The Spencer: No. 4 AMONG "THE WINNERS of the WEST" By J. L. BEARDSLEY

[Pee Wee #15785]

https://gunsmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/G0859.pdf      Page:  22    The Spencer: No. 4 AMONG "THE WINNERS of the WEST"  By J. L. BEARDSLEY

 

[Bearfoot Tracker]

PW, I have a Spencer and enjoyed reading the article. But, I enjoyed looking at all the old advertisements and prices also.

[Trailrider #896]

17 hours ago, Bearfoot Tracker said:

PW, I have a Spencer and enjoyed reading the article. But, I enjoyed looking at all the old advertisements and prices also.

Ditto! Especially the ad by Klein's Sporting Goods in downtown Chicago, listing M-1 Garands at $79.95.  One of those became my first big bore rifle. As I recall, it had British proof marks on the barrel! 

 

Regarding the Beecher Island battle:  Lt. Fred Beecher was the Acting Assistant QM for the 3rd Infantry at one of the posts where Forsyth's Scouts were recruited.  Now, the 3rd Infantry was the only infantry west of the Mississippi that had repeating Spencer's, presumably the rifle version.  But there were also 7th Cavalry troops at that post as well, and they were armed with Spencer carbines.  So the question (which over forty years of research has been unable to resolve), is, were Forsyth's Scouts armed from 3rd Infantry stores of rifles, or was Beecher authorized and drew carbines from 7th arms?  Although there is some indication in the Ordnance Records that the 7th had the later Burnside-made Spencers, cal. 56-50, and the rifles would have been .56-56, the former ammo would have worked okay, albeit maybe not so accurate with the smaller diameter bullets.  Fred Beecher was something of a gun nut, having written to his family about various long and short guns he owned, including a Henry Repeating Rifle, which he had with him when he was mortally wounded.  Later, one of the scouts who went for help, used a Henry to shoot one of the hostiles.  Was this Beecher's Henry?  Probably.  Also, the Scouts had a couple of "longrange" rifles, presumably .50-70 Trapdoor Springfields.

 

History is fascinating!