Remington rolling block

Suzanne · Posted: Sat Aug 31, 2013 5:45 pm Post subject: Remington rolling block

So for my birthday I just bought a Remington rolling block. Always wanted one but the price of antiques is kinda steep, so this one caught my eye at $295. Figured I could at least use the action. The wood is pretty much oil soaked, shrunken and has some major repairs in the butt stock. One of the repairs is a wooden dowel that you can actually push part way out! As a wall hanger it ranks right up there pretty high, so much character, you just want to talk to it and wait for a reply.

The barrel is rust pitted and has a bulge about 10" from the breech end. Didn't notice it in the shop, but when I brought it home and tore it down the bulge really stood out (cast a shadow like a pimple on your forehead). Looking into the barrel from the breech end you can see it pretty good too, but not from the muzzle end.

I took the action apart and aside from the rust and debris it's in good shape. Pitted a little on the outside but not as bad as the barrel. Can't exactly read the date on it...looks like 1864. It's in the original military configuration with a 34 inch barrel. Anyway I'm going to clean it up and make that action less grimy and rusty.

The place where I bought it will make a barrel for it but they won't chamber it or thread it. They're a black powder shop and make some beautiful bp rifles. So I need a good smith that can do a Remington rolling block rebarrel...any suggestions?

Forgot to mention it's a 43 Spanish and I would put a 45-70 on it, the cases for 43 Spanish are about $2.50 a piece so I'll stick with 45-70 as I already reload for that.

Photos when I get to it...

Elvis · Posted: Sat Aug 31, 2013 6:20 pm Post subject: Re: Remington rolling block

Deer Slayer????
sounds like a worthwhile project.
I wonder if Remington themselves might help you out???
would be great PR for them if they did.

Pumpkinslinger · Posted: Sat Aug 31, 2013 9:20 pm Post subject: Re: Remington rolling block

I know a good gunsmith but he's about 20 miles from here.

I'm going to have to take a picture to show you tomorrow...

Suzanne · Posted: Sun Sep 01, 2013 7:04 am Post subject: Re: Remington rolling block

Here's some pictures, I tried to get the whole thing in one shot but it's just too long, it has 3 bands friction fit (no screws) and the fore stock is barely held by them. The one photo of the barrel shows the bulge where the dental pick is. Notice the stock with the many repairs and even some sort of brass rivet. I dunno...it's so....awsome....maybe I shouldn't rebarel and restock it, it's truly not worth much though. It speaks to you....like argh! owch!OOOFFFF!

MacD · Posted: Sun Sep 01, 2013 7:47 am Post subject: Re: Remington rolling block

A piece of history for sure. I like to imagine the people who have sighted down that barrel and pulled the trigger. Who was the first owner and who's initial are on the butt stock are just a few of the memories that rifle holds.

Are there any proof marks on the barrel or receiver? I just read that it was the official Spanish army rifle in that caliber up to 1893 and used by reserves after that. It could be a Spanish/American war souvenir.

Ominivision1 · Posted: Sun Sep 01, 2013 9:38 am Post subject: Re: Remington rolling block

Doggone Suz, Happy Birthday gal, belated but love that remington. Is there anything under the buttstock?

Nice looking remy.

TRBLSHTR · Posted: Sun Sep 01, 2013 10:16 am Post subject: Re: Remington rolling block

Wow Suz!What an interesting piece of history!If only that rifle could talk!I'm jealous!BTW-happy birthday!
I've been entertaining the idea of buying one of those martini henry rifles from india(british occupation) and going thru it the same way and rebarreling in 45-70,Just another thousand dollars for a dust collector!I guess it's money better spent than on cirrhosis! Laughing

Vince · Posted: Sun Sep 01, 2013 11:27 pm Post subject: Re: Remington rolling block

That may well be a wall hanger Suz...but what a magnificent hanger.

Keep your eyes and ears open mate, there is bound to be another come up that you could do a little swapping around of parts so you have a wall hanger and a shooter.

The stock shouldn't be a problem for a great woodworker like you...you could easily reproduce a stock in new timber mate.

I know of a barrel maker that could/would produce a barrel for that monster, but he is over here in Brisbane...but his work is brilliant, albeit expensive.

Suzanne · Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2013 10:21 am Post subject: Re: Remington rolling block

Omini for you I partially took the butt pad off, and nuthin found. I think if I did some magic on the butt stock, I could preserve it. The tang screw through-hole is buggered up and generally the inside is too, but I think with some really stout filler like maybe some JB weld or some bedding epoxy, I could strengthen it up enough to use it. The fore stock is way too shrunken and has some areas shy of wood.

Anyway (thinkin out loud) it would be cool to have a full length fore stock and if I played it right, I could use the same bands, well two of them anyway, the barrel will be about 10 inches shorter probably.

I took it back to the guy I bought it from (a black powder shop) and showed him the bulged barrel. He said "Yeah it's still shootable". Doesn't look safe to me. Having never seen a bulged barrel, I at first thought it had be sawed off then welded back together or something, but with great care and precision to even line up the rifling? He said he sees lots of bulged barrels come in there. Leave the gun outside at a black powder mountain man camp out and a mud dauber wasp will start a nest in the barrel and so your first shot ends up plowing through a dirt-clod and worse things can happen too.

Still shootable he says people do it, just depends how accurate you need to get. No thanks, I'd rather rebarrel it and be safe, it looks better in the account of your demise if the photo doesn't show you too messed up.

From what I can find, the value of the action alone is over the $295 I paid for this rifle. That's why i said it ain't worth much anyway. I think it's fine to tear it down and start a new project out of it, it's a shame to not record it though, so I'm taking some detailed photos of it first off.

gelandangan · Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2013 4:15 pm Post subject: Re: Remington rolling block

Awesome Suz, a rolling block definite is in my list of "to have".

45-70 is actually a low pressure cartridge, specially with black powder propellant, short of having a crack in the barrel, I also think it is safe to shoot low vel loads.
Forget about sawing and welding of the barrel, it will never get aligned properly, rebarrelling is the only solution if cutting the bell would shorten the rifle below legal limit.

Looking on the photo, I think the bulge is near the breech.
Provided the crown of the barrel and the groves in front of the bulge are still good, I reckon you will still get acceptable accuracy for large game hunting within its limit.

You own yourself a piece of history there Suz.

Suzanne · Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2013 9:56 pm Post subject: Re: Remington rolling block

Thanks Geland! Yes I'm proud of it too, I took it to my b-day "partay" today to show off and it was big hit. Especially the hard pulling hammer and trigger and the heft of 34 inches of barrel. I found out the trigger pull which is somewhere near trying to pull your car with one finger and the brakes applied, can be lessened with a new spring, so I ordered one. It truly is amazingly hard to pull the trigger, one guy on a YouTube video said that his was around 16lbs. and i don't doubt it as he demonstrated with weights. The YouTube guy stoned the sear and then heat treated it but there's another way to get less risky and that's to use a different spring. Had to send a check through the mail so it'll take a while to get it. Not many places to find parts for these. Most of the Remingtons were sold to other countries so I bet there's lots of parts available somewhere.

PaulS · Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 9:58 pm Post subject: Re: Remington rolling block

Suz,
Great find! I am glad that you plan to shoot it. I hate it when guns are hung on a wall just to look at.
(I am just a bit jealous but only because I want to build a pair of rolling block pistols and can't even start because my shop isn't finished yet)

Vince · Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 11:40 pm Post subject: Re: Remington rolling block

Unfortunately Paul, there are times when a gun has reached the point where it is unsafe to shoot, and not worth the expense and hassles to rebuild it, so the best place for it is on the wall. At least it doesn't get consigned to a rubbish heap mate.

My daughter's FIL has a couple of damascus barrelled wall hangers that have a lot of sentimental value, so although they will no longer be shooters, they will not be lost.

slimjim · Posted: Wed Sep 04, 2013 4:08 am Post subject: Re: Remington rolling block

Suz, guess I had a good relaxing weekend with the family. That's my excuse for not seeing your post before now. I have restored a Remington Rolling Block that was originally in .43 Egyptian. It was a big deal back then for countries to have their own cartridges so each country did a small mod to a cartridge and called it their own. Many of the Remington Rolling Blocks were made under licence in Europe (Danish if I remember correctly). I did an article on the issues I had with the gun and what I had to do to restore it to working order including where to buy parts. I had bought a Numrich replacement barrel in .45-70 30 years ago but never got around to firing the gun til a couple years back. That is where I discovered all the problems. The article has been lost in the server changes so I just asked DallanC to repost it.

Even with reduced loads, the gun has a sizable kick. I put a scope on it to do some load development.

I still have the orginal barrel and fore stock. I saw it the other day leaning up against my workbench and asked myself why I still kept it. Well, after 30 years it might have a new home. Its yours if you want it.

gelandangan · Posted: Wed Sep 04, 2013 4:57 am Post subject: Re: Remington rolling block

Damn, that rifle sure looks fine..