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MODEL 1865 SPENCER CARBINE – SHOWING STRONG
EVIDENCE OF INDIAN USE – A WELL KNOWN AND PUBLISHED
HISTORIC INDIAN WARS CARBINE: Fresh from an old
collection, this historic Model 1865 Spencer Carbine
exhibits strong evidence of having been used by Indians,
and through its appearance
speaks volumes of its
time on the frontier.
Secure in an
old collection long before Indian used guns began to
develop an interest among collectors, this particular
Spencer Carbine is featured in Guns of the Western
Indian War by R. Stephen Dorsey – both as one of the
three guns featured on the cover and discussed in detail
on page 15.
Highlighted with old, square shanked brass tacks, the
stock shows the desirable, excellent wear where one
would expect to find it on the edges of the barrel
channel and at the points on the forestock and buttstock
where the carbine would have been handled or rested as
it was carried on horseback.
The wood has a wonderful
aged feel and very nice coloring, the iron all has the
same naturally browned
surface – not encrusted
with rust, but with a nice even color, and the brass
tacks have a consistent mellow patina.
The comb, sides and toe of
the butt stock, the top and sides of the wrist, and the
right side of the forearm are decorated with brass
headed tacks, all appearing to be square shanked.
That the left
side of the forearm is not tacked is worthy of note. As
with any of the long guns carried on the frontier, the
exposed hammer on the right side of the receiver
dictated that if the firearm was carried across a
rider’s lap, the saddle pommel or balanced across the
neck of his horse, it would naturally lie with the
hammer up, resting on the left side of the forestock
where tacks would have rubbed against the warrior’s leg
or snagged in the horse’s mane. With the number of
tacks used to decorate this carbine, I strongly believe
omitting them from the left side of the forestock was
intentional, and not because they ran out of tacks.
Further, the lack of tacks in this area argues for these
tacks having been applied during the period of use,
rather than by a later collector who was “creating” an
Indian gun - a modern “tacker” just could not have
resisted doing both sides of the forearm.
The second
tack behind the trigger plate is loose, and having drawn
it out I’ve confirmed that these are square shanked
tacks. I have applied a magnet to all of the tacks and
found no indication of steel shanks. The wood is worn
appropriately between the edges of some of the tack
heads and the heads have the appearance of being
imbedded in the wood, evidence that the wood has swollen
around the edge of the tack heads with the passage of
time - one of the characteristics that knowledgeable
collectors look for to determine if the tacks have been
recently applied. The heads of the tacks show wear
consistent with the wear of the wood immediately around
them – i.e. the heads of the tacks on the forearm show
more wear than do others that are in more protected
areas. This is not a recently tacked gun where someone
attempted to “sweeten” an old, worn out gun, rather
these tacks were certainly applied during the period of
this Spencer’s use and show the same wear and character
of the balance of the carbine.
In spite of the obvious use to which this carbine was
subject, it has survived in very nice condition. The
metal surfaces are overall very smooth with no
significant pitting. As is expected, none of the
original metal finish remains and as noted above, the
metal surfaces have a pleasing patina.
The bore is surprisingly
good, overall bright with clear strong rifling
throughout, and only minor patches of very light
pitting.
The original rear sight
is present with the sight ladder intact, but the
elevation bar is missing, and the front sight is present
and intact. The receiver and the breech block are in
very good condition and the block functions with a very
crisp action. The Spencer Company marking on the top of
the receiver are present and legible, and the serial
number on the receiver is legible. The lock plate and
hammer are overall smooth with no pitting, and the
hammer and trigger are mechanically crisp. The butt
plate is smooth overall with a nice patina, and the
cartridge tube is present and intact in the butt stock.
The butt stock and forearm with the brass tack
decoration really are the stars of this carbine. As
mentioned above, the wood has a rich, aged patina that
features a wonderful color. With all of the expected
signs of wear and years of being polished by hard hands
and rough animals, the stocks are very solid. The only
notable signs of structural aging are two age checks
running with the grain at the butt plate on the right
side of the butt stock adjacent to the cartridge tube –
from all appearances these are stable and show no sign
of opening up, and are mentioned here only in the
interest of a full description. The wood on this
carbine simply feels “right” in every way.
This Model 1865 Spencer Carbine was obviously treasured
by the warrior that carried it. Well decorated and
obviously cared for, this carbine was certainly regarded
as one of his most prized possessions.
Occasionally a fine collectable passes through my hands
that is more difficult to let go of than others, and
such is the case with this carbine, but unfortunately I
can’t keep them all. Pieces such as this Spencer appear
briefly every twenty years or so, only to disappear
again quietly into another collection where they will
reside for another generation.
SOLD
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