Anyone else use a Spencer for reenacting?

[major]

I use a Spencer carbine from Armi Sport for reenacting. It is in 44-40 and I use cut down 410 shotgun shells to make my blanks. Does anyone else use a Spencer? If so What caliber is it and what do you use for blanks?

[VRCordsgt]

One of the men in my unit The 7Th Conn. has three original Spencers. They are all in the period correct caliber of 56-52. He found a source of blanks and has reloaded them a few times.No I dodnt know where he got them.

I know most of the repro Spencers are in the more modern calibers of 44-40 or 45 Colt and ever a few in 44 Spec. and 45-70 I think. Im not sure if the NSSA ahd ruled on their use as they are not truely period correct. The 7Th Conn. Co.G was given Spencer by an outside benefactor and used them with great success

[major]

VR
I know that some are using Spencers in 56-50 and I used to use my original in 56-56 (.52 caliber) for demonstrations but I now use a repro in 44-40 for reenactments. S & S sells the plastic blanks for the 56-56 and 56-50 that use a shotgun primer for noise but they lack the smoke unless you add powder to the empty area just above the primer. The only problem with them is that they sometimes crack when you use powder and they are so expensive that one has to stop to pick them up for reuse.
I was at the Zoar OH. reenactment last summer and we had 6 Spencers of various calibers in the ranks. That was really fun.
The repro Spencers are available in 44-40 .45 LC, .45 Schofield and 56-50 but I have never seen one in .44 Special or 45-70 and I don’t think anyone ever made one in those calibers.
The N-SSA will only allow Spencers in the original 56-56 or the 56-50 in competition. I tried to get them to approve the ones in 44-40 but the board voted against it.
I would love to correspond with the fellow in your unit that uses the Spencer. Does he ever get on the BB?
Terry

[Poor Private]

The Kennasaw Cannon Co. sells .56-50 blanks now for the spenser the price is $39.99 per 100. You still have to add you primer tho. They make their own from a mold.