Make: Spencer Repeating Rifle Company

Model: 1860 Carbine

Serial Number: 58976

Year of Manufacture: 1863-1865, Antique

Caliber/Gauge: .56-56 Spencer Rimfire

Action Type: Lever operated rotating breechblock repeating rifle with tubular magazine loaded through the buttstock and Stabler cutoff installed.

Barrel Length: 22"

Sights/Optics: The front sight is a worn blade with a rectangular base fixed to the front of the barrel. The rear sight is a folding ladder-style sight with a leaf-spring detent dovetailed to the rear of the barrel. When folded down, the sight presents a fixed "V"-notch. When folded up, the ladder has a "V"-notched slider with the ladder graduated from "2" to "8".

Grip/Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are two-piece smooth wood with banded forend, straight wrist, steel buttplate, sling swivel in the belly and a sling bar with saddle ring on the left of the receiver and wrist. The wood shows moderate wear with pressure dings, scuffs, and scratches throughout. The cartouche on the stock is not legible. The LOP measures 13" from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The plate has moderate wear with nicks and impact marks. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the stocks are in Very Good condition as an antique.

Type of Finish: Nickeled

Finish Originality: Refinished, barrel and receiver serials match.

Bore Condition: The bore is grey and the rifling is worn. There are spots of surface oxidation and light pitting in the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 7/10.

Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 15% of its metal finish. Most of the finish is scrubbed off. There is some scattered spots of remaining nickel finish. The screw heads show light to moderate tooling and retain turnable slots. The markings are clear and complete. Overall, this rifle rates in Very Good condition as refinished Antique.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not shoot this firearm. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None

Our Assessment: This Model 1860 Spencer Carbine, serial number 58976, was produced circa 1863 to 1865 by the Spencer Repeating Rifle Company and represents one of the most revolutionary cavalry arms of the American Civil War. The Spencer repeating mechanism, feeding from a tubular magazine in the buttstock, dramatically increased a mounted trooper's rate of fire compared to single-shot percussion carbines. Its adoption by Union cavalry units marked a decisive shift toward metallic cartridge repeaters on the battlefield and helped define the closing years of the conflict.

Chambered in .56-56 Spencer Rimfire with a 22" barrel, the carbine was purpose-built for mounted service. The .56-56 rimfire cartridge, while modest by modern standards, delivered reliable performance and rapid follow-up shots, giving Union forces a tangible tactical advantage in certain engagements. The bore rates 7 out of 10, and the action functions correctly, demonstrating that the fundamental mechanics of the Spencer system remain intact.

Approximately 15% of a later-applied nickel finish remains, indicating that the metal surfaces were refinished at some point after original manufacture. While not retaining original finish, the carbine preserves its core configuration and mechanical function. As a Civil War-era Spencer Model 1860 Carbine, this example stands as a direct artifact of the technological transformation that reshaped American military arms during the 1860s.