AR579 - US Civil War Spencer Model 1865 Carbine.
Spencer Model 1865 Carbine. US martial issue! Very end of the US Civil War and in use during the Indian Wars by Federal cavalry units  In calibre .56-50 (aka .50” cal RF) with 7-shot butt tube magazine. Correct, shorter 20" barrel length. SN: 10070 (less than halfway through the contract and likely within period for the Civil War). Blued barrel with the balance of parts casehardened and mounting flat wrist walnut furniture with a saddle bar and ring. Lever action repeating rifle fed by a tube magazine within the butt. The top of the receiver bears the manufacturer marking SPENCER REPEATING/RIFLE CO. BOSTON MASS./PAT'D MARCH. 6. 1860. with the rear barrel struck M.1865. The rifle mounts a folding ladder rear sight graduated to 900 yards, a Stabler magazine cutoff, and six-groove rifling. The right sides of the carrier block, breechblock, and lever all feature an M initial stamp, while the right hammer is struck with the P initial. The left barrel is marked with a W over an R initial. Barrel band shows no extant markings, but the left stock displays a weak ESA cartouche of Erskine S. Allin behind the saddle bar. The presence of the Allin mark indicates the item was refurbished at the Springfield Armory at some point. Less than 22000 were produced for US military of which approx. 50% fitted with the Stabler magazine cut-off; this is an example of the Stabler magazine cut-off. A further 34,000 were produced by Burnside Rifle Co. under licence and were popular with military and civilians alike: see originating US  Patent No. 27,393, dated March 6, 1860
From the collection of a well-known US collector of Civil War arms and early breechloading arms, the bore is frosty with strong rifling and a patina throughout with some signs of light pitting. The casehardened finish on the interior of the breechblock and lifting block is strong with some cycling wear and signs of patina forming at the outer edges. The receiver displays an overall brown patina with light pitting at the upper and lower edges and some mottled grey in places. The barrel retains some bluing near the seams of the stock but is dominated by a brown patina. The stock itself has handling wear and marks. A sliver of the forend has broken off at the forward edge of the receiver on the left hand side. Overall good condition and the action is GWO