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What does anyone think of...

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Forty Rod:
...the Spencer as a buff gun?

Reason I'm asking is one I saw in a museum in Salt Lake City many moons ago: .56-56 Spencer as stock as a stove from the front of the reciever back with one exception...more on that in a bit...but with a "Hawkenized" barrel, forearm, under rib, and wiping stick.  28" octagonal barrel, silver blade front sight in a copper base, full buckhorn iron rear sight on the barrel, and pewter (?) nose cap and ferrules.

The butt stock looked like a factory original from the right , but had a beavertail Hawken-style cheek piece on the left.

Quite underpowered for buff, but style points out the ol' wazoo.

A few tacks would have made it perfect.

I'd like to have one just because.

Forty Rod:
Apparently this gun was owned by an early Mormon pioneer and scout who picked it following the war.  It was allegedly redone by the Freund Brothers in Wyoming to be more like his single shot muzzle loader.  I don't know that it was ever used as a buffalo gun, but it sure looks nifty neato keen.

Bristow Kid:
Forty Rod did you get any pictures of it?  Sounds like something to see for sure.

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Will Ketchum:

--- Quote from: Forty Rod on December 13, 2005, 11:41:48 PM ---...the Spencer as a buff gun?

Reason I'm asking is one I saw in a museum in Salt Lake City many moons ago: .56-56 Spencer as stock as a stove from the front of the reciever back with one exception...more on that in a bit...but with a "Hawkenized" barrel, forearm, under rib, and wiping stick.  28" octagonal barrel, silver blade front sight in a copper base, full buckhorn iron rear sight on the barrel, and pewter (?) nose cap and ferrules.

The butt stock looked like a factory original from the right , but had a beavertail Hawken-style cheek piece on the left.

Quite underpowered for buff, but style points out the ol' wazoo.

A few tacks would have made it perfect.

I'd like to have one just because.

--- End quote ---
 

What you describe is known as a "Gemmer" they were converted to a Hawken style stock by J.P. Gemmer who took over the Hawken Shop after the retirement of Sam Hawkins.  He converted many Spencers. Sharps and even some Rolling Blocks. There is some confusion as to whether Gemmer converted all these guns or perhaps other gunsmiths used Hawkins barrels.  He also put his own style of trap door on some muzzle loading plains rifles.
 
Liver Eater Johnson carried a Gemmer Spencer which is now in the Museum of the Fur Trade in Chadron Nebraska.  You can find it pictured on page 125 of "Firearms of the American West"

Will Ketchum

Forty Rod:
Joss, my Henry is my mainline buffalo gun at the present time.  ::)

PC, at the time I was with a tour group of 18-20 year olds and there wasn't a camera  in the whoile mob.

Might have been a Gemmer, Will.  We're talkin' about 55 years of faulty memory here.  All I really have is a picture in my head.  Seems the gun had belonged to Thomas Ricks from up in Cache Valley, but I wouldn't bet on it.

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