Spencer Model 1860 Repeating Rifle
Spencer Repeating Rifle Company · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1860
Also known as: Spencer Repeating Rifle, Spencer Carbine, M1860 Spencer
Overview
The Spencer Model 1860 was the first widely issued military repeating rifle in history. Designed by Christopher Spencer and patented in 1860, it uses a falling-block lever action combined with a 7-round tubular magazine housed in the buttstock and feeding the breech via a spring follower. Each cycle of the lever extracts the spent case and chambers a fresh .56-56 Spencer rimfire round, after which the hammer must be manually cocked before firing. Adopted in significant numbers by the Union Army during the second half of the American Civil War, the Spencer gave its users a decisive volume-of-fire advantage over Confederate troops armed with single-shot muzzleloaders.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3742 g (132.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1181 mm (46.50") |
| Barrel Length | 762 mm (30.00") |
| Action Type | Lever Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 7 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Tube |
| Muzzle Velocity | 366 m/s (1201 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 1521 J (1122 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 460 m (503 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 900 m (984 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 20 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .56-56 Spencer · primary — also known as .56-56 Spencer Rimfire, 56-56
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Tubular Magazine In Buttstock, Blakeslee Cartridge Box
- Safety mechanisms: Manually Cocked Hammer, Half Cock Notch
- Features: Buttstock Tubular Magazine, Blakeslee Quickloader Compatible, Manually Cocked Hammer, Lever Action Breechblock
Variants
- Spencer Model 1860 Carbine — Cavalry Carbine
- Spencer Model 1865 Carbine — Rechambered 56 50
Service history
Operators
- Union Army · adopted 1863
- United States Navy · adopted 1861
- French Army · adopted 1870
- Imperial Japanese forces (Boshin War) · adopted 1868
Conflicts
- American Civil War (1861-1865)
- Indian Wars (1865-1890)
- Boshin War (1868-1869)
- Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871)
Production
Estimated total produced: 200,000 · Production years: 1860-1869
Approximately 200,000 produced including rifle and carbine variants. Roughly 13,171 units delivered on direct U.S. military contracts (10,000 Army, 700 Navy, plus carbine orders); the bulk of Civil War issue came from later 1863-1865 production.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Christopher Spencer
Discontinued: 1869
Notes
The Blakeslee Cartridge Box, a wooden case holding pre-loaded tin tubes of seven rounds each, allowed Spencer-armed cavalry to reload the buttstock magazine in seconds - a crude but extremely effective magazine-quickloader system that anticipated 20th-century stripper clips and detachable magazines.
Background
President Abraham Lincoln personally test-fired a Spencer rifle on the South Lawn of the White House on August 18, 1863 after Christopher Spencer brought one for demonstration. Lincoln's enthusiastic endorsement after the impromptu trial helped break Ordnance Department resistance and led directly to large-scale Union Army adoption.