Lever Gun Series: Mud Test - 1860 Spencer Carbine

As part of our ongoing endeavors in regards to determining the viability of lever guns as potentially serviceable military arms, we're testing the 1860 Spencer Carbine with the InRange mud test.
Will it survive?
InRange is entirely viewer supported:
/ inrangetv

[@Hostilenemy]

Finally. The answer to a question that no one ever asked!

[@InrangeTv]

Inrange delivers!

[@shermonruler]

well here is hoping the comments won't be cancer as a result.

[@benjamingomez7155]

Still watched tho

[@calska140]

@@shermonruler Lol too late

[@andyrihn1]

One of the supposed reasons the cavalry preferred the Spencer over the Henry is that the Spencer handled mud better.

[@yuriyromaniw6629]

Is that mud vintage or reproduction?

[@jackandersen1262]

Easy Eight he is talking about the mud, not the gun.

[@Legitcar117]

Damian Grouse any plastic parts In that mud?

[@Legitcar117]

Damian Grouse yeah it’s counts lol

[@alaskajohn907]

That mud is old as dirt so I would say vintage, sell at premium

[@Devin_Stromgren]

You kid, but I would consider purchasing a jar of genuine InRangeTV test mud. I would then decide that money could be better spent on firearms related purchases, but I would be tempted.

[@sqeeye3102]

I appreciate the effort you go through to bring us these tests. I can only imagine the tedious behind-the-scenes work of detail cleaning each gun. Thank you very much, guys.

[@beaudaniel1370]

Clean? the don't clean!!! the mud tests are still going on

[@TheGM-20XX]

That better be imported vintage Gettysburg mud or else. If that can't be acquired, I suggest Fredericksburg mud.

[@enisylo]

I was shocked, shocked I say, that they didn't use imported 1980s Afghani mud for the AK47. The lack of attention to detail is most upsetting.

[@Jeremiah90526]

I probably still have Gettysburg mud on a pair of hiking boots I have that I can send over to them. As for Fredericksburg mud, I live in NoVa so I can just get some mud from my yard, same mud, same consistency.

[@mortisCZ]

Can You bleed into it a little before packaging? That might make it more scientific.

[@Jeremiah90526]

Not really my thing, but I have Goth friends who would be all too happy to help.

[@mysss29]

+Vojtech lmao

[@Mememaster12345]

"There is something... blocking this. I think it is mud" Thanks Ian

[@augustvanhout2163]

Thanks for doing these mud tests. This is quality content. Ignore any haters. They’re a vocal minority.

[@pcasey37]

Since y'all determined that the Army was justified in switching from the Spencer to the Trapdoor Springfield in part because of the later weapon's better reliability, will the Trapdoor be mud tested in a future video?

[@MrTheDridge]

we must know !!!!

[@JohnDoe-iw7zc]

Man i would never have the heart to do this to old guns, but I'm so glad you do this sort of thing it really shows what men might have had to do in extreme conditions.

[@KevinHebert.]

Would a lever gun like the spencer work better if rinsed from the lever side (holding it upside down and running water through the action and out the ejection port instead of in the ejection port and out the action)?

[@weaponizedemoticon1131]

I was wondering that myself. It should wash things in the correct direction I would think.

[@KevinHebert.]

I would think so- imagining the path from the ejection port to the internals as a funnel with the ejection port being the wide mouth of that funnel, it seems that any dislodged debris would be forced toward the smaller opening of the funnel, in this case the more confined spaces of the internals of the action where it could more easily cause issues (such as locking the action open).

[@brianng9765]

but then the thing that push the cartridge into the chamber would block it, so not much water can actually get to the breach face

[@stevencali3539]

Yes! The lever gun project has returned!

[@wolfkult4320]

"I have no way to wipe that out with a finger" "Unless you can eject I'm gonna have to call this" Thats what she said :-]

[@garyneilson1833]

Any chance of a mud test on the Chauchat ? It has a bad reputation for failing in the mud and it would be interesting to see if it is justified

[@exploatores]

With the magazine of the french version, It would suprice me if a third round goes of.

[@ChaosPootato]

I'm not entirely convinced Ian is either ready to mud the fuck up his brand "new" Chauchat or in any need of proving to people how unreliable the Chauchat might be in muddy conditions. HIstory has probably already done the bulk of the work for that :D

[@hornyducks4090]

@J J it's still the same, there are plenty of Ak's better than Russian Ak's, one of which was tested. Once you use one AK you've used them all

[@jackandersen1262]

J J don’t you know that Russian Aks only work flawlessly when using Russian mud?

[@wedohedoshedooowee828]

Lol I hate the AK platform

[@brasstard7.627]

Mud test the Astra 400. It's a powerful blowback and tightly sealed but has a deep ejection port to trap mud

[@jerrylong381]

I DO find this interesting, but I can't say I ENJOY seeing or hearing such a nice firearm subjected to the Arizona mud test. Thanks for the off video aggravation you guys go through to consistently provide us with the highest quality content. P.S. The only time I've ever heard "mud" sound like that is when I was mixing concrete, And during your previous mud tests.

[@bigretardhalo]

Thanks for taking the time to do this video. It was educational, I honestly would have thought some of the older "simpler" guns would have done better. I know the clean up will be a pain so again guys thanks for the time, effort, and great content.

[@soylentgreen7074]

Perkele, oh wait this isn’t a Finnish video.

[@jaysnipr107]

My stomach hurt the second I thought about watching this test. Such a beautiful rifle.

[@simonrival1613]

I smashed that like button before the video had finished loading.

[@WestTNConfed]

Thank you Ian and Karl. I love all your content but this hits the sweet spot for me since I reenact the ACW and have high interests in the period this carbine was made.

[@sanuku535]

1:44 What a nice miś Polish finishing.

[@fcweddington]

Fascinating! All of those muddy roads and battles during the Civil War. It would really suck having to deal with this type of crap during battle. Excellent video!

[@Devin_Stromgren]

I am equal parts happy that we got to see this mud test, and horrified that you covered that beautiful case hardened receiver in mud.

[@Cruiserfrank]

Christopher Spencer buried his original repeating rifle in the dirt before firing it, but I have never seen if it was mud or just dirt.

[@braincowlol]

And nobody comments " Hey it's not a original spencer ! It doesn't count ! " :D

[@alekzandah360]

This video comes out right when I'm binge watching Karl's old west vignettes. Love it.

[@deanc91]

I've been thinking about the AR-15 mud tests and I feel there's a bit more than just a sealed design. From the video it looks like very little mud stays on the AR-15 bolt. Could it be that the finish is good at causing mud to slide off? Perhaps from the design the way the upper receiver protrudes further out than the bolt causes mud to not fall into the action when the gun is cycling? Maybe the gas vents in the middle of the bolt help a little bit in making mud blow away from the action while it cycles?

[@ThZuao]

If the small, hard pieces of rock can't be dragged in between the bolt and the receiver, mud becomes a non issue. The small gap in the action will wipe it all clean. Perhaps the serrations in the bolt carrier of the AR-15 for the forward assist even serve as a deposit for mud to get into, like early rifling was for black powder residue before they figured out the accuracy bebefits of making the bullet spin.

[@TheCatBilbo]

Ah, you can't beat a bit of British desert DPM! (original design). All of the ladies love it... ;-)

[@dalecurtis9963]

I'd love to see a AR180 or a SIG 551a1 in this series

[@reallife3338]

I wanted to cry watching this 😳

[@patriothaven671]

Now who wants to see a trapdoor mud test? Or a sharps?

[@Ralph-yn3gr]

Woohoo! More lever guns!

[@TheRealColBosch]

I was so stoked to see Ian shoot the Zipp 22 over on Forgotten Weapons, I totally missed that there was a new InRange mud test. :D

[@sunnybeaches1331]

I could not stand watching you dump mud on that beautiful rifle!

[@ExUSSailor]

I love these mud tests! Though, sometimes, they hurt to watch a little.

[@carn109]

Brown bess vs mud when?

[@christopherzarcone1363]

I’m looking forward to the 11th century Ming dynasty hand cannon mud test

[@fee_lo8346]

It’s funny that manually operated actions have a reputation for ultimate reliability but semi autos seem to outperform them every time in torture test. Something to think about.

[@SIRslipperyasp91]

Auto guns are dependent on the ammunition fireing to drive the next round into the chamber. Primer reliability used to be a much bigger issue then it is now.

[@Jay-ln1co]

Wonder if it would be different if you flipped the gun upside down when pouring the water, so that the water would go through the action and wash the mud out, rather than deeper into the action.

[@4k8t]

When Ian put the mud on the Spencer, I got the impression that the mud was more fluid than usual. The mud might not have been up to IRTV standard.

[@du886]

Getting real excited to see that Winchester '76 in action.

[@elkhunter8664]

As a fellow Arizonan. I have never seen mud as an issue with my firearms. LOL.

[@tripleog9557]

U guys can stop the mud test if u want (I know u want to). No shelf respecting protector would try to operate their weapon in that condition... let alone ever let it get like that ,and if it did u know what ur doing until it’s fixed. Maybe newbs like it

[@babakzekibi315]

Mud, mud never changes.

[@nathanielyoung9505]

I'm a big fan of this particular series. My only thoughts on the mud test is after it gets covered in mud wouldn't the best course of action be to fire the shot if needed then proceed to clean it with water upside down before cycling the lever? Just my thoughts on the matter.

[@gnarshread]

I had such high hopes!

[@SafetyProMalta]

British desert DPM works so well in AZ.

[@jumperharz6270]

I would love to see a HK G36 in this test. I think it would do quite good. The action is sealed up pretty good and i used it in german military service, they seem to be ok with getting dirty.

[@ZAKW42]

When are we going to see a mud test on the shooters? Ian can dump mud all over Karl and then Karl can attempt to run a 2gacm type stage.😎

[@nehemiastern2833]

James McPherson quotes a story in battle cry of freedom where union cavalry discovered they could cycle the action underwater. And then emerge to shoot the rifle. Could you test that out?

[@DAKOTA56777]

You can do that with any gun, water flows right out it won't cause a jam. As long as the cartridge was made properly it'll be sealed so water can't get to the powder.

[@nelsonnoname001]

Having wanted one for awhile now, gotta say watching this hurt me a little

[@SpamMeGooglification]

At the end of the video "Oh, by the way. This was serial number 00001 made in 1860 "

[@sergei_1863]

Waiting for 'muzzleloading musket mud test'

[@USSEnterpriseA1701]

One thing I've been curious about how it would handle the mud test is the new BRN-10. Ever since I got some personal experience with one, I've been curious how well it would handle the mud test verses the AR-15 tests they have done. The main differences would be the top-mounted "trigger" charging handle and its requisite slot as well as the flat sided bolt carrier and its larger vent holes as well as the gaps the flat sided profile creates in the ejection port. I know with the port door closed it wouldn't make a difference, but I'd like to see the worst case scenario played out.

[@saccaed]

Worth exploring if you get the chance again, pour water onto the gun with the ejection area facing downward. Maybe mud and grit will get out better than way.

[@DanielWW2]

Even the "superior German engineering" gerät (jerrycan) could not fix this one. :P

[@bower31]

Thats for sure a US water can

[@Nighthawk554]

Which is a direct copy of the German jerrycan...

[@bower31]

No it's not, it's designed and manufactured in Canada. Having a similar shaped embossing on the side doesn't mean it's a copy. Also the fact it's plastic, and not metal is significant.

[@DanielWW2]

Really? You really did not grasp what I said? The "Wehrmacht-Einheitskanister" a.k.a the jerrycan was invented in Germany in the 1930's for use by the German Armed forces. When the British encountered these things they started referring to them as jerrycans because the British in general called the Germans as "jerries". The British copied the design, as did the Americans. Apparently the original Germans design is still being used and produced in Russia because the Soviets also copied them.

[@bower31]

Which isn't the one in the video or the one currently used by the US. "Jerrycan" is a colloquial term for fuel or water can. The current one used in the US is a plastic water jug with a single handle and tethered screw cap with a breather valve. The US fuel can is a plastic jug with 3 handles, and screw cap with no breather valve that uses a separate screw on nozzle to pour. They are embossed with and X pattern on the sides with "WATER" and "FUEL" respectively. The jug in the video is a modern US water jug. Both the fuel and water jugs are made in Canada as well.

[@The_Original_Default_Username]

The barrel band on that thing reminds me of a 10/22 Carbine. Edit: If I ever find myself having to fight the Mud People of Chumbawambastan, a Spencer will NOT be my go-to.

[@n2dadarknight]

Rem 700, Tikka, Ruger America.....etc, you can see where I’m going with this.

[@TheGunBandit]

Love these mud test

[@mysss29]

Yet another gun which, fascinatingly, has a great reputation for its military service, yet utterly fails when you try to fire it with mud on it. Turns out soldiers take good care of their weapons, I guess. Almost as if their lives depend on it or something. (I was expecting Ian to turn it upside-down and shake it first, but whatever, it didn't look like that would've removed that much. Especially since firing it didn't, either.)

[@ShawarmaFarmer]

Great to see a new mud test video. That's a beautiful rifle. Shame it didn't run as smoothly as Karl would have liked, or at all really.

[@corwinhyatt519]

Not surprising to me. From the way the action sounded as it was cycled in your rate of fire test video (like grinding metal bones) I didn't have high hopes for it.

[@Tyler-gd1ox]

More mud videos please 😁

[@alfredolopez777]

1861 Parker Hale Musketoon mud test.

[@rogerj412]

I figured it would at least get one round off after the mud.

[@stevenandbobthedog]

"What sound does the gun make, Ian?" I asked. "Kaachooo" Ian replied.

[@florida5135]

3:14 - instead of water, which would have been in short supply, I would have tried cycling the action, fast, a number of times to see if momentum would have cleared it. Perhaps pull the bullet-shaft, unload, run it, then cycle quickly back and forth if cycling while rounds were in it was not working... but it did look like, even though the breach would not close, the cartridges were cycling in and out with the minimal amount of action Ian had to work with.

[@Zach_D]

Mud test mossberg 500 vs remington 870

[@mythowrose2742]

I wonder how well a open bolt smg would if you put it in bolt down.

[@tskwared667]

I know this is a "new" manufactured gun, but seeing all that mud inside that beautiful color case hardened frame tricks my brain and makes me cringe as if it were a real antique

[@stardust_2339]

Nice coat, looks fitting for the environment. Let's see how the gun performs.

[@jic1]

That's British desert camo. I think it's still in use, but has been largely replaced by a modified version of MultiCam.

[@daveybass655]

I wonder, had you held the rifle breach down, an poured the water throught the lever , if it would have washed out.

[@vincecirivello1385]

I'd be interested to see if there is any difference in result of the gun being tested is rinsed before the action is cycled Probably not but this inquiring mind wants to know.

[@That_NJ_guy]

More mud test gun Lucifer and gun Jesus. This is true art. 👍👍

[@worldfamousgi86]

I don't envy whoever got stuck with cleaning it

[@bigsmokeinlittlechina174]

This is absolutely disgusting. I want more

[@gregorycole676]

I still want to see you guys do a musket. That would be good for the lulz.

[@KATAKOTO69]

I think you can see the bullet at the far right at 0:52 . Not sure if its an artifact or sheer luck.

[@tomahawk0861]

FS2000 next please!!

[@oc-j6039]

Out of interest, is there a large amount of British uniform surplus in the US?

[@Litany_of_Fury]

Do a mud test with a rock sling from 27000bc

[@nicholaspatton5590]

Question: If you poured water in through the top and it got the mud stuck farther down, would turning the gun over and pouring water in from the opposite way fix the problem? I don't know if the action has holes on the bottom.

[@ssocar96]

K-31 test please!

[@kenhelmers2603]

Oh MY!

[@GreenDayFanMT]

Is it extremely dangerous to have the hammer down on a loaded chamber on a Spencer?

[@skyflier8955]

Do a mud test with the ZIP 22

[@LordStarbeard]

So many posts, you guys are so cool :) Thanks

[@Aspire198]

you sirs are doing a valuable public service. Thank you ;)

[@paulbow78]

This just made my day. Thanks!

[@dudelit6482]

Remington Model 8 for the mud test!

[@71stang94]

As always excellent video but How about a rifle invented 44 years later, the Mexican revolutionary army often praised the model 94 for its reliability, I wonder how true that was

[@VardocFate]

Can you try GrandPower pistols anytime in future?

[@NotShiggy]

Ohhhh yes

[@bobnancymiller4931]

I'm cringing just watching that mud drop on such a nice firearm !! I don't imagine that my 1866 Winchester would fair very well after a shovelful of mud ....but would love to see you try it on yours !

[@darnit1944]

That's a reproduction rifle. Nobody would spill mud on a real 1860s production Spencer rifle.

[@burnsboysaresoldiers]

So was the Spencer’s similar to the label in the way that it was revolutionary but quickly outdated?

[@teeeeeey]

Have you guys ever thought of trying a Ross MkIII? It has this reputation for unreliability, but Othais in his Ross episode, questioned mud being the killing factor of the Ross action and more poor manufacturing. Just a thought, I’d love to see the results of a test on that gun. I feel it would actually do better than the Lee.

[@demonprinces17]

What was the field reports and complaints?

[@WindFireAllThatKindOfThing]

next in the mud: The 1861 Springfield

[@JiTiAr35]

FS2000 mud test please.

[@sourkraut7437]

Will u guys muddy up a 1903 Springfield or no cause the action is a copy of the k98 ?

[@marsoz_]

*Pew!*

[@joshwist556]

Will we be getting, Mud Test: Longbow, Flintlock, and Percussion? I’m sure that these things will jam instantly.

[@michaelfodor6280]

Longbow in mud? The archer will have problems keeping the sting on his fingers, the fletching will be messed up and the string will splatter mud everywhere on release. A crossbow will have similar issues. The release might jam, though they are mechanically quite simple. I shot a 3D competition in the rain. I can say you're better off staying at home sipping cocoa by a cozy fire.