Here is my M1860 Spencer
rifle Markings:Serial# "1480" located on the upper tang and under the barrel, in front of where the forestock screws in.
"L" stamped on the barrel underneath the largest barrel band, on the left side.
"JWCLAPP" stamped on the butt end of the forestock.
"1" or "|" stamped at the front of the receiver, where the forestock makes contact.
There is NO inspector stamp/mark on the stock.
Barrel length is 72cm or 28 1/3" from the front of the receiver and has 6 grooves/6 lands rifling.
Forestock is 63.85cm or just above 25"
OAL is 119.5cm or 47"
Read somewhere that serial numbers 1000-1550 were used at Gettysburg under Custer - anyone know if this has any basis in reality?
Also, the forestock is a little interesting - it has the letters "JWCLAPP" stamped at the butt end.
All I can find online, is that JW Clapp was a Mississippi lawyer who was part of the Mississippi Secession Convention and also was a Representative in the first Confederate Congress - if this rifle was his at some point, it would add to its history
I guess this ownership would have to have been post war, as the Spencer was exclusively given to Union members(?).
Any and all info on this weapon is greatly appreciated, so is references to books and online reading about the Spencer rifles!