3241

Spencer Sporting Rifle with Special Order Set-Trigger

Currency:USD Category:Antiques / Firearms & Armory Start Price:1,300.00 USD Estimated At:2,500.00 - 3,750.00 USD
Spencer Sporting Rifle with Special Order Set-Trigger
This is a very good example of a Spencer Sporting Rifle that was manufactured by the Spencer Repeating Rifle Co., between 1865 and 1868. The Spencer Company manufactured approximately 1700 rifles during the three-year period from 1865-1868. The serial number of this rifle, "1490", indicates that was probably manufactured during the last year of production; 1868. The rifle has a blued, 28-inch, octagon barrel chambered for the .44 caliber, bottle-neck 56-46 Spencer Cartridge. The receiver, hammer, lever and buttplate have a casehardened finish. The stock and forearm are walnut. The forearm has a pewter tip and the stock is highly figured. The barrel is fitted with a nickel-silver front sight blade in a dovetail at the muzzle and a military style folding leaf rear sight. The standard Spencer Sporting Rifle folding peep sight is mounted on the rear of the receiver. The rifle has a special order single set trigger. The top of the receiver is roll-stamped with the factory legend: "SPENCER REPEATING/RIFLE CO. BOSTON MASS./PAT'D. MARCH. 6. 1860." in three lines. The serial number, "1490" is located on the top of the receiver to the left of the rear sight. Produced in limited numbers after the end of the Civil War, the popularity of the Spencer Sporting Rifle was limited by the inability of the rifle to chamber a cartridge sufficiently powerful for hunting big game on the frontier.
BBL: 28 inch octagon
Stock: walnut
Gauge: 56-46
Finish: blue/casehardened
Grips:
Serial Number: 1490


Very good. The barrel has a smooth, plum brown patina with sharp edges. The casehardened receiver, buttplate, hammer and lever have a mottled, silver-gray patina. There is some light pitting on the buttplate and magazine plunger lever. The stock and forearm are in very good condition with moderate handling wear. This is a very good example of a scarce Spencer Sporting Rifle.