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MODEL 1865 SPENCER CARBINE – IDENTIFIED TO COMPANY
B, 10TH US CAVALRY REGIMENT – VERY NICE
HISTORIC BUFFALO SOLDIER INDIAN WARS CARBINE:
One of the
more historically significant carbines issued during the
early Western Indian Wars, this Model 1865 Spencer
Carbine has survived the passage of time in very good
condition. Adding considerably to the value, this
Spencer is identified to Company B, 10TH US
Cavalry Regiment via the unit applied identification
stamps on the butt stock.
Fresh from an old
collection, this historic Model 1865 Spencer Carbine is
a survivor of the very active post-Civil War campaigns,
and the first years of the 10TH Cavalry
Regiment’s hard service on the expanding western
frontier.
The famed Buffalo Soldiers
of the 10TH Cavalry need no introduction to
students of the Western Indian Wars. The history those
soldiers recorded in the vast expanses of the west they
garrisoned and patrolled is well documented, and their
many desperate clashes with hostiles and border bandits
ensured the safety of the farmers, ranchers, and
settlers that followed.
Specific to this carbine,
it is interesting to note that recorded in the army’s
Summary Statement of Ordnance for the Fourth Quarter of
1870, Company B of the 10TH Cavalry reported
75 Model 1865 Spencer Carbines in their inventory.
Following these Ordnance Department reports, a year
later in the same summary for the Fourth Quarter of
1871, Company B reported no Spencers in inventory, but
rather a similar quantity of Sharps Metallic Cartridge
Carbines which they did not have in 1870. This
difference in the inventory of arms recorded in these
reports illustrates the arms trial system the army had
instituted, where by different models of arms were
supplied to the regiments, and the companies therein,
for specific periods and the exchanges of arms among the
units which were regularly scheduled, all in support of
an effort designed obtain a comparison of arms’
performance which was reported to the Ordnance
Department by the regimental officers. It was through
this ongoing system of trials which ultimately resulted
in the design, development, and eventual acceptance of
the Model 1873 Trapdoor Carbine and Rifle as the
standard arm for the next two decades.
In
spite of the active frontier service of the 10TH
Cavalry, and the intervening years, this carbine has
survived in remarkable condition. The metal surfaces
are overall very smooth with no significant pitting, and
the surfaces have a consistent patinated plum brown
color. There is some trace of the case coloring pattern
on both sides of the receiver. The breech block retains
some of the case colors. The bore is excellent, with
clear strong rifling throughout, and has an overall
bright surface with only some very faint, minor shading
at the breech end.
The
receiver and the breech block are in very good condition
with no misshaping or wear. The block, lock and trigger
all function properly and are mechanically crisp. The
original rear sight is present with the sight ladder and
elevation bar intact, and the front sight is present and
intact. The butt plate is smooth overall with a nice
patina, and the cartridge magazine tube is present and
intact in the butt stock.
The Spencer Company marking
on the top of the receiver is present and fully
legible. The matching serial numbers are likewise
legible and are present on the upper rear surface of the
receiver and on the underside of the barrel. All of the
components are stamped with the inspector’s initials, as
can be seen in the photographs below. These inspector
stamps confirm this carbine has survived in its original
configuration.
The wood has a rich, aged
patina that features a wonderful color. Of special
note, this walnut buttstock is one of the most highly
figured pieces of wood I’ve ever seen on a standard
grade military issue firearm. The burl grain is very
evident and with the passage of time and the naturally
occurring patina, the contrasting coloration is
particularly attractive.
While exhibiting the
expected signs of wear and years of being polished by
hard hands and rough animals, the butt stock and forearm
are very solid and are in overall excellent condition.
There are some minor losses of grain from the edges of
the lock mortise and from the upper edges of the
forearm, but all of these appear to have occurred during
the period of use as they are now polished smooth, and
none detract from the overall appearance of the
carbine.
Both cartouches present on
the left side of the butt stock immediately to the rear
of the receiver. The first cartouche oriented
perpendicular to the center line of the carbine and
closest to the receiver is apparent only with its
outline, likely the cartouche which was applied at the
time this carbine was first accepted by the government.
The second cartouche is parallel to the center line and
is more legible, appearing to be “ESA”, the inspector’s
stamp of Erskine S. Allin, the Springfield Armory Master
Armorer. The presence of Allin’s cartouche is
considered by some to indicate this carbine was one of
those sent back to Springfield for refurbishing in the
late 1860’s and early 1870’s.
There is a faint impression
of the inspector’s initial stamped into the rear swell
of the fore end. In addition to the inspector’s stamp
on the butt plate tang, there is also the numeral “30”
stamped into the top of the comb immediately forward of
the tang, probably a unit applied inventory or rack
number.
Of special historical note,
the left side of the butt stock is stamped “B 10”,
indicating this carbine was property of Company B, 10TH
Regiment of Cavalry. While the regimental numeral
characters have experienced some wear, the stamping is
bright and very evident and the elements of the numerals
are still discernable. It is worthy of note that there
were only ten regiments of cavalry during the period of
use of this carbine, leaving only one which was numbered
with double digits – the 10TH. As noted
above, Company B of the 10TH Cavalry was
indeed issued these Spencer Carbines. The stamping
shows all the signs of having been applied during the
period of use and the format is consistent with other
known examples of 10TH Cavalry identified
Spencer Carbines.
As appears on a number of
these carbines that saw active service in the field,
there is an arc of wear across the left side of the butt
stock between the unit stamping and the butt plate
caused by the carbine sling swivel roller assembly as
the carbine swung back and forth with the rhythm of the
horse’s gait.
Occasionally a piece 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. Carbines such as
this Spencer briefly surface on the market every twenty
years or so, only to disappear again into another
collection where they will reside quietly for another
generation.
This Model 1865 Spencer
Carbine can stand quite well on its own merits of
condition and mechanical function as a very nice
specimen of this historic firearm. Coupled with a solid
identification as having been issued to a very historic
and active cavalry unit during the early Indian Wars
makes this carbine a particularly nice find and it will
be an outstanding addition to any Indian Wars cavalry
collection.
SOLD |
