Spencer Sporting rifle

[clyde]

Hello,
A friend of mine would like to buy a Spencer Sporting rifle he saw yesterday.
The seller wants € 2 400.$
My friend is interested IF it's possible to shoot the rifle.
Is it possible to find brass for the 56-46 caliber in centerfire ? and dies ? if so, where ?
Did any of you shoot a 56-46 Spencer gun ?

Thanks for the help

Clyde

[Two Flints]

Hi Clyde,

Are you sure of the caliber?  I've not seen a Spencer listed in that particular caliber. but some variations did exist.  56-50 brass is available, but I'm not sure that 56-46 is available.   Give me a couple of days to investigate, in the meantime maybe one of our other SSS members will respond.  By the way, for those of you readings this post, if my memory seems me right, Clyde is sending his questions from France.  This might help to explain the different caliber, maybe an alteration of Spencers took place in Europe! 

Two Flints

[BobM]

CH Tool & Die has the dies listed at $101.45 and Buffalo Arms has the brass at 20@ $50. I'm not sure who makes a bullet mold but in Marcots book the bullet diameters origanally loaded are listed as being anywhere from .433 to .478.

BobM

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[clyde]

Thanks BobM
Two FLints, the Spencer Sporting does not seem to be an European alteration. As far as I know, it is a civilian model that was bought with left-over parts at the Spencer factory. The 56-46 caliber is an original Spencer caliber. At the time it was a rimfire cartridge, like the 56-40 and 56-56.
I will check at Buffalo Arms , and see if the brass they sell would be OK for this rifle, since the exact caliber of this particular rifle seems to be .457, so hopefully is their brass OK for .457 bullets. Maybe a 45-70, 405 gr lead bullet will do... Well, I'm pretty excited and hope my friend will buy the rifle (I have not the money for it right now, anyway). Thanks again BobM for the addresses !

The rifle has a tang sight, that seems to be all original given to the pictures in Roy Marcot's book (square and not adjustable).

I don't know why, but I've seldom seen one of the more classic models (1860 or 1865) so far. My guns are a New Model carbine and a Model 1867 rifle (one of the 1st produced, it has still the "1865" markings on the barrel). These are not the more common among Spencers... And now this Sporting rifle !

I must call back my friend now.

Thanks again folks !!!

"Frenchman" Clyde

[clyde]

Excuse me I've just re-read my post.
Instead of 56-40  ???one must read 56-50, of course 

[Glenn]

Most of the sporters were in 56-46. I can't recall seeing one that wasn't.  That's not a bad price for one,
does it have the original tang sight?  I checked my 56-46 round and the bullet mikes at .450.  Most
sources say it's a 44 caliber.  It used a heavy bullet , around 300-350 grains.  According to the original
 tests and a shooter I talked to, it's the most accurate of the Spencer rounds.

[Rosoce Coles]

This is a very rare gun in the proper factory sporting cartridge.  The block is the same as the military model (infact many of these were made on old military actions) so it should take an S&S block just fine (with the usuall fitting).  The dies are not readily available but you can have anything made as a custom order by RCBS or C&H.  I envey your friend, it would be a nifty gun to have.

[clyde]

Well folks my friend has bought the rifle.
Once he's got some money again (not right now) he will look for the dies and the brass.
I hope he'll be able to shoot it soon, I'd like to try it too