Civil War Spencer Carbine .56-56 Rimfire 20″ Repeating Lever Rifle Antique
SOLD FOR: $2,651.00
LSB#: LSB260502AH021
Make: Spencer Repeating Arms Co.
Model: 1865, Spencer Carbine
Serial#: 6632
Year of Manufacture: Circa 1865, Antique
Caliber: .56-56 Spencer Rimfire
Action Type: Lever-Actuated Repeating Rifle with a butt-fed Tubular Magazine
Markings: The top of the receiver has a faded marking which reads “SPENCER REPEATING / RIFLE CO. BOSTON MASS. / PAT’D MARCH 6 1860” and it features the serial number “6632”. The bottom of the barrel is marked “28”. The stock cartouche is faint and not legible. There is a rack number of “30619” on the buttstock.
Barrel Length: 20″
Sights/ Optics: The front sight is a barley corn blade fixed to a base by the muzzle. The rear sight is a V notch folding ladder sight. The slider is missing.
Stock Configuration & Condition/ Grip: The stocks are two-piece wood featuring a forend that is secured by a barrel band with a spring and screw, a saddle ring fixed to a sling bar on the left side of the wrist, a straight comb and a metal butt-plate with a provision for the installed tubular magazine. The LOP is 13″ from trigger to buttplate. The mag tube is not stuck and appears to be in working order. There is moderate handling and use wear. There are scratches and compression dents throughout. There are no structural cracks. Overall this stock is in Good condition for antique.
Type of Finish: Blue and Case Color
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is semi bright. The rifling is well defined. There is some moderate pitting mostly near the muzzle. In this writer’s opinion this bore rates 7/10.
Most antique firearms have bores that will show erosion. This is not only due to age but also to the use of black powder. When fired, black powder reacts corrosively. NRA Antique Firearm Conditions Standards are quite lenient for bores. In some cases, the NRA standards disregarded the bore’s condition for collector’s firearms.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 10% of its original finish. The majority of the metal has worn to a brown patina with corrosion stains. There is some scattered moderate pitting. There is some color case still showing in protected areas of the inside of the action. The screw heads are tooled but serviceable. The markings are sharp. Overall this rifle is in Fair to Good condition for antique.
Mechanics: The half cock engages. The action functions correctly. We have not fired this carbine. As with all previously owned firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box Paperwork and Accessories: None.
Our Assessment: This Civil War Spencer Model 1865 Carbine is a historically significant .56-56 Spencer rimfire repeating arm manufactured circa 1865 by the Spencer Repeating Arms Co. of Boston. Its 20″ barrel, lever-actuated repeating action, butt-fed tubular magazine, saddle ring and bar, barrel-band-retained forend, and folding ladder rear sight are all consistent with the classic cavalry carbine configuration. The receiver markings are faded but readable, the serial number is present, and the rack number on the buttstock adds military or institutional character, even though the stock cartouche is faint and no longer legible.
Condition is honest for a Civil War-era repeating carbine. The metal retains only about 10% of its original blue and case-colored finish, with most surfaces worn to a brown patina and showing corrosion staining, scattered moderate pitting, and serviceable but tooled screw heads. A positive detail is that some case color remains visible in protected areas inside the action, and the markings are described as sharp. The bore is better than the exterior condition might suggest, being semi-bright with well-defined rifling and moderate pitting mostly near the muzzle, rating 7/10 in the writer’s opinion.
The wood rates Good for an antique, with moderate handling and use wear, scattered scratches, compression dents, and no structural cracks. The magazine tube is not stuck and appears to be in working order, while the half-cock engages and the action functions correctly, though the carbine has not been test fired. The missing rear sight slider is a notable completeness issue, and the .56-56 Spencer rimfire chambering limits practical shootability today. Overall, this is a desirable Civil War Spencer carbine with strong historical appeal, functional mechanics, sharp markings, and a respectable bore, best suited as a collector or display piece, with value moderated by finish loss, pitting, faint cartouche, and the incomplete rear sight. Please see our photos and good luck on your bids! MF