Original Item: Only One Available. This is a scarce civilian Remington-Keene Grade A Sporting Rifle chambered in .45-70 Government, manufactured by E. Remington & Sons at Ilion, New York, during the early 1880s. One of Remington's first commercially produced bolt action repeating rifles, the Keene combined a tubular magazine, manually cocked external hammer style striker, magazine cutoff, and unusual bottom loading system in a design that was well ahead of most American sporting rifles of the period. This example retains the correct plain Grade A configuration with a 24 1/2" round barrel, straight grip walnut stock, military influenced sights, and no sling swivels.

This is an antique black powder firearm manufactured before 1899. Under federal law, it may generally be owned within the United States without a special license or permit and does not require transfer through a Federal Firearms Licensee. However, state and local laws may vary. This firearm is sold solely as a historical collector’s item and has not been test fired or inspected for firing safety by a professional gunsmith. Any mechanical or bore observations provided below describe only its present condition and should not be interpreted as confirmation that the firearm is safe to load or fire. The purchaser is solely responsible for complying with all applicable federal, state, and local laws.

The Remington-Keene was designed by John W. Keene of New Jersey, who obtained a series of patents during the 1870s covering the action, magazine carrier, cutoff, extraction system, and other features. Remington produced examples for the U.S. Army's 1878 magazine rifle trials, but the design was not adopted as the Army's standard arm. The U.S. Navy subsequently purchased 250 rifles, while the Department of the Interior acquired 600 rifles and carbines for Indian Police service. Remington then offered sporting and hunting versions to the civilian market. Total production of all Remington-Keene variants appears to have been fewer than approximately 5,000 arms, making surviving commercial examples comparatively uncommon.

The action is one of the most distinctive early American bolt action designs. A tubular magazine beneath the barrel feeds cartridges onto a vertically moving carrier or lifter. Unlike most later bolt actions, the rear of the bolt carries an external hammer shaped cocking piece for the internal striker. In the original Keene system, cycling the bolt leaves this cocking piece at half cock; the shooter must then draw it manually to full cock before firing. This arrangement gave the shooter an obvious visual indication of the rifle's condition and was intended as an additional safety feature at a time when repeating bolt action rifles were still unfamiliar to many users.

The bolt is also retained by a large transverse screw located on the right side of the stock immediately forward of the trigger. This fastener has a left hand thread, an unusual and easily overlooked feature. It should therefore only be removed with care, as forcing it in the conventional direction can damage the slot or threads.

The tubular magazine is loaded through the bottom of the receiver with the action closed, using the exposed carrier as the loading gate. As the bolt is drawn fully to the rear, the carrier rises and presents the next cartridge for chambering. When the bolt moves forward, the carrier drops again to receive another cartridge from the magazine. A magazine cutoff on the left side of the receiver allows the rifle to be used as a single shot while retaining cartridges in the tubular magazine as a reserve.

This example is the cataloged Grade A Hunter's or Sporting Rifle. Period Remington advertising describes the Grade A as having plain open sights, a walnut stock with oil finish, and a 24 1/2" barrel, with the tubular magazine carrying nine cartridges. The more expensive Grade B added a half octagonal barrel, pistol grip stock, and checkering, while Grades C and D incorporated progressively more elaborate sights, stocks, and special order features. The plain round barrel and straight grip walnut stock on this rifle therefore correspond closely to Remington's advertised Grade A configuration.

The rear of the bolt is marked in three lines:

E. REMINGTON & SONS. ILION, N.Y.
PAT. FEB’Y 24 MCH. 17. 1874 JAN 18
SEPT 26 1876 MCH. 20 JULY 31. 1877

These dates correspond to a series of John W. Keene's patents covering the development of the repeating action and magazine system. The left side of the breech end of the receiver is marked:

45

70

indicating chambering for the standard .45-70 Government cartridge.

No serial number is visible on the rifle. Civilian Remington-Keene sporting rifles are frequently encountered without the prominent government serial and property markings found on U.S. Navy and Interior Department contract arms, so the absence of a visible number is not inconsistent with a commercial sporting example.

The rifle remains in very good service used condition. The original blue has worn considerably on the receiver and other exposed surfaces, while the barrel sides and protected areas retain noticeably stronger finish. The metal has generally aged toward blue gray and plum with normal handling wear, but we do not see major peppering, deep pitting, or serious active oxidation.

The walnut stock has an attractive red brown color and displays its natural grain well. It appears to retain an old factory style finish, with dents, small gouges, scratches, and handling marks consistent with long use but no major cracks or visible structural repairs. As appropriate for this sporting configuration, there are no sling swivels installed. The rear sight remains complete and functional, folding correctly with the slider holding securely on the leaf.

The action on this particular rifle does not operate exactly as the original Keene system was designed. Cycling the bolt places the external striker or cocking piece directly at full cock rather than leaving it at the normal half cock safety position. The rifle can therefore be discharged immediately after cycling without manually drawing the cocking piece farther rearward. This may indicate an old alteration, wear, or an internal adjustment issue, and it should be regarded as a mechanical condition discrepancy rather than a normal feature of the design.

During manual cycling, the magazine carrier rises and falls correctly. The cutoff lever on the left side also moves through its positions. Importantly, the cutoff is not intended simply to stop the carrier from moving. Its purpose is to block cartridges from leaving the tubular magazine so the rifle can be operated as a single shot while keeping the magazine in reserve. On this example, movement of the carrier in both cutoff positions is therefore not by itself evidence of a malfunction. We have not tested the rifle with cartridges and cannot confirm whether the magazine, carrier, cutoff, and feed system function correctly under ammunition.

The bore is in very good condition, showing a bright interior with crisp lands and grooves. There is light overall wear together with a slight haze in places, but no major fouling, heavy corrosion, or serious bore damage is apparent.

With its correct 24 1/2" Grade A Sporting Rifle configuration, .45-70 Government chambering, tubular magazine, unusual bottom loading carrier, manually visible cocking system, original Remington patent markings, strong remaining blue, attractive walnut stock, and very good bore, this is a particularly appealing example of one of America's earliest commercially produced bolt action repeaters. It would make an excellent addition to a collection of early Remington arms, experimental bolt action rifles, .45-70 sporting rifles, or transitional repeating firearms of the late 19th century.

Specifications:-

Years of Manufacture: 1880-1886
Maker: Remington & Sons
Model: Remington-Keene Sporting Rifle
Caliber: .45-70 Government
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 24 1/2 Inches
Overall Length: 44 1/4 Inches
Action type: Bolt-Action Magazine Repeater
Feed System: 9-Round Tube Magazine
Federal Classification: Pre-1899 Antique

The Remington–Keene is an early bolt-action design utilizing a tubular magazine, and was manufactured in both rifle and carbine lengths. The action was definitely a very interesting design, based around a bolt with an exposed "hammer" cocking piece for the internal striker. It definitely seems to have been designed with the military in mind, as after the bolt is cycled, it is placed directly into the "safety" position, and the bolt cannot be opened or the trigger pulled until the "hammer" is pulled back into battery. Only then can the weapon be fired, or also the bolt can be opened, which then will fly back as the bolt is de-cocked. As with many early designs, there are no locking lugs on the front or rear of the barrel, with the bolt handle being the only thing that holds the bolt closed, however with black powder this was not really much of an issue.

Like many rifles intended for the military, it also was designed with a relatively simple take down function, where the bolt and many components are held in place by a single bolt. This is on the right side of the stock just forward of the trigger, however it is for some reason "reverse threaded", which has caused many examples to have damaged heads on the screws, as they are excessively tightened in an effort to remove them.

The tubular magazine is also a bit unique, being similar to the those used on other tube magazine designs, based around a lifter that brings up the next round when the bolt is moved all the way back. However it definitely has some unique features, the most noticeable of which is that the bottom of the lifter is visible on the bottom of the action, and serves as a loading gate for the magazine, which is loaded with the action closed. It is also held in the up position until bolt moves forward by a latch on the right side that hooks onto a pin on the inner right side of the receiver. When the bolt is closed, the latch is pushed forward, and the lifter drops back down for the next round. Also as with many bolt action rifles of the time, it has a "magazine cutoff" on the left side of the receiver, which keeps the rifle in single shot mode when at the rear, allowing repeated fire when pushed forward.

Remington & Sons had first manufactured prototypes of Keene's patents for consideration by the United States Army Ordnance Department Magazine Gun Board convened in 1878. Although the Army rejected the design in favor of the Winchester-Hotchkiss, Remington commenced production and offered the rifle to the United States Navy Bureau of Ordnance. The Navy purchased 250 rifles for comparison with their 2,500 Hotchkiss rifles and 300 M1885 Remington-Lee rifles. The Remington–Keene rifles were delivered in 1880 with US and an anchor stamped on the left side of the barrel and WWK and P (proof) stamped on the right side of the barrel by Lieutenant William W. Kimball. These rifles remained in service for less than a decade aboard USS Trenton (1876) and USS Michigan (1843). In July 1880 the United States Department of the Interior purchased 600 Frontier Model carbines with 24 in (61 cm) barrels to arm the Indian Police on a number of reservations in the western United States.

With the Government not really interested in the design, Remington & Sons turned to the Civilian Market, where they hoped to achieve more success. They marketed a "Hunter's or Sporting Rifle", available in .40 and .45 caliber, which was marketed in four "Grades" to appeal to more discerning customers. Grades A and B had 24 1/2 inch barrels, and were relatively simple in design, while the Grade C featured a fancy stock, and Grade D was a special custom order. These were made for several years, but all production stopped in 1886 when the company went into receivership.

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, so we are not able to ship to the United Kingdom.

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 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.