Detailed Repair & Custom Restoration of two Spencer Pump Shotguns w/ Photos

[Roscoe Coles]

I got the walnut in this week and made a new forearm.  I still need to fit the screws and finish it, but it looks pretty
Good.

[Roscoe Coles]

With all the time at home I have had of late, you would think I have made more progress than I have on the Spencer, but work, taking care of a 5 year old, and other projects have slowed things down some.  The forearm wood and associated hardware are looking good.  The original short wood forearms were held on with screws but the later forearm irons don’t have a provision for them.  As a result, I made a steel sleeve that is glued inside the forearm that two screws are threaded into.  This made for a stronger forearm (they are quite thin under the barrel), gave it the right look, and made it work with my front end iron.  I made custom screws out of cap screws to get the right size head and finished the wood with true oil (figure 1).   It looks a bit shiny to me and I am going to tone it down when I figure out what I am going to do for a stock. 

The other job was to cut the mouth of the chamber to allow shells to feed, set the headspace, and cut the extractor slot.  The original barrel had a 55 degree taper in the mouth of the chamber.  This matches the 55 degree angle on the front of the shotgun shell rim and provides a “funnel” to feed the shell into the barrel.  Cutting this cone was complicated by the fact that the barrel is tapered.  I machined a man aluminum ring that fit tightly around the barrel threads and drilled and tapped it for a set screw that bore on the flat cut for the barrel wedge.  I put the ring in a 4-jaw chuck and indexed it so the chamber was centered (the tip of the barrel was held in a “spider” at the other end of the headstock to get a proper alignment) then cut the taper.  The depth of the taper set the headspace.  Determine the proper headspace was a bit of a pain.  Most folks just use a go-no go gauge to check headspace, but they don’t know how much headspace is actually ok.  It turns out that the SAAMI specks for a 12 ga chamber show the max an min depth for the rim cut and there is a 14 thousandths difference between the two.  From this, I calculated that the I needed to have less than 14 thousandths clearance between the back of the shell and the bolt face.  A check of my other Bannerman gun showed that I could get a 14 thousandths feeler gauge between the bolt face and the head of a chambered shell.  You don’t want to make this too tight so the gun will feed shells with different rim thicknesses.  With a little care and calculation, the new barrel was cut and measures 10 thousandths headspace when installed.  I wouldn’t have minded it a little tighter, but it’s in the acceptable range.  Once the barrel was installed, I filed the extractor slot with some Swiss files.  Now it all looks good and should work (figures 2 and 3).

During the process, I also made a new pivot pin for the block.  The old one was made about 5 thousandths smaller than it should have been and did not fit the frame as well as it should have.  I made it out of 4140 and will harden and temper it so it will be plenty
Strong and tough. 

The next stop is to get into the guts and get it running properly.  The hammer is a bit buggered and may need some work.  Not sure yet.  Always more to do. 

[Roscoe Coles]

I the last couple of weeks I have been working on several other gun projects, but I got back to the Spencer.  I drilled the hole for the front sight bead and am waiting for the tap and bead from brownells.  I made a new hammer screw to go with the new action screw (see first picture).  These were fitted tightly to the action to tackle up slack caused by wear on the originals.  But the biggest task was addressing a timing issue with the action.  The hammer was coming to a stop before the bolt was free to come up to eject the empty shell.  This was an issue with the new stud I made for the left action bar.  I made it slightly oversize to compensate for wear in the slot in the block. The stud needed a flat that would allow the action bars to move farther to the rear.  Using a safe edge file, I cut a flat on the stud I made.  Through trial and error, got the action to work, but the stud was pretty butchered.  I made a new one with a flat and installed it (see figure 2).  The original stud also had a flat, but it showed a lot of wear and was not in exactly the same place as the new one. 

I am polishing all the parts that need blueing and will send them out to get that done.  I am trying find someone to color case harden the receiver, bolt, and trigger guard.  If I can, I will polish them up and send them out.  I will make a stub to screw into the barrel hole and a brace to go between the action tangs to minimize warping during the color case.   Based on the surviving finish, the receiver was not that highly polished originally.  There are file marks visible under the surviving color case in some places. I can do better than that.  I am also looking to find a new black walnut stock and a buttplate. 

More to do, but having the action cycle is a milestone.   

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[Roscoe Coles]

Well, two steps forward, one step back.  I fully assembled the gun and it jammed up.  Close examination showed two issues.  1) The magazine follower stuck far enough into the action to jam the block.  2) the shell release on the right side of the receiver (picture) is probably a replacement and is not (and can’t really be) properly fitted.  It allows the shells to stick out into the receiver and jam the receiver as well.  The first issue is a simple fix, I can make a new follower that can not go that far into the receiver.  The second issue is a bit more work.  The best fix would be to make a new shell release out of spring steel.  Not an impossible job, but fiddly.  I have a second Spencer shotgun that has a decent cartridge release but it is slightly different than the one in this gun and I don’t want to take parts from a complete gun, especially since I would have to modify it enough that it would no longer work on the gun it is currently on.   Still working out the best solution, but I think making a couple of new shell releases is in my future.  I will probably make them slightly over size to have spares that I can fit to specific guns... or to have spares when I inevitably screw up the first one I make!

[Four Eyes Henry]

I used a piece from a leaf spring of a truck and fitted it, took me a can of elbow grease btw 
Doesn't look like much but I got it working again.
Onetime I will make a proper one 

[Roscoe Coles]

Hey, whatever works!  I think I will buy some 5160 and cut the rough profile on the mill, finish it up with a file, and temper it in the kiln/oven I got a while back. 

One of the things I enjoy about this project is getting an understanding of how the gun really works, which is a way of learning about how Christopher Spencer thought.

[Roscoe Coles]

I made a new shell follower for the magazine so the block moves freely.  I also ordered some 5160 and will be milling it to the rough shape of the shell stop tomorrow, or trying to since 5160 is not easy to machine. 

[Roscoe Coles]

A couple of shots of the new cartridge stop in the works.  Still a ways to go.  The paper pattern is glued onto the new part as a guide.  I hogged off most of the steel with a mill and an finishing it with a file and my Fordom tool. 

[Roscoe Coles]

The new shell stop in place and functioning.   It operates pretty well but it needs a little more fiddling before it’s flawless and ready to harden.  If you take your time and are careful, there is not much you can’t make with a hacksaw, a file and a drill press (though I cheated and roughed off a lot of material with a mill).   

The thing in the background is my son’s popgun, which needed the grip glued back on.   Lots of gun repairs to be done around my house these days.

[Roscoe Coles]

Some days you get lucky.  I was looking on EBay the other day and found a good hammer and a complete block with the gate and firing pin from an 1896 Spencer for $49.  Someone had filed on the hammer in the 1890 I am rebuilding.  I did some machining on it to get it to work, but I was looking for a replacement.  The bottom of the block in my 1896 had been cracked (at the bottom of the cartridge lifter).  My dad and I welded it up, but it was not ideal so I can use this block as a replacement.

[Roscoe Coles]

The kiln where it happened!  In order to heat treat the new shell stop I broke out an electric kiln and pyrometer that I picked up a while back. I heated the part to 1525 degrees F then quenched it in oil.  After that it spent an hour in the kiln at 800 degrees to temper.  It’s now quite hard and a bit stiffer than before, but springy and works fine in the gun.  I cleaned it up after the heat treat and I think I will put it through another hour at 800 degrees to make sure it has a good temper.  I would post a picture of the part but it looks exactly the same as the last picture do here is one of the kiln. 

On another front, I ordered a new 95% stock to replace the original with a broken wrist.  Once it and a repaired original buttplate are fitted, it will be ready to refinish.  I have the blueing option sorted but I still need someone who can color case harden the block, receiver, and trigger guard. 

[El Supremo]

Hello:

One source for color case hardening is Turnbull Restorations in New York.
They can do either or both color and harden.  Call FIRST.

My experience with them on at least a dozen guns with various alloy parts has been first- class.

Be sure to ship parts with some form of extra security and signature tracking protection. 
After losing a priceless item in USPS, I am afraid of their service. 

Thanks for all your sharing.
Edited for typo.

El Supremo/Kevin Tinny

[Roscoe Coles]

Glad you are enjoying the project.  I have had Turnbull do some finish work for me as well.  Lovely work, but pricy.  This  project is more about building a useable Spencer than completing a full restoration.  I admit that I am taking it a bit farther than just a repair.  Only the receiver, block, forearm iron, trigger, mainspring, and a handful of screws from the original gun remain.  The rest of the parts I have made or replaced with originals or, in the case of the stock modern replacements.  I could go with the receiver as is, but I would like to at least re-harden the block.  If I am going to do that, I might as well do the receiver and the other parts.  The rest of the parts are going to get salt blued.  Should look pretty good.  Hopefully it is a shooter as well. 

[Roscoe Coles]

The new stock came in the mail yesterday and I am quite pleased with the wood.  The description said it was a light walnut, which worried me a bit.  But, it is darker than the one they showed photos of and should match the forearm I made for the gun quite well.  I have not had a chance to try fitting it to the frame yet, but it looks oversized, which is good.  The only issue I have is that it is fitted for a buttplate that has a tang at the top, which is not like the plate on my 1896 or 1900 (which are both essentially flat).  I don’t have my Spencer book here so I can’t check to see if the 1882 Spencer’s used this kind of buttplate.  I wrote a note to the supplier to see what plate it is cut for.  They advertise it as fitting the Bannerman gun’s as well so I expected a bit more genetic fit.  If I can’t find the right plate I might have to put a pad on it, which would be less than ideal. 

[Coffinmaker]

Nah.  I'm a Recoil Wimp (card carrying) so I put pads on everything I have.  However:  If you have a good Spencer Butt Plate, I would suggest just filling the relief with a good wood filled Epoxy repair filler.  The only one whom would really notice it would, of course, be you.  That might be less obnoxious that a Pad.  Just a thought or two.

Hide and Watch

[Roscoe Coles]

Ah... no on the wood filler.  If I cant find one that fits, I will buy a steel plate of the correct size and weld on a piece to make the proper shape.  Not too much trouble.  I’m 6’3” 235lbs and don’t mind recoil that much (not that bp 12ga recoils that much). 

[Roscoe Coles]

I checked with turnbull about color case hardening the bolt, receiver, and trigger guard.  If it is in the white, final polished, and they have to do nothing but color case harden it they want $500.  Nice work but a bit pricy.  There are some other options out there I will explore. 

[El Supremo]

Thanks for the info:

Wow on that quote! 
BUT it IS a little less than similar work he has done for others.
His work is based on an hourly rate
I agree it seems pricey, but his work for me has been great.

Please let us know what you do so we can have an alternative.
I have had Larry Romano do some, but his is traditional pack hardening with a bit less coloration.
Trigger guards are thin and can come out almost frosty white in spots.

Edited 07Jul for fresh info. KT

Thanks,
El Supremo/Kevin Tinny

[Roscoe Coles]

I talked with the stock maker and they told me that the stock was cut to fit an original 1882 Spencer buttplate.  I pointed out that their add said it would fit bannerman gun’s, which takes a different plate, but there you go.  I have been looking for an original plate, but they are thin on the ground.  They were checkered steel (second picture) so I went looking for a similar one and found a good candidate at track of the wolf (first picture).   It is 5 1/4 inches long and 1 5/8 inches wide, which is smaller than the butt of the replacement stock but exactly the size of the plate on the original stock (which has a broken wrist).  It might take a little welding and fitting to fit the inletting of the stock, but that can be done.  I ordered it today.

[Roscoe Coles]

The new buttplate came from track of the wolf and it looks good.  The checkering was ok, but not too fine so I used a Swiss file to sharpen it all up (figure 1).  The top tang is smaller than the cutout in the stock (figure 2) and the top screw hole  was in an odd place, so I did some welding to fill up the hole and add some material then started to reshape it to fit the stock cutout (Figure 3).  I will get the shaping done and properly fit it to the wood, then fit the stock to the gun.  I am on the middle of a bathroom remodel, so free time to work on this has been scarce.  Nice make some progress.