M1895 Spencer Carbine Markings - Some Questions

[ArtyMan]

Good morning,

I just acquired a M1865 Spencer Carbine and have a few questions regarding some of the stamps in both the stock and on the metal itself. The carbine itself has a 6 groove, 20" barrel and is serial numbered 18670 on both the barrel and receiver. Is there a way to tell the approximate date of manufacture? I assume its also in .56-50?

The stock acceptance stamp - is that Erskin Allin from Springfield Arsenal?

I had the stock off last night to check that the serial number matches, which luckily it does. Does anyone know what the "EER" stamp above the serial number means? It also has a "PR" stamp underneath where the front barrel band sits.

I also noticed that on the left side of the barrel there is the faint stamp "GGHA". I tried my best to take a picture of this but it is difficult. Would anyone have any idea what this means?

[ArtyMan]

More pictures

[Arizona Trooper]

That is Springfield's Master armorer Erskine S Allin's cartouche in the buttstock. Your carbine was refinished at Springfield, probably after hard service in the West, or the South. The P is the barrel means it was proved, the R next to it is a sub-inspector initial. The other initials are various inspection marks. Some would be from original manufacture at Spencer's armory in Boston, probably late in 1865, and some from the Clean & Repair at Springfield in the late 1860s.   

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[ArtyMan]

This is excellent information - Thanks Arizona Trooper!

[Flatlander55]

Gorgeous carbine there! Super jelly. My wallet won't allow one at this time, hopefully in the future I can get one. I have a question though, just a general one. How in the world do so many of these gems from the past have their cartouches intact so well? I mean seriously, these guns are over 150 years old but the stampings in the wood are often still crisp and sharp, yet when it comes to WW2 and later stampings many of those are terribly worn, even with refurbished pieces. I'm not complaining, the opposite actually. I handled a cut down Remington 1864 musket at a local shop yesterday, it was bored out to a shotgun and the stock was also cut down, splattered with paint speckles, rust all over the barrel and butt plate. The lock was fair, but the cartouche was as crisp as it would be as if it was applied yesterday. Again, nice piece!