Canadian 1865 Spencer rifle serial number range

[Herbert]

I am trying to find the serial number range of the Canadian 1865 rifle orders any help would be greatly appreciated ,going by the numbers I think most if not all of these rifles were sent to Canada

[El Supremo]

Hello, Herbert:

Not sure I understand enough. 

Are you referring to 1865 Burnside RIFLES or carbines that might have been sold directly to Canada from government stock, please?

Thanks,
Kevin

[PJ Hardtack]

This won't be a lot of help to you in your search, but .....

On page 126 of Marcot's book, he reports that 300 56-50 Spencer rifles and 30,000 rds of ammunition were purchased in 1866 for issue during the Fenian invasion.

"Shortly thereafter, the Canadian government purchased an additional 1,000 Spence M1865 Army rifles, and by the spring of 1867, over 4,000 Spencer repeaters were on hand. The number included about  2,000 M1865 Spencer carbines, which were soon issued to twenty-two troops of Canadian volunteer cavalrymen (77 officers  and 1,052 men) and to artillerymen."

"Officially, Canadian firearms were not to be marked or stamped in any manner. However, the presence of British W->D markings has been noted on the right buttstock of several Spencer rifles and carbines."

These were almost certainly Burnside produced models.

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[El Supremo]

Nice, PJ:

Back a bit on page 92 is a little more:
No 1865 RIFLES were purchased by the (US) Ord Dept. 
They were made for foreign governments or civilian use with serial numbers between 1 and 3,000. 

Elsewhere Marcot notes that by the summer of 1876, Snider Enfields arrived and the Spencers were withdrawn.

Seems to me that the Canadian Gov't archives would have more details.

Kevin

[PJ Hardtack]

We need an authority on Canadian historical firearms to chime in here .....

Rattlesnake Jack, where are you ?

[Two Flints]

Try this link for some interesting Canadian Spencer Rifle Info:

https://joesalter.ca/products/1865%20spencer%20rifle

and another good read with one of our SSS members

http://www.victorianwars.com/viewtopic.php?t=6731

[PJ Hardtack]

Wow! Good stuff!

It figures that if anyone knows about Canadian military arms in general, it would be Grant (aka "Rattlesnake Jack"). He has amassed a lot of documented data on the arms he collects and I wish he'd publish a couple of books.

I have a copy of "The Military Arms of Canada", Historical Arms Series No. 1 (7th printing 1992) with a brief mention of the Canadian Spencers. No mention of markings whatsoever.

[Herbert]

I was hoping Grant was about,I am also starting to think the 1865 rifles or at least the Canadian rifles have there own  serial number range,I base this theory on the fact that first 1865 carbines( not yet true,less than 2000 1865 models seem to share the rifles serial numbers)there are at least two rifles I have seen photos of that are true 1865 rifle frames(serial number 34 and 465)are in this serial number range of the fist carbines which have very different frames

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

DEFENDING THE DOMINION, Canadian Military Rifles, 1855 - 1955, 2003, Service Publications, David W. Edgecombe.

I don't see any serial numbers mentioned.