Spencer repeating rifle
| Spencer repeating rifle | |
|---|---|
M1865 Spencer rifle | |
| Type | Lever-action rifle |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| Used by | |
| Wars | |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Christopher Spencer |
| Designed | 1860 |
| Manufacturer | Spencer Repeating Rifle Company
Burnside Rifle Co Falisse & Trapmann |
| Unit cost | $40 (1861) |
| Produced | 1860–1874 |
| No. built | 200,000 approx. |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 47 in (1,200 mm) rifle with 30 inch barrel 39.25 in (997 mm) carbine with 22 inch barrel |
| Barrel length |
|
| Cartridge | .56-56 Rimfire .56-52 Rimfire .56-50 Rimfire .56-50 Centerfire (Brazil) .56-46 Rimfire |
| Caliber | .52 in (13 mm) |
| Action | Manually cocked hammer, lever action |
| Rate of fire | 14-20 rounds per minute |
| Muzzle velocity | 931 to 1,033 ft/s (284 to 315 m/s) |
| Effective firing range | 500 yd (460 m) |
| Feed system | 7-round tubular magazine |
The Spencer repeating rifle was a 19th-century American lever-action firearm invented by Christopher Spencer. The Spencer carbine was a shorter and lighter version designed for the cavalry.
The Spencer was the world's first military metallic-cartridge repeating rifle, and over 200,000 examples were manufactured in the United States by the Spencer Repeating Rifle Co. and Burnside Rifle Co. between 1860 and 1869.
The Spencer repeating rifle was adopted by the Union Army, especially by the cavalry, during the American Civil War but did not replace the standard issue muzzle-loading rifled muskets in use at the time. Among the early users was George Armstrong Custer.