Original Item. Only One Available. In lovely condition, this Contract Remington Rolling Block Saddle Ring Carbine was made for the South American State of ARGENTINA of 1879. This is quite a scarce carbine to find in today's market. The receiver tang is correctly marked with the three line Remington patent information, though the top lines are definitely a bit worn:-

REMINGTONS ILION N.Y. U.S.A.
PAT. MAY 3D 1860 MAY 7TH JUNE 11TH NOV. 12TH, DEC. 24TH 1872
DEC. 31ST 1872 SEPT. 9TH 1875. JAN 12TH MARCH 18TH 1874

It does look like it was partially or totally refinished at arsenal during its service life, and now the original marking on the top of the nocks form is only partly present:

The E.N. abbreviation is for the Ejercito Nacional, or National Army in Argentina. There is also an R A in a circle on the right facet above this, for República Argentina. The side of the barrel chamber is is marked B, which we do not understand the meaning of. We measured the bore and examined the chamber, and the rifle definitely looks to be chambered for .43 Spanish (11.15 x 57R Remington Spanish). The chamber bottleneck is still present, so it is not in "Reformado".

Around the late 1800s Argentina was a developing world power, and had one of the largest economies in the world. Like any growing power, it needed arms, and as there were not yet local producers up to the task, they contracted out for their weaponry. They would later replace the rolling blocks with the more modern Argentine Contract Mauser rifles towards the end of the 1800s.

The carbine is complete with flip up 100, 300, 500 range rear sight, which is definitely a bit stiff. Overall it is in very good shape, having had an arsenal reblue at some point, probably part of a full arsenal reconditioning. It does not look to have seen much service since that time. The rebluing is well retained on the receiver and other hardware. The action cycles correctly, with a crisp dry fire. The ejector presents when the breech is opened, though we have not tested it on spent brass. The bore is in very good condition, showing a partly bright finish with clear lands and grooves. There is some past fouling and oxidation overall, which has been cleaned away, so it looks to have seen a good amount of use before the reconditioning.

The wood stocks are in very good condition, with a lovely red brown color, and no major damage or other issues. They show only a few dents and dings, and we expect that they were replaced when the rifle was arsenal reconditioned, explaining why they look so great. The butt stock in particular has some great figuring on the right and top sides, which show a high level of chatoyancy.

A lovely example of the scarce Argentine Model 1879 Rolling Block Carbine, ready to add to your collection!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: c.1879
Caliber: .43 Spanish
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 20 1/2 Inches
Overall Length: 36 Inches
Action type: Rolling Block with Rear Hammer
Feed System: Single Shot

History of the Remington Rolling Block Rifle:

It was made in a variety of calibers, both rimfire and centerfire, including the 12.17x42 mm rimfire, 12.17x44 mm rimfire and 12.17x44 mm rimmed centerfire Swedish and Norwegian cartridges, .43 Spanish (11.15x58mmR), .50-70, 40-70,45-70, and later in .22 caliber. Later models were produced in .30-06 Springfield, 7×57mm Mauser, and 8×50mmR Lebel.

In 12.17x42mmRF and 12.18x44mmRF (two cartridges that were interchangeable), and towards the end of its service life also 8x58mmR Danish Krag centerfire, it served as the standard service rifle of the Swedish Army from 1867 to the mid-1890s (when it was replaced by the Swedish Mauser) and in Norway as the standard service rifle from 1867 to the mid-1880s (when it was replaced by the M1884 Jarmann). In .43 Spanish it was the chief service arm of the Spanish Army from 1870-1893, and was used by reserve and militia forces for many years thereafter. Many Rolling Block rifles were used by Argentina before being replaced in 1891 by the new 7.65mm Mauser, and were also widely used by Egypt and Mexico. The Remington rolling block also became the standard service rifle of the Danish Army. During the Franco-Prussian War, France acquired 210,000 Rolling Block rifles to make up for a shortage of the standard-issue Chassepot.

During World War I, the British Royal Navy purchased 4,500 Rolling Block rifles in 7mm Mauser from Remington's leftover stock after production had ended, issuing them to the crews of minesweepers and Q-ships. In November 1914, production of the Rolling Block was resumed, in the form of a French contract for rifles in 8×50mmR Lebel, designated by France as "Fusil Remington modèle 1914". 100,291 such rifles were delivered by 1916, and used to equip rear-line troops.

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