Spencer Ammo

KianGaf

Sergeant Major
Joined
May 29, 2019
Location
Dublin , Ireland
I was watching a YouTube video on the gun. The man in the video was using an Italian reproduction and said it fired .45 Colt ammo as the original ammo was very hard to come by. What calibre did authentic Spencer’s fire and is it obsolete?
 
The Spencer fired 2 different calibers. There not obsolete but do cost about $25 for original ones.
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The original cartridges, 56-50, 56-52 and 56-56 Spencer, were rimfire cartridges. The modern Italian replicas are made in .45 colt, and 56-56 Spencer centerfire. You can get the brass to load the 56-56 centerfire cartridge, but it rounds out to about $2-3 a round.
 
I was very fortunate that when I purchased an original Spencer Rifle that the former owner (the third) threw in a box of original cartridges-every once in a while I look at them both and wonder should I? Then common sense sets in. :banghead:
 
The original cartridges, 56-50, 56-52 and 56-56 Spencer, were rimfire cartridges. The modern Italian replicas are made in .45 colt, and 56-56 Spencer centerfire. You can get the brass to load the 56-56 centerfire cartridge, but it rounds out to about $2-3 a round.

That would be an expensive day out at the range. What were benefits to centre fire to rim fire ?
 
That would be an expensive day out at the range. What were benefits to centre fire to rim fire ?
The center fire would probably be more dependable, the rim fires were rather hit or miss and you find a number of misfired Spencers. Along with the box of unfired rounds came approximately 20 that had been dug and were misfires. And the most expensive part of the day at the range would be the possibility of something happening and the resulting bodily damage. After all, both the weapon and the ammunition are over 150 years old and the current caretaker would like to make it to at least 1/2 of that. :thumbsup:
 
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The main problem with rimfire cartridges, particularly in larger calibers, was the rim of the cartridge had to be fairly thin in order for the firing pin to crush and detonate the priming compound. In smaller calibers like .22 and .32, it didn't make any difference, but in larger calibers, say 56-56, the rim had a tendency to blow out. They solved this by making the rim thicker, but that caused misfires. Rimfire cartridges were also cheaper to manufacture.
 
I was very fortunate that when I purchased an original Spencer Rifle that the former owner (the third) threw in a box of original cartridges-every once in a while I look at them both and wonder should I? Then common sense sets in. :banghead:

Back about 1966 I acquired a Swiss Veterli in excellent condition. A half box of the 10.4 mm rimfire cartrdges came with the rifle. The cartridges were probably only about 70 years or so old at the time but kinda corroded. Being a very stupid teenager, I fired a few. There would be a thunk then about a second or two later the bang. Pay attention to your common sense.
 
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