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 an original Egyptian contract Remington Rolling block rifle, supplied to Egypt starting in 1869 in .43 Egyptian. In all 300,000 of these were produced but 100,000 were diverted to France for the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871. Some of these Remington M-1869 Infantry rifles have been re-imported over the past 30 years but they are hard to find in any decent condition. This was the model rifle used to fight the British at the Battle of Tel-El-Kabir in 1882 and the Mahdi's Sudanese Dervishes at the siege of Khartoum in which General Gordon was killed in January of 1885.

Unlike other examples we have seen, this one could have actually been there, as the breech of the barrel is covered in Egyptian arsenal markings. The left side of the breech block even has a CRESCENT MOON with what looks to be E.P. above, and below is an Eastern Arabic date of ١٩١٢ (last numeral is faint), or 1912. It could also be 1913, and this is the date it was most likely last processed at an Egyptian arsenal. It even looks like some markings may have been crossed out, and new ones added on the barrel breech! Rifles that were sent to France would never have these type of markings.

The rifle comes with its original cleaning rod, and like most we see, the original Remington patent markings on the receiver tang are completely worn away. There are however still a few western numerals on the left side of the sight ramp and underside of the sight ladder, with the rest worn away. The metalwork has a lovely brown patina, often acquired as the guns are in sandy conditions, and were often cleaned with sand as well, though this example may have escaped that. There is definitely wear, but nothing out of the ordinary for a long service used rifle.

The stocks still in relatively good shape, though they do show wear, particularly the fore stock, which is missing quite a bit of wood along the wood line. As can be seen around the barrel bands, a significant amount of wood was worn away from the sides and bottom. Both sling swivels are intact, but look to have been replaced or modified during service. The rear sight still flips up, but the slider as missing, as we often see.

The bore is in very good condition on this rifle, which is definitely not typical. It is still bright with clear lands and grooves, showing some rounding of the lands. There is no major fouling or oxidation present, showing that it was well cared for during its service life, unlike the exterior. The action cycles correctly, and dry fires, with a strong mainspring, however the hammer may not quite go far enough forward at present. The firing pin is present, and the ejector is also present, though we have not tested it to see if it is able to eject a cartridge. It is an early type of action with a concave top to the rolling block, which would later be flat.

An Antique U.S. made Remington Rolling Block Infantry Rifle, made under contract and supplied to Egypt, fully cleaned and ready to display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: c.1875
Caliber: .43 Egyptian
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 35 Inches
Overall Length: 50 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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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.

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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.