awkward mounting/dismounting, not firing from horseback during a charge.

 

[7tenz]

Several years ago someone in a forum corrected me on a snippet of the Historical account of this subject and oddly I was just thinking about it a few days before your posting. You gave me some great detail, great read, and thanks.

 

[DILLIGAS]

Nicely written article, enjoyed reading.

Since the Henry was mentioned I will add this statement.
The 1860 Henry 16 shot lever action rifle, was referred to by the soldiers of the Confederacy during the Civil War as : “A rifle you can load on Sunday and shoot all week long”.

 

[StrawHat]

Yes, the “Cavalry” was treated as mounted Infantry.

Kevin

 

[PALADIN85020]

Nicely written article, enjoyed reading.

Since the Henry was mentioned I will add this statement.
The 1860 Henry 16 shot lever action rifle, was referred to by the soldiers of the Confederacy during the Civil War as : “A rifle you can load on Sunday and shoot all week long”.

I did an article on the Henry some time ago which appeared in the Blue Press. That was certainly a prominent and memorable quote.

John

 

[JayFramer]

Chiappa of Italy makes a Spencer reproduction, available in a few calibers, including .45 Colt.

Only my late night drunk expeditions to GunBroker I’ve often found my finger hovering over the “buy it now” button before remembering the dozen or so guns in my safe I’ve also bought when drunk and never shoot.

 

[ispcapt]

Somewhere there is still the board that Lincoln shot while testing the rifle.

The target is on display at the Illinois Military Museum, Camp Lincoln, Springfield, IL. I haven't visited in a couple of years but the information posted with the target is pretty much word for word what Paladin wrote describing the target.
Just FYI, also at the Illinois Military Museum, stored away currently for restoration and figuring a way to preserve it, is Santa Anna's wooden leg captured by the 4th Illinois Infantry during a raid on Santa Anna's camp at the Battle of Cerro Gordo in 1847.

 

[buckshotshorty]

Thank you for the article it was interesting and informative

 

[Absalom]

Yes, the “Cavalry” was treated as mounted Infantry.

One cannot generalize like that. It depended on the specific task. Buford’s cavalry on the first day of Gettysburg fought indeed entirely dismounted as infantry, as their task was to hold and slow down the Confederate advance and buy time.

Custer’s actions at the East Cavalry Field two days later, on the other hand, involved both dismounted fighting and some actual mounted large-unit charges from both sides, including one famous incident of Custer’s Federal and Wade Hampton’s Confederate brigades launching simultaneous charges on horseback against each other. The melee had no clear winner, but the Rebels didn’t break through, so it was a strategic loss for them, as getting into the Union’s rear was the whole point.

 

[Buford57]

Fun for me following the Spencer thread.
My bookshelf yielded "Lincoln's Choice" by J.O. Buckeridge, 1956, Stackpole Co, Harrisburg Pa.
I had relatives with Custer, so maintain an interest.
Nothing a quick scan of my copy indicates the weapon Lincoln fired was a rifle or a carbine. If it was a carbine it would have to be a prototype. Everything issued up to Gettysburg was a rifle.
The carbine came a little later.
Another publication "Arming Michigan's Regiments" indicates a "rolling reissue" of long guns over time. My guys seem to have started with Burnsides. Certainly everybody wound up with carbines. Black powder fouling was still an issue with protracted firing after several magazines were used, it seems.

I have a tintype of my ancestor in uniform armed with a Spencer rifle. It was taken just before his unit departed Ionia, MI. That was the last anyone in the family saw of him, but his CO mentioned him during the dedication of the war memorial, which is how we knew he survived Gettysburg to be captured during an early instance of GAC underestimating his enemy.

 

[Eltioloco]

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Well this thread motivated me to go out and shoot my Chiappa Spencer rifle. It is in 56/50 and I load it with 32 grains of 3f and a 400 grain bullet. The 350 grain bullet didn't group well but the heavier bullets shoot okay. I believe the rifling twist is to fast for the lighter bullet.
This was an attempt to duplicate Lincoln's test firing of the Spencer in 1863, so 40 paces and shoot at a black spot on a 1X12 pine board (I'm sure Lincoln used an aerosol paint can).
Ken