The Spencer .52 caliber repeating carbine rifle was an extremely accurate, top-of-the-line weapon for its day. This gun belonged to Captain Mahlon Black of the Second Company of Minnesota Sharpshooters. To enlist as a Sharpshooter, soldiers had to pass a rigorous test. Standing 200 yards (600 feet) away, each man had to hit a 20-inch-wide target 10 times in a row. Men who passed this test formed a force of exceptional marksmen who often acted as snipers during battle.