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Reply to "BATF Exempts Alabama Concealed Carrier From NICS Check"

Yep, Spencer's mine.  Its a SRC.  Though not actual photograph.

Picked it up at a rural gunshop in the early 1970s.  It was in a A frame rack of used guns on consignment in the middle of the floor.  I'd never seen anything like before and asked the dealer what it was.  Said he didn't know but that it was old [obviously, sarcasm on his part].  I was a working student at them time with not much spending money but I went out of a limb and gambled around $200.  As I walked out of the door, a man stopped me and asked me where I got the Spencer.  The WHAT?  I still didn't know what I had.  Turns out he was a history prof at a local college and sent me a copy of the Gun Digest that featured the Spencer.

And be dammed! 

Google is my friend - Here it is:

http://www.springfield-armory....s/m1a-loaded/#MA9222

Another more recent

http://www.americanrifleman.or...the-spencer-carbine/

Now we call it the first assault rifle issued by the US Gov't.  That's why I posted the picture below the picture of your assault rifle.

So absent the internet, I spent a few hours in libraries and old gun shop manuscripts and remember tracking it down by serial number to a Yankee state cavalry that served under "Kill Cavalry" Kipatrick USA during the Carolina Campaign.  The Spencer was bought in SC so apparently the gun never left the state in that Yankee's hands.  One of my projects is to go  back and associate the SN with which regiment/company and through the muster rolls, maybe determine through the initials and date scratched on the butt stock who may have been the owner.  BTW, it's the early one . . . no Stabler cut off.

Next time I went to the Gunshow in Charlotte [where I met Carbine Williams, coincidentally], I ran into an ammo collector who had original Spencer rounds for $7.50 each.  Since I wanted 7, he sold them to me $35.

No.  Never shot it, never will.  Bore's about 90% bright.

Early on, I was equally fortunate with a Model 1873 [SN pre 1876] trapdoor Springfield SRC.  Those guns made before Little Big Horn are consider favorably.  Mine not so much as it has been restocked with a butt trap, but on the upside, it contains the complete broken shell extractor it was made for.  Those familiar with the problems with the Trapdoor at LBH know that extracting broken was a major problem.  Well that and not having Spencer repeaters like the Lakota Sioux and Cheyenne did,

 Then again a good deal with a .30-40 Krag SRC made prior to San Juan.

And again a find of a SRC musket of Confederate vintage.  The ramrod in captured by swivel near the muzzle so it can't be dropped.  Was never my intention to focus on SRCs, but here I am.

Those days are gone forever.

Went to the Decatur guns show today.  Saw some nice US M-1 Carbines, Garands, Springfields both models and one Eddystone.  Several Mosin/Nagants and SKS.

But my interest is in classic hunting guns, specifically SxS.  Here lately, I've pickup and old Parker underlever Damascus [1881] and a nice little Ithaca LeFever 20ga SxS that have seen off to have some restoration/repair work done on it for next season.  A buddy gave me an old worn out w h Richardson.  Wall hanger, but that gun has had some hard use evidenced by the repairs made to keep it going.  If that gun could talk>>>>

What I'm looking for now is a 12 ga percussion single shot, shootable, original or reproduction.  I'm carrying a SxS now, but not using [shooting/cleaning] one barrel.  No reason to carry 2 barrels if I'm only going to shoot one.  But come dove season, i'm going to need my 2

I'm into SxSs but I only saw one in Decatur and it was in the hands of the owner.

If your interested in a gun lottery, you might check out the Shriners.  They're raffling off 100 guns.  And your ticket will be in the barrel for each gun, 100 times.  Even if you win a gun, your ticket goes back in the hopper subject to be drawn again.  Each ticket cost $20.  Drawing to be held mid October.  Lots of testimonials out there, and I hope to be one.

One final thing.  Back in the early '40s and the S&W M-19 was the preferred choice of personal purchase and carry, we teased those who opted for Colt Python's as being pimps.  Those Pythons are being pimped at over $2k while you can buy my M-19 for about a quarter of that.  Jokes on me.

 

Last edited by budsfarm

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