This Model 1860 Spencer Army rifle #4945 shows up in Springfield Research records as issued to a member of Co. G 72^nd Indiana, part of Wilder’s Lightning Brigade, and was then one of just 1,215 Spencer rifles repaired at Springfield Arsenal between July 1866 and June 1869, which included barrel alteration to fire the higher-velocity .56-50 cartridge, installation of the Stabler cut-off device to enable it to fire single shot and reserve the magazine, and refinishing and reinspection.

The rifle rates as about Fine for condition with over 80 percent finish encompassing loads of barrel blue, smokey case colors on the receiver, stock tip, and buttplate. The screws show blue. The other metal shows some rubbing only at natural points of contact like the butplate, triggerguard tang behind the lever, where one’s fingers might touch it in holding the rifle, etc. The sights are in place. The rear sight shows vivid blue on its spring. The barrel markings, “SPENCER REPEATING / RIFLE CO. BOSTON MASS / PAT’D MARCH 6. 1860” are crisp. The wood has sharp edges, good color, a tight fit to the metal, and shows the crisp arsenal sub-inspector cartouche reading “TJS” of Thomas J. Shepard on the left wrist as well as couple, small single letter inspection or assembly stamps on the belly of the stock. There is some shallow chipping, though, on the underside of the right wrist against the receiver, but otherwise only a few minor handling marks such as some very small, short chips at the toe of the buttplate, a small scratch forward of the buttplate tang, etc.

The 72^nd Indiana will be familiar to those interested in Wilder’s Lightning Brigade or the history of the Spencer. The regiment organized in August 1862, fell under Wilder’s command in December, and in March opted to take part in his plan for a brigade of mounted infantry to be armed with repeating weapons, which ended up being Spencer Model 1860 Army Rifles. The brigade proved its worth in June 1863 in the Tullahoma Campaign by driving back Confederate forces for seven miles though Hoover’s Gap and holding an advanced position against counterattacking superior forces until supporting infantry units could catch up, and thereafter acted as a mobile reserve for the Army of the Cumberland. It performed very well at Chickamauga, though the brigade was broken up toward the end of the year, with the 72^nd assigned to the cavalry corps, where it saw continued hard service in the Chattanooga and Atlanta Campaigns, and then Wilson’s raid, which resulted in the capture of Selma, Montgomery, Columbus, and Macon. It mustered out in July 1865, having lost 2 officers and 26 men killed or mortally wounded, and many more wounded or maimed, in some very hard, continual campaigning.

This rifle has both great condition and a lot of history in its use, its role in U.S. arms development, and in its arsenal refurbishing to keep pace with technological developments and changing army doctrine. It would be stand-out in a repeating arms or even specialized Spencer collection.   [sr] [ph:L]

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