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CIVIL WAR NEW HAMPSHIRE CAVALRY USED 1860 SPENCER

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:1,000.00 USD Estimated At:2,000.00 - 3,000.00 USD
CIVIL WAR NEW HAMPSHIRE CAVALRY USED 1860 SPENCER
BREECHLOADING CARBINE. Cal. 52. S# 43154. This carbine from direct family descent was used to shoot a deer in 1947-1948 by descendant of a trooper in Springvale, Maine which was the 2nd largest buck shot & listed in Boone & Crockett that year according to consignor. This carbine is still loaded with six original & scarce Civil War 56/.52 cartridges that are still in loading tube in butt. Regardless of this interesting anecdote, this is a very nice example of the most popular Civil War used carbine w/ over 90,000 purchased by the government. The Spencer was the first repeater rugged enough for military service. So formidable was its rapid fire that it was named the "horizontal shot tower" by the Confederates. The heavy casualties at Chickamauga inflicted by the Spencer rifles of Wilder's' brigade proved the value of the repeater in war. The many battlefield captures of Spencers by Confederates were often not used due to lack of cartridges. Copper was scarce in the South & one hundred percussion caps could be made from the metal required for one Spencer cartridge. This gun has an overall fine dark uncleaned patina w/ solid stocks w/ discernible cartouche. Standard configuration 22" bbl., marked on receiver flat "SPENCER REPEATING / RIFLE CO. BOSTON MASS / PAT'D MARCH 6 1860". UNATTACHED ACCESSORIES: letter from family of soldier stating history of unidentified NH cavalryman who carried this Spencer carbine. CONDITION: good to very good overall, complete & matching. Metal is overall brown/plum w/ scattered staining & pitting. Third line of maker's mark is weak. Stocks are sound & well fit, discernible cartouche in profile. Has 2 hairlines on either side of stock along line of loading tube. Mechanically sound w/ crisp bright rifled bore. (01-17350/JS). ANTIQUE. $2,000-3,000.