Finally! I am now an initiated Spencer shooter/fanatic!

[Little Dalton]

Ya'll may remember back in June when I joined the SSS, and posted looking for a Spencer, and then that I acquired one. Anyway, it's an Armi-sport .56-50 carbine. I've used it for reenacting most of the summer, and have only just now gotten to fire my first live rounds out of it. My awesome next-door neighbor, who's a veteran gunsmith and machinist with many years of experience, helped me do the DWM-style modification on a Lee double-cavity 450-gr. mould, and I cast my first bullets yesterday, and loaded up my first 8 rounds late last evening. I cranked them off this morning, and the gun cycled them perfectly, with no misfires of jams. Accuracy was poor, but 75% of that was my fault. In my eager excitement, I was doing more plinking than careful shooting. I am, however, unsatisfied with the sights, and if'n I can't modify them to my liking, will look into an aftermarket rear sight. My load was with Starline brass, Rem. No. 9 1/2 LR primers, the afore-mentioned bullet, propelled by Goex FFg. I filled the case to the brim, which measured out at 45 grains plus, by volume. OAL was about 1.55". When seating the bullets, the face of the seating plug mashed the meplat to about twice it's original size. I'm sure this makes the bullet a little safer, as the meplat is a little small on the Lee 450gr., but I don't like the bullet deformation. I was using wheelweight lead, and don't think that it was really too soft. I guess it was just the force required to compress all that powder. I'm thinking about making a new seating plug for the die that is shaped to fit the bullet nearly exactly, so's to eliminate the deformation. Anyhow, the carbine is nearly unholy fun, and I look forward to developing a load for deer season. Soon as my meager finances can stand it, I'm gonna get me some 777, Goex FFFg, and some Pyrodex to try. What are ya'll's thoughts on the Pyrodex? Should I get I get RS, or Pistol?     

[PvtGreg]

Capnball - congratulations!  Live ammo is a gas!

Keep in mind that the Armi-Sport Spencer might not be considered a black powder weapon for hunting in some states (CA for one), so special BP hunts may not be available for you using the Armi-Sport.  You will want to check with your state's DFG unless its private land.

I'm a 777 fan.  You should be able to get 35 gr (volume) in with moderate powder compression.  Also consider a 1.57 OAL to 1.62.  That should ameliorate the bullet deformation.  My Armi-Sport Rifle likes an OAL of 1.57 to 1.62 depending on the bullet used with more tapered bullets working well at 1.62.

My best accuracy was with 777 at 32 gr and 1.58 +-.02 OAL.  I got OK accuracy with Trail Boss (smokeless) using 9gr and 1.58 +- .02 OAL.

See these posts as well - http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,2891.0.html

[wildman1]

Try doing some loads that are reduced slightly, maybe work your way down from a full load in 3g increments. just don't go below where you're getting 1/16" compression with BP. You may surprise yourself and get a really accurate load. WM

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[Sean Thornton]

Ya'll may remember back in June when I joined the SSS, and posted looking for a Spencer, and then that I acquired one. Anyway, it's an Armi-sport .56-50 carbine. I've used it for reenacting most of the summer,

Since you used it for reenacting I was curious as to what you used for blanks and how did you like what you were using?  I always like to look at all possibilities. Thanks for any information.

[Little Dalton]

Thanks, guys!
The bullet deformation was caused by the die, not the gun. The only reason I was using that short of an OAL, was so's I could crimp on the very front driving band, or shoulder of the bullet. If I can keep the bullet from deforming as much, I can make the OAL longer, while still crimping in the same place. BTW, though, I had no trouble cycling the 1.55" rounds.

Mr. Thornton, I am using Charles Misulia's Veteran Arms injection molded blanks. I am not 100% satisfied with them, but they're good enough, and I will continue to use them until I can afford to get set up to load the 32-ga. shotgun-shell blanks.

[Herbert]

Yousing the bullet to compress the powder is genrally bad for acuracy,any deformaty in the squarness of the base of the bullet will destroy acuracy much more than deforming the nose of the bullet .To compress, youse a compresion die or modify your expashion die so it will do booth jobs at once