Spencer in Boston made Spencer repeating rifles and some were sub-contracted to Burnside Company in Providence, Rhode Island. Spencer used 6 groove and Burnside used 3-ring rifling. They produced around 144,000 rifles and carbines for the United States government. Civil War Spencer’s shot a 56-56 cartridge. They are a seven shot repeating rifle that loaded from a magazine tube located in the stock. The action was similar to a lever action as the trigger guard operated the mechanism by raising and lowering it. They had iron mountings with a casehardened receiver, blued barrel and walnut stock. Markings that are located on top of the frame are SPENCER REPEATING/ RIFLE CO. BOSTON. MASS. / PAT’D MARCH 6,1860. The first 50 supplied to the Navy have a large lug on the underside of the muzzle for the saber bayonet. Rifles produced after that had a front sight that doubled as a lug for the socket bayonet. 

This rifle is serial number 4785. All iron has a brown patina. Bore is pitting but has good rifling. Action is functional.

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