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LOT 222
Outstanding Civil War Erskine S. Allin Inspected U.S. Spencer Model 1860 Army Repeating Rifle - Serial no. 1673, 52 Spencer cal., 30 inch round bbl., blue/casehardened finish, walnut stock. This is an outstanding example of a Spencer Model 1860 Army rifle that was manufactured by the Spencer Repeating Rifle Company of Boston, Massachusetts c. 1862. The left stock wrist is stamped with a boxed script “DAP” (Dwight A. Perkins) inspection cartouche above an oval script “ESA” (Erskine S. Allin) inspection cartouche. This is the only example of an original Civil War Spencer Model 1860 Army rifle with the inspection cartouche of Springfield Armory’s master armorer Erskine S. Allin known to Rock Island Auction Company at the time of writing, and lends to the idea that this rifle, remaining in excellent condition, was very likely a sample or presentation piece given to Springfield Armory by the Spencer Repeating
Rifle Company for viewing; predating the later Springfield conversions of
saddle ring carbines turned into infantry rifles (their stocks have
a saddle bar plate on the left wrist ahead of only an
“ESA” cartouche).
The rifle has a 30-inch round barrel with seven-shot magazine tube in the stock. The barrel has a steel block front sight that acts as a lug for a socket bayonet and a dove-tail mounted folding leaf rear sight with 800 yard center notch. Sling swivels are mounted on the middle barrel band and butt. The top of the receiver is roll-stamped “SPENCER REPEATING-/RIFLE CO. BOSTON MASS./PAT’D. MARCH 6, 1860” in three lines. The serial number “1673” is roll- stamped on the top of the receiver behind the ejector cut-out. Small “S.L.” sub-inspection initials stamped on the left barrel flat, “P” on the bottom of the forend, and “GB” behind the lower tang. The rifle barrel has a military blue finish and the forearm cap, barrel bands, receiver, hammer, trigger, lever and crescent buttplate are color casehardened. The stock and forearm are oil-finished American walnut. The Spencer rifles and carbines were the most successful repeating long arms manufactured during the Civil War. Some of the first Spencer rifles were carried in action at Gettysburg by troopers of the Michigan Cavalry Brigade led by Brigadier George Armstrong Custer. The Spencer rifles were an immediate success; the Ordnance Department purchased 11,470 Spencer Model 1860 Army rifles during the Civil War. This pristine example offered appears to have seen little, if any, use at all.
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