On August 18, 1863 Spencer came to the White House bearing a new repeating rifle as a gift for Lincoln. He was ushered into an office where Lincoln was waiting and presented the rifle to the President. Lincoln knowledgeably inspected the rifle, then asked Spencer to take it apart and show the "inwardness of the thing."
Spencer was asked if “not busy” to return the next day at 2 p.m. to shoot the rifle. He returned the next day and according to Spencer:
“The target was a board six inches wide and three feet high, with a black spot on each end, about forty yards away.
Abraham Lincoln's Efforts with the Spencer
Loaded with seven cartridges. Mr. Lincoln’s first shot was about five inches low, but the next hit the bull’s-eye with the other five close around it. ‘Now,’ said Mr. Lincoln, ‘we will see the inventor try it.’ The board was reversed and I fired at the other bull’s-eye, beating the President a little. ‘Well,’ said he, ‘you are younger than I am and have a better eye and a steadier nerve.’"
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