How do you reload your Spencer on the clock?

[The Yankee Bandit]

I am hoping to take my Spencer to a SASS shoot and I'm just wondering how the rest of you reload them on the clock.  How and where do you carry the extra ammo? I'm not necessarily looking for speed, just some effeciency.  Also, does anyone make a magazine cut off for the new reproductions?  Thanks.   

[St. George]

If you're going to use a Spencer - then 'the clock' is merely a concept.

Original Spencers have a long lever throw and are relatively stiff - neither of which were considered to be design flaws during the time of use.
The new ones seem to be no different, as far as the mechanics of operation are concerned.

For what it was designed for - the function of being a sturdy, magazine-fed weapon to be used by men who were expected to actually 'aim' at and hit a target - as opposed to merely laying down suppressive fire - it fit the bill nicely.

The Army used the Blakeslee Cartridge box that held extra loaded magazine tubes - but it never found wide acceptance - especially among civilians after the War.
You can carry spare ammuntion on a belt or in a pocket or war-surplus cartridge pouch - or even a Dyer Pouch.

Using one in C&WAS is more of a nod to its place in the history of American firearms and not as a competition piece - and then there are those things referred to as 'style points'...

Just shoot it and enjoy it.

Scouts Out!

[French Jack]

I've got one of the Taylor's in 56-50--- and tried it both by single feeding it and reloading the magazine.  It seems to be about a wash for me.  I suspect that either way you practice would work equally well.  You can't really keep the Spencer to your shoulder while you cycle the action, so the motions used are about the same either way.

[The Yankee Bandit]

Yeah, I don't imagine I'm going to reach gamerdom shooting a Spencer.

I guess I was wondering if people used loading tubes,  just dropped 2 or 3 (depending on caliber) bullets into the magazine, or if you shoot them single shot. 

I once asked about using loading tubes on the SASS wire and some people said they might not be allowed as they could be considered a speed loader.  I can't imagine anyone (especially with my club) would accuse me of trying to get an edge by using a Spencer with a loading tube.  But maybe some of you have had different experiences...

Thanks again for the advice. 

[Black River Smith]

Bought a CW box, billed as a Cavalry carbine box holding 20 bullets.

One thing I witnessed about loading for shooting variations.  Load for the ease of counting and sequence following.  Triple tap or sweep, then load what you need even if it is not 7 in order to stop on a given target and then restart of a new one.  ie. Load only six then load 3 so that you can maintain order. Double tap 4 targets load 6 than 2 or even 4 and 4. Sweep??? Use the same logic.

This helped me.

Black River Smith

[Gunner]

Wow - Black River sounds so gamey ....I lose track of my targets all the time....
I have yet to reload thru the mag tube on the clock, I do reload singly right into the breach.
Usually, if the stage calls for 10 shots, I start by loading one right into the breach, then using the magazine for the other eight, then loading the last one right into the breach.

Yee-haa.

[French Jack]

Unless your Spencer has a Stabler cutoff, you either have one in the chamber before you start, or you will have a loaded round trying to get in with that first one you are single loading.  Doesn't sound real safe to me.  If you have the Stabler cutoff, you can hold the magazine rounds in reserve, and single load for the additional ones, then finish with the magazine.  That's the way the military was trained to operate.  Until there was need for rapid fire, they were ordered to single load and hold the magazine in reserve.

[The Yankee Bandit]

Does anyone make a Stabler cutoff for the Taylor's Spencer?

[Black River Smith]

Gunner,  gamiee with a Spencer?   HAHA  No what it is, is age, going from step 2 to 5 and then back to 2, I can sometimes get lost.  So I use whatever I can to stay on track.


Following up on Yankee Bandits' post ::: Does any one know of a good picture or photo of a Stabler cutoff (from reference book???).  I want to try and make one, just don't know what the original shape looked like.  One was on ebay and I thought I saved the picture but I can' find it.  Gunner step 2 to 5, see.

Thanks

Black River Smith

[French Jack]

The Stabler cutoff was a modification made to the Spencers to prevent the breech block from rotating all the way to the rear, which in turn prevented the rounds in the magazine from feeding forward.  It probably could be reverse engineered onto the modern repros, but would probably be cost prohibitive, as some machining of the breech block and receiver would be necessary.  My advice would be to practice reloading, as you are not going to be winning speed contests with a Spencer anyway. 

[BobM]

  I shoot a 56-50 origanal Specer in NSSA compatition and reload using a Blakeslee box. I start with one in the chamber and 7 in the magazine. My carbine has the Stabler cut off on it and also the Stabler spring on the extractor blade. I dont use the cut off but the spring on the extractor blade makes single loading alot easier as it holds the extractor forward so the cartride dosn't get put infrount of it and jam the action.

BobM

[Tuolumne Lawman]

When shooting the original I used to have, or using the 56-50 Taylors as a main match rifle (with prior permission from RO and Possee Leader, of course) I would shoot seven, pull the tube, and take 3 out of my Cavalry Carbine ammo pouch or pocket, the stick the magazine tube back in.

[Black River Smith]

Below is a link to a good picture of a Stabler cutoff.  As French Jack stated and I trusted his comment it require modification to the lower block.  I will not cut my new Taylor.  Hope the link works.  If not search Google under Stabler cutoff.




http://www.members.tripod.com/~howardlanham/quiz2/q2ia6.html

[The Yankee Bandit]

Tuolumne,

I see you added "with prior RO and Posse Leader approval".  Do some people get heartburn if a shooter uses a Spencer?  Why?

[Tuolumne Lawman]

Howdy,

No one gets heartburn, in fact they like it. I usely expend more ammo after each match letting people shoot it.  The problem is that it is a 56-50 shooting a 350 grain bullet pushed by 38 grn volumne Triple 7 (abot equivilemt to 42-43 grains of black) it can be hard on smaller targets and knock them over.  On those stages I use a Henry. <g> I bguess I'm just a retro kinda guy!

[tommy4toes]

the Stabler cutoff is a simple breech-stop.....it stops the breech from dropping to the point where the magazine forces another cartridge onto the block. Granted, I've never shot a repro Spencer, but I think it would be an easy retro-fit. I have shot my original in a few matches (for style mainly) and carry 3 rounds in my left hand to single-load. Then I switch to the magazine to finish the stage.
t4toes
PS repro Stabler cutoffs are available through S&S

[US Scout]

Depending on the number of rounds I have to reload on the clock, I've loaded both singly and by removing the magazine tube and loading that way.

My .44 Russian Spencer will hold 9 rounds, so I'll typically load the one or two remaining rounds singly after expending what is in the magazine. 

At the First GAF Muster last year, rifles were loaded with only 7 rounds to "replicate" Spencers.  We usually had at least one, if not 2-3 reloads per stage, and then I reloaded by taking out the magazine tube.

I carry my rounds loose in a carbine cartridge box on the back of my belt.  Not particularly fast (which should not concern anyone shooting a Spencer in the first place) but it does bring out some insight into how our soldiers must have felt trying to do a reload during stressful situations.

US Scout

[O.T. Buchannan]

I shoot an original in .56-50 calibre, and I carry my extra rounds in a 'converted' cap pouch.  When reloading on the clock, I simply remove the tube, slide the required number of rounds in, replace the tube, and continue.  Ain't nothin' quick about it, and I don't care...

[US Scout]

OT-

Interesting that you use a cap pouch to reload from.  If I'm shooting my conversions with the Spencer, I use the cap pouch for pistol reloads.  If I'm using my percussion pistols, I use the pouch as intended.

Since I like to shoot my Spencer in uniform and soldiers weren't issued shotguns or shotgun belts or bandoliers, I put my shotshells in a small haversack I have. 

None of these carrying systems are even remotely fast or particularly efficient, but like you, that doesn't bother me in the least. 

US Scout

[O.T. Buchannan]

When I'm shooting my Spencer and my Conversions, the Spencer bullets go in one cap pouch, whereas the conversion rounds go in the other cap pouch.