Relatively few sporting rifles were made by the Spencer Repeating Rifle Company. While over 144,000 military guns produced during the Civil War (107,372 purchased directly by the U.S. government), educated estimates place the sporting arms total production from 1864-1868 at around only 1,807, and among those are multiple variations. It is chambered for the 56-46 Spencer cartridge (.44 rimfire) which was highly effective for small to medium game. George Armstrong Custer and others are known to have taken Spencer sporters to the West, and they are certainly rare and valuable artifacts. The serial number was properly offset to the left of the tang mounted peep sight which was common practice beginning on the 1865 production rifles, and the bottom of the barrel has the matching serial number. The front of the frame and rear of the forearm have the assembly number "42." The top of the frame is marked "SPENCER REPEATING/RIFLE CO. BOSTON MASS./PAT'D MARCH. 6. 1860." The barrel has a blade front sight and a genuine frontier forged hand made rear sight, and the action has an adjustable single set trigger and peep sight. The forearm has a pewter cap. The rifle is fitted with an optional 30 inch barrel; standard Spencer sporters were fitted with 26 or 28 inch barrels.

Very good over all with classic been there done that, "as found" patina and light oxidation over all. The wood shows immense character particularly on the forearm where a hand grove was literally worn into the wood from a life spent in the saddle and in the hand. Mechanically fine. A weapon that was well used but well maintained, a wonderful, tangible link to the American West.