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, 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, 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! There is even an arsenal marking on the left side of the receiver, a great chance for research! Rifles that were sent to France would never have these type of markings.

The Rifle comes with its original cleaning rod, and unlike almost all that we see, there are still legible Remington patent markings on the receiver tang! In this case the receiver has three lines of patent markings, indicating that it is from a later contract. The lines are still mostly legible, a real rarity:-

There are also still a few western numerals on the underside of the sight ladder, with the rest worn away. The metalwork has a lovely gray 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 are actually in good shape, with wear, and a very nice light brown color. There is wood missing along the wood line on the fore stock, as it has been worn down from cleaning over the years. The butt stock shows less wear, but definitely still saw extensive use. Both sling swivels are still intact, though the rear sight is missing the slider, as they often do.

The bore is clear, shiny, and clean, however it is definitely quite worn, with the lands looking more like "ripples" in the bore. This is definitely a rifle that saw extensive use in the field, but was still cleaned regularly to keep corrosion from taking hold. The action cycles correctly, and dry fires, with a strong mainspring, however the trigger needs to be pulled back a bit for the block to open due to wear. 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.

An Antique U.S. made Remington Rolling Block Infantry Rifle, made under contract and supplied to Egypt, 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.

NOTE: International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.