Spencer repeating rifle
World's first military metallic-cartridge repeating rifle.
The Spencer repeating rifle is a 19th-century American lever-action firearm invented by Christopher Spencer. It was the world's first military metallic-cartridge repeating rifle, with over 200,000 examples manufactured between 1860 and 1869. The Spencer was adopted by the Union Army during the American Civil War, particularly by cavalry units, though it did not replace standard muzzle-loading rifled muskets.
Quick Facts
- Origin
- United States
- Designer
- Christopher Spencer
- Designed
- 1860
- Manufacturer
- Spencer Repeating Rifle Company, Burnside Rifle Co; Falisse & Trapmann
- Unit cost
- $40 (1861)
- Produced
- 1860–1874
- Cartridge
- .56-56 Rimfire
- .56-52 Rimfire
- .56-50 Rimfire
- .56-50 Centerfire (Brazil)
- .56-46 Rimfire
- Caliber
- .52
Facts from the source article.
Design
The Spencer repeating rifle, a lever-action design, was created by Christopher Spencer in 1860. Its mechanism relies on a falling breechblock set within a carrier, with the receiver at the rear of the breechblock absorbing firing forces. Pulling the loading lever drops the breechblock; once it clears the receiver, the carrier rolls downward, pushing out a spent cartridge and picking up a fresh round from the tubular magazine housed in the buttstock. Pushing the lever back up chambers the new round, and the breechblock rises vertically to seal the breech. After each cycle, the hammer must be cocked by hand. The Spencer first appeared as a carbine, using the .56-56 Spencer rimfire cartridge. The magazine originally held nine rounds, but this was cut to seven to reduce the weight of cartridges and lower the chance of an accidental discharge from inertia if the rifle was dropped on its butt or from recoil. To load, you rotate the magazine’s end—shaped like a lever—a quarter turn, then pull out the magazine tube and spring assembly from the butt plate. While rounds can be inserted one by one, Erastus Blakeslee created a cartridge box with six, ten, or thirteen tubes, each holding seven cartridges, allowing quick dumping into the magazine. In the .56-56 designation, the first number indicates the case diameter just ahead of the rim, the second the diameter at the mouth; the bullet itself measured .52 inches. These cartridges used 45 grains of black powder. Other calibers included .56-52, .56-50, and a wildcat .56-46, a necked-down version. The standard issue rifle used the .50 caliber, with a smaller bullet to cut recoil and the risk of magazine explosions. The action limited cartridge length to about 1.75 inches. Later calibers employed smaller, lighter bullets with larger powder charges for more power and range than the original .56-56, which was nearly as strong as the .58 caliber rifled musket but weaker than early cartridges like the .50–70 and .45-70.
Use in the military
When the Spencer repeating rifle was first offered for military use shortly after the Civil War began, the U.S. Army's Ordnance Department turned it down. They worried that soldiers would fire too fast and waste ammunition. Instead, they supported breech-loading carbines, which were still single-shot but quicker to reload than standard muskets and better for cavalry. The deeper concern was that the army's supply system, already stretched to feed ammunition to tens of thousands of men across hundreds of miles, could not handle a weapon that shot several times faster. That would mean more railroads, more mules, more wagons, and more guards, all at great expense. The Spencer also cost several times more than a Springfield Model 1861 rifled musket. But after the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863, the rifle's inventor met with President Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln held a shooting match on the White House lawn, was impressed, and ordered General James Wolfe Ripley to adopt the weapon. Ripley refused and kept using old single-shot guns, which led to his replacement as head of the Ordnance Department later that year. The Spencer was first adopted by the U.S. Navy, then by the Army, and saw use throughout the Civil War, becoming popular. Confederate troops sometimes captured Spencers and their ammunition, but because they lacked copper to make new cartridges, they could not use the rifles much. Early notable actions included the Battle of Hoover's Gap, where Colonel John T. Wilder's Lightning Brigade of mounted infantry showed the power of repeaters, and the Gettysburg campaign, where two regiments of the Michigan Brigade under Brigadier General George Armstrong Custer carried them at the Battle of Hanover and at East Cavalry Field.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who made Spencer repeating rifle?
Spencer repeating rifle was made by Spencer Repeating Rifle Company, Burnside Rifle Co and Falisse & Trapmann.
Where was Spencer repeating rifle developed?
Spencer repeating rifle was developed in United States.
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