The Spencer repeating rifle was a lever-action firearm designed by the American inventor Christopher Spencer in 1860, and it is described as the world's first military metallic-cartridge repeating rifle. It fed rimfire cartridges from a seven-round tubular magazine in the buttstock. Working the lever dropped the breechblock, ejected the spent case and loaded a fresh round, though the hammer still had to be cocked by hand for each shot. A shorter and lighter carbine version was made for the cavalry. More than 200,000 were manufactured in the United States by the Spencer Repeating Rifle Company and the Burnside Rifle Company between 1860 and 1869. The Navy adopted it first and the Army later; the Ordnance Department resisted repeaters over ammunition supply and cost until a demonstration for President Lincoln in 1863 pushed the issue. Union cavalry and mounted infantry used it in the American Civil War, and afterward Spencers served on the western frontier, with the Brazilian Army in the Paraguayan War and in France during the Franco-Prussian War.
Facts
Classification
Service Status Introduced Year Caliber Class Weapon Class
Weapon Class (category) Connections
Operated By
Source Wikipedia: Spencer repeating rifle
Source Wikipedia: Spencer repeating rifle
Source Wikipedia: Spencer repeating rifle
Source Wikipedia: Spencer repeating rifle
Used In
Source Wikipedia: Spencer repeating rifle
Source Wikipedia: Spencer repeating rifle
Source Wikipedia: Spencer repeating rifle
In the Other Atlases
Originated In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.
Source Wikipedia: Spencer repeating rifleInfobox: originQuote, Infobox: origin
United States
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Spencer repeating rifle
Lead
The Spencer repeating rifle was a 19th-century American lever-action firearm invented by Christopher Spencer.
Design
The Spencer is a lever-action repeating rifle designed by Christopher Spencer in 1860.
Use by cavalry
until the Spencer was replaced by the 1873 Springfield Carbine in 45-70 Govt in late 1874
Design, chambering
The Spencer was initially produced as a carbine, chambered for the .56-56 Spencer rimfire cartridge.
Infobox: type
Lever-action rifle
Operated By: Union Army, Lead [operated-by]
The Spencer repeating rifle was adopted by the Union Army, especially by the cavalry, during the American Civil War
Operated By: United States Navy, American Civil War
The Spencer repeating rifle was first adopted by the United States Navy and later by the United States Army.
Operated By: United States Army, American Civil War
The Spencer repeating rifle was first adopted by the United States Navy and later by the United States Army.
Operated By: Brazilian Army, Use by cavalry [operated-by]
In 1866 during the Paraguayan War, Spencer carbines were acquired by the Brazilian Army at the request of the Marquis of Caxias
Used In: American Civil War, American Civil War [used-in]
It was used during the American Civil War, and it became a popular weapon.
Used In: Paraguayan War, Use by cavalry [operated-by]
In 1866 during the Paraguayan War, Spencer carbines were acquired by the Brazilian Army at the request of the Marquis of Caxias
Used In: Franco-Prussian War, American Civil War [used-in 2]
Many Spencer carbines were later sold as surplus to France where they were used during the Franco-Prussian War in 1870.
In Group: Bolt-Action, Lever-Action and Historic Rifles, Lead sentence
19th-century American lever-action firearm
View the SourceReader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.