Spencer Model 1865
Spencer Repeating Rifle Company · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1865
Also known as: Spencer Model 1865 Carbine, M1865 Spencer, Spencer Repeating Carbine Model 1865
Overview
The Spencer Model 1865 is a lever-action repeating rifle and carbine, the final and most refined version of Christopher Spencer's pioneering repeater. It retains the falling-block lever action and 7-round tubular magazine housed in the buttstock of the earlier Model 1860, but is rechambered for the shorter, more efficient .56-50 Spencer rimfire cartridge adopted as the Ordnance Department's new standard. Most Model 1865 production took the form of a 20-inch barreled cavalry carbine fitted with a saddle ring, and many examples carried the Stabler cut-off device, which let the soldier fire single loaded rounds while holding the seven magazine cartridges in reserve. Manufactured by both the Spencer Repeating Rifle Company of Boston and the Burnside Rifle Company under license, the Model 1865 arrived too late for heavy Civil War service but became a mainstay of the U.S. cavalry during the Indian Wars.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3770 g (133.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 940 mm (37.01") |
| Barrel Length | 508 mm (20.00") |
| 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 | 1519 J (1120 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 | 3 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .56-50 Spencer · primary — also known as .56-50, .56-50 Spencer Rimfire
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Tubular Magazine In Buttstock, Blakeslee Cartridge Box
- Safety mechanisms: Manually Cocked Hammer, Half Cock Notch, Stabler Cut Off
- Features: Buttstock Tubular Magazine, Blakeslee Quickloader Compatible, Manually Cocked Hammer, Lever Action Breechblock, Stabler Cut Off Device, Saddle Ring
Variants
- Spencer Model 1865 Carbine — Cavalry Carbine
Base model
Service history
Operators
- United States Army · adopted 1865
- 7th U.S. Cavalry Regiment · adopted 1866
Conflicts
- American Civil War (1861-1865)
- Indian Wars (1865-1890)
Production
Estimated total produced: 53,000 · Production years: 1865-1866
Spencer Repeating Rifle Company produced roughly 23,000 Model 1865 carbines, of which about 12,500 carried the Stabler cut-off; the Burnside Rifle Company built around 30,000 more under license, giving a combined Model 1865 carbine total of roughly 53,000.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Christopher Spencer
Discontinued: 1869
Notes
Spencer-made Model 1865 carbines were chambered in .56-50 Spencer, while Burnside-produced examples used the closely related .56-52. The Stabler cut-off, fitted to roughly half of total production, converted the repeater into a single-loader so that the magazine reserve could be saved for emergencies.
Background
The Model 1865's adoption of the shorter .56-50 round reflected wartime lessons that the original .56-56 cartridge wasted powder and was over-bored. The reworked Spencer carbine soldiered on with the U.S. cavalry, including the 7th Cavalry, until it was finally displaced by the single-shot Springfield 'Trapdoor' carbine in 1873.