Notes
This Spencer Carbine represents the first rapid-firing, repeating firearm to be a decisive factor on the battlefield. Most commonly issued to cavalry, these compact rifles provided a significant advantage for Union forces during the American Civil War. The North's powerful and advanced industrial sector was able to produce over 144,000 carbines between its field introduction in 1862 and the end of the war in 1865. Meanwhile, the Confederacy's limited industrial capacity rendered them incapable of producing their own copy, or even of manufacturing the proper ammunition for captured Spencer Carbines. The weapon was capable of firing seven shots before reloading, utilizing a lever to cycle through the tubular magazine located in the buttstock. It used .56-56 rimfire metallic cartridges that could be quickly breech loaded and effectively fired up to a range of 500 yards. A trained soldier could fire 14 to 20 aimed rounds per minute, giving troops equipped with Spencers the ability to defeat much larger enemy forces throughout the Civil and American Indian Wars.
