Larry Romano of New York:
Larry Romano has built hundreds of Civil War era reproductions including Sharps, Spencers, Spencer SINGLE-SHOTS, Maynards, Keen and Walkers, Tarpleys, muskets, etc. He also has built one-off versions of these for himself using extra parts made during regular production. ALL are numbered and marked with his name and address. NONE of them EVER had a TRADITIONAL stock cartouche applied by HIM. Some WERE cartouche stamped by others AFTER delivery. Larry IS especially particular that NONE of his work could ever be considered an original and confuse a collector or museum. After delivery cartouches would be mere “makeup” on an otherwise easily recognized reproduction.
ALL Larry’s Model 1860 Spencer’s are inscribed on the top flat: “Romano Rifle Company, Pennellville, NY”.
The ONLY markings on ALL Romano Spencer barrels are the last digits of the frame number located under the forearm and the witness mark for barrel alignment, as on most originals. The Romano company information and frame number are DISTINCTLY hand engraved on early ones and stamped reasonably deeply on later ones.
The N-SSA SAC RULES about Production Approved firearms recite “IDENTIFYING MARKS” MUST be affixed because Approval Cards are not usually issued. If inspected on the firing line, the VISIBLE ID mark suffices as proof of approval, PROVIDED NO DISQUALIFYING changes have been made. These marks can be INTIALS, NAME, or STOCK CARTOUCHE.
Romano’s “Production Approved” Spencers can have his NAME or LRRCO, but Larry does ALL with only his name and address. Only Romano moulds and center-fire replacement upper blocks have the LRRCO stamping. There is NO SAC approval provision for ANY Romano to have a stock cartouche.
Larry Romano’s Spencers come with the following single-sided instruction sheet:
L. Romano Rifle Co.
551 Stewarts Corners Road Pennellville, NY 13132
(315) 695-2066 Romanorifle@msn.com
Instructions Sheet for Loading and Cleaning:
Spencer Repeating Firearm
Loading Firearm:
Point the weapon in a safe direction and move the action lever to its down-most position when
when loading. This will open the action. Make sure the barrel is open and clear.
Pull the action lever back to the closed position. Pull the hammer back one clicks to the safety notch position. Remove magazine tube from butt stock and drop in seven (7) cartridges
(flat nose only) and replace the magazine tube. Move the action lever down
and back in one motion to chamber the cartridge. Pull the hammer to
the full-cock position. The firearm is now ready to fire.
Note: Do not dry-fire your firearm unless empty and you have a dummy
cartridge or snap-cap style primer. Dry-firing can cause fatigue in the
firing pin return spring.
Cleaning Firearm:
Make sure firearm is unloaded and safe!
1. Remove magazine tube from butt stock.
2. With action lever closed remove action lever pivot screw located
on bottom side of the action frame.
3. Bolt and lever assembly will fall out from the action into your hand.
4. Take care in washing out these parts, along with the inside of the
action and barrel. Also clean the magazine tube and inner magazine
in the butt stock.
5. Make sure to oil the firearm before reassembling.
For black powder cartridges it is highly recommended to use hot soapy
water to clean the entire firearm. Use care in washing out these parts,
along with the inside of the action and barrel. Please make sure to re-oil
your Spencer at each cleaning. To care for the wood stock of the gun,
use boiled linseed oil. And rub by hand and wipe off excess oil.
Important Information:
When using smokeless powder cartridges, do not exceed black powder
cartridge limitation. Romano Rifle Co. will not be responsible for defects
resulting from careless handling, unauthorized adjusting or modifications,
defective or improper ammunition, corrosion, neglect, abuse, ordinary wear
and tear or unreasonable use.
There are at least sixteen internal and five external differences” between Romano’s and 1860 Spencers:
Internal:
Screw threads, pitch/style as well as “V-shaped” vs. SQUARE on MAG TUBE AND BARREL SHANK.
The outer magazine tube does NOT fit originals only because of the “V” threads. Other dim’s match originals.
The INNER magazine tube does interchange in originals, per Larry.
The TOPS of the screw heads inside the lock are FLAT, whereas the originals are slightly domed.
Barrel shank threads – ROMANO: 7/8” X 14UNF “unified FINE”, Acme angular.
ORIGINAL 1860 shank threads: Military were 1.00” X .0488” Square cut threads.
(Military NOT same as Sporter) Sporter were .96” X .0488” Square cut threads.
Romano ALWAYS puts anti-seize lube on the barrel/receiver threads and ALWAYS tightens the barrel FIRMLY against the front of the receiver. He does NOT have a torque setting for the tension.
Perhaps TEN Romano Spencer lock tumblers have flies.
In a May 2018 telephone call Larry shared that “the ONLY way to go with Spencer locks for a decent trigger pull of under 5# without risking sear: half-cock damage IS TO INSTALL A FLY”.
Constant (not “gain”) twist rifling of either 36” via Douglas BUTTONED or 32” via Larry’s CUT barrels and constant groove DEPTH rifling versus the progressive depth grooves of BOTH original rifles and carbines.
BUTTONED RIFLING imparts a SMOOTHER GROOVE surface than CUT rifling and that smoothness IS VISIBLE. This may explain WHY some have looked THROUGH EARLY barrels on Romano Spencer’s that were DOUGLAS BUTTONED and concluded that ALL of Larry’s are that way, when ONLY the Douglas’ are. Romano Spencer barrels that are cut rifled WILL display a SLIGHT/normal bit more roughness.
To make things a little more complicated about rifling smoothness, there is the PEDERSOLI method where the barrel is FIRST drilled, reamed and cut RIFLED and then BUTTONED which imparts the same smooth grooves as buttoning. Some Pedersoli literature calls their barrels buttoned, but a UTUBE video by Cap and Ball during a Pedersoli rifling shop visit SHOWS THE BROACH/BUTTON IN ACTION. The TERM “broach”, which CUTS grooves, is incorrectly used to describe Pedersoli’s “cut and then buttoned” method.
Larry has REPEATEDLY indicated that he has only ONE chambering reamer for traditional 56-50 dimensions and that ALL his Spencer bores, liners or barrels, have the “same” dimensions.
He emphasized that he does NOT have a reamer for the slightly different STARLINE case dimensions.
Posts on CAS/SSS indicate that Larry might make a small change to the BORE of his liners or barrels IF the Starline case is used AND the person REQUESTS it. Best to resolve this directly with Larry. He CAN cut bores a tenth or more differently which might be more compatible Starline case.
The use of highest-quality steels and Romano’s or Turnbull’s “different” color-case hardening processes.
Both Romano and Turnbull are FIRM on the FACT that ANY “color-case” on Romano’s INCLUDES a DEEP surface HARDENING treatment. Turnbull and Romano do NOT impart the “cosmetic” coloration on Romano Spencer’s that some ITALIAN makers use that LOOKS like color-case HARDENING and is NOT. But, to be clear, Turnbull CAN apply just colors if that IS what the customer wants. Why, without hardening? Probably for parts that do NOT need hardening, such as butt plates, barrel bands, etc.
Twists in original Spencer’s = 48” in 1860’s, 36”/38” in 1865’s and 34” in Burnside Spencers. Twists in the HOYT blanks Romano used for two carbine barrels and perhaps a liner or two were 56” twist w/ 3 L&G.
There are TWO VERSIONS OF HIS CENTER-FIRE, inertia firing pin w/ SAAMI compliant firing pin breech block face protrusion of .0045” - .0050”. One is the PROTOTYPE found in rifle 10439 and all others examined have the striker plate with a cupped internal shoulder. The firing pin can have THREE length sub-dimensions, one for the length of its enlarged head section, one for the shaft and finally an overall length.
Test PRIMER IMPACT using Winchester large RIFLE primers, ONLY. Avoid more sensitive, sometimes THINNER cup, large PISTOL primers!
The use of the internally lubed bullet in an 1865, 56-50 center-fire cartridge.
Tighter chamber dimensions matching UNWORN ORIGINALS. SOME of Larry’s 56-50 chambers WILL
have the SAME small, missing section of chamber wall at the paper-thin 9:00 location as MANY ORIGINALS. This IS NORMAL, widely observed on ORIGINALS and does NOT create ANY safety, functioning or case life issues IF traditional black powder is used because the THICKNESS of the LONG blade extractor acts as a filler/chamber wall at 9:00. I have not observed ANY curvature to the long blade ROMANO extractor to cause it to press against the case body or the use of a thin SHIM on the opposite side of the extractor cut. Some INTERNET photo’s appear to show a yellow coloration to the left side of the extractor cut, but this is ONLY coloration, not a brass shim, in the extractor slot of the BARREL SHANK. The Romano extractor is nominally between .040” and .042” thick and the corresponding relief cut in the receiver/barrel shank is between .047” and .048” wide. This leaves a total clearance of between .008” or .004” a side. This TOTAL clearance is about that of a crisp dollar bill. So, the extractor effectively FILLS the space opposite any 9:00 wedge for pressure support. The total clearance of .008” would NOT allow a curved extractor blade to fit.
The SLOT of the EXTRACTOR SCREW has a center-punch strike in its beveled center, possibly to improve the fit of the screw head underside IN the corresponding ANGLE of the screw hole in the BLADE.
The use of a slightly stronger TOP breech block lifting coil spring than in original Spencers to cause the block to remain more firmly LIFTED into battery. The SPRING has NOTHING to do with CYCLING force.
The thing that MAY make the action balky is the TENSION of the main screw that holds the block in the receiver. IF TOO TIGHT, it squeezes the bottom sides of the receiver AGAINST the lever. Tighten ONLY to contact plus ONE clock hour! The “Marine way”.
Feeding cams pinned or set-screwed in place.
The front rotational TIP section of the lever that fits into the lower block does NOT have the transverse hole as do ALL 1860’s and 1865’s. This is easy to add.
The UNDERSIDE of the upper block has four threaded holes for anchoring during the milling of the striker and firing pin recesses.
NO “internal” shallow dimple SCREW HEAD RECESSES IN THE RECEIVER LOCK PLATE CUTOUT!
Cartridge feed GUIDE “finger” has slight bevels on the bottom of both edges under the screw cross-hole and out of view when IN the gun.
External:
Hot blued barrels or Belgian/“cold rust” blued ones.
A significantly HIGHER front sight post (that is PRESSED, NOT PINNED into the BASE) enables the use
of the rear sight ELEVATED STAFF to reduce barrel mirage. Again, Larry said LEAVE IT HIGH! ORIGINAL front sight BLADES are single German silver cross-pinned in place.
A “few” hammers at random without spur checkering. Guns with adjacent frame numbers can be either way.
Larry WILL ADD checkering if requested, but it usually involves re-color-case hardening. ALL ORIGINAL Spencers HAD checkered hammer spurs.
The carbine ring may or may not have raised lettering. Larry said that he STARTS with the lettered ring, being the ONLY one he has used and usually polishes off the lettering on Spencer’s. The “LR RIFLE CO” lettering is more common on his Maynard reproduction sling rings.
Stock markings, if present, are ONLY the last two digits of the frame number, never CARTOUCHES or LRRCO and always UNDER metal parts such as butt plates and inside barrel channels.
In January and February 2015, Larry said:
He generally “saves” the first TEN frame numbers for himself or special versions.
His Model 1860 rifles and carbines are numbered without separate ranges for rifles or carbines.
Unlike original 1860 Spencers, HIS action blocks, etc. are “assembly” or frame number matched to the frame.
ALL HIS SPENCERS HAVE A FRAME NUMBER WITHIN A 10000 (five-digit, NO comma) range.
There were NEVER frame numbers for his Spencers within a 100000 (six-digit, NO comma) range.
Larry’s FIRST grouping of Spencers used FRAME numbers with the LAST THREE digits within that block,
BEGINNING WITH 10400, for example, 104XX, and NOT exceeding 10450.
The second grouping began with 10000 and ran to 10034/35. It seems 10035 is the LAST one.
NOT ALL frame numbers within these two groups have been used.
IF HIS SPENCER REPRO HAS A HAND-ENGRAVED THREE-DIGIT NUMBER, IT USUALLY HAS A DOUGLAS BUTTON-RIFLED 4140 BARREL WITH 36” TWIST, BUT THE WIDTHS OF EIGHT L & G MAY BE EQUAL or UNEQUAL.
IF THE SPENCER HAS A STAMPED TWO-DIGIT NUMBER (WITHIN THE 10000) BLOCK, it will USUALLY HAVE A BARREL HE RIFLED WITH 32” TWIST USING 41L40 STEEL.
So far, there are five KNOWN exceptions about Romano Spencer barrels:
Two of his THREE-DIGIT frame number Spencers have Hoyt, three-groove CARBINE barrels supplied at the request of the owners. One is the “Stora” rifle #10435, with spare HOYT carbine barrel, WHICH LARRY DID NOT FIT as it was purchased after the rifle was built. That Romano rifle/carbine barrel combo was fitted with a Stabler cutoff and other related parts. The Stora rifle was next owned by a member of Larry’s skirmishing team, who sold it to a non-skirmisher in NY, who sold it on GunBroker; four owners!
The owner of the second one wishes to remain unidentified.
The third, fourth and fifth exceptions involve TWO-DIGIT frame numbers with 36” TWIST, narrow land, wide groove DOUGLAS barrels.
The Douglas button-rifled barrels are just as well-made and well-performing as Larry’s cut-rifled ones.
He built three, 45 Long Colt chambered Spencer’s as a test, which were N-SSA disapproved.
This caliber required several tweaks to function, including a Lane extractor for the narrow rimmed 45LC case.
Larry is a stickler for bullet fit and optimal rifling twist. He shared that while his Spencer 315grain, 50 caliber bullet will at least shoot IN a slightly larger bore 50 caliber Maynard, AND IN AN ORIGINAL 1865 56-50 bore, the reverse is NOT true.
He said that he makes a different, 50 caliber MAYNARD bullet that is LARGER in diameter to match the deeper groove diameter of his Maynard bore. That MAYNARD bullet is LONGER by almost a tenth-inch than his SPENCER bullet and is almost 75-85 grains HEAVIER, in the same alloy, than his 310/315gr Spencer bullet.
Attempting to SIZE HIS as-cast .519” Maynard bullet smaller to the Spencer .512”-.513” diameter in a HARDER than pure ALLOY bullet will require lots of force and will DISTORT it. He said that sizing more than .002” of an alloy bullet is not the way to go. He has had people indicate otherwise, but HE strongly recommends NOT trying to use HIS Maynard bullet in his Spencer’s.
He indicated that ANY Forum posts indicating he made Spencer’s in other than 56-50 or 45 Colt are incorrect; specifically, he never did one in 38-40 caliber.
Presented below is a photo of Larry Romano's first, maybe only, advertisement in The Skirmish Line Magazine in early 1996.
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