Original Item: Only One Available. The Remington Rolling Block rifle was a breech-loading rifle produced from the mid-1860s into the early 20th century by E. Remington and Sons (later Remington Arms Company). The action was extremely strong, and could easily withstand the increased pressure of the new smokeless powders coming into use by the late 1880s.

This is a very nice example, which came to us a bit worse for wear, but has now been cleaned to put it in its best light. The bore is in very good condition, still showing clear 5 groove rifling, though there is definitely wear and oxidation in the grooves. The exterior is also in good shape, and interestingly, it looks like the barrel bands were plated at some point, It is possible that the entire gun had been plated at one point. It now has a lovely worn patina, with the expected wear from service and age. There are some chips, dents, and dings in the stock, and the fore stock does have a repaired crack on the right side near the receiver.

The Receiver tang shows the Remington Patent information clearly in three lines of small print. The right side of the receiver is marked with serial number 2363. There are no other markings except for the standard "U" marks on the barrel bands, though there are no other U.S. issue markings. The bore measures to .43", so this is in .43 Spanish / Egyptian caliber, the most common caliber these were made in. Perhaps this gun was part of the Egyptian 1869 Contract, but this gun NEVER SAW EGYPT!

No Egyptian gun ever looked like this condition we have ever seen and we bought 5,000 units from the Ministry of the Interior in Cairo in 1976. If this is an example of the Egyptian Contract, it stayed in a reference collection here in the United States, and never had any Egyptian markings added. It could just as easily have been intended for another Military Contract but it's not Spanish, Argentinian, Danish, Swedish or U.S. military that we can see. These would have all had various markings added and different types of sights as required by their contracts.

We would assume that it was privately owned and used. We have seen several examples of these in the past, with the same sight and "U" marked barrel bands. This rifle is however about an inch shorter than the most, and close examination shows that the bayonet lug on the right side was modified, by having the long extension mostly ground away. It also has been fitted with a brass cleaning rod. Some very interesting modifications.

It's anybody's guess until some learned authority tells what is really is so we can explore the history. Fully cleaned and ready to display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: c.1870
Caliber: .43 Spanish/Egyptian
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 33 3/4 Inches
Overall Length: 49 1/4 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.

NOTE: This gun is NOT considered obsolete calibre, so we are not able to ship to the United Kingdom. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.

Note: This gun is NOT considered obsolete calibre in the UK.

IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to all US States and most nations around the world.

These antique guns are not sold in "live" condition, and are not tested for the the ability to feed or load any type of cartridge. They are sold as collector's items or as "wall hangers" not for use, and we make no guarantees regarding functionality aside from what is stated in the description. Any attempt at restoring an antique gun to be operational is strongly discouraged and is done so at the risk of the customer. By purchasing an antique gun from IMA you thereby release IMA, its employees and corporate officers from any and all liability associated with use of our Antique guns.

Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to almost any deliverable address across the globe. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.