Figure 1. Detail of a Remington Rolling Block Breech-Loading Rifle’s Action
Black Powder Redux
These days we are deluged with a plethora of .223 AR platforms, 9mm semi-automatic pistols (especially striker-fired models), and all manner of weapons out of gun-foo movies. Frankly, it can be refreshing to go back not one century but two. Find a weapon that doesn’t come out of a video game, but is still easier to carry and more convenient than a blunderbuss or flintlock.
Here, I present to you the most popular rifle of the period between the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 and World War I. The Remington rolling block rifle was the best seller of the day. It was produced until 1918, both at home and abroad under license. Figure 1 is a close-up of the Remington rolling block action, which will be discussed in more detail a bit later.
Figure 2 shows a short-barreled Remington rolling block carbine. Figure 3 shows a version with a full-length barrel. These weapons were sold all over the world to places like Denmark, Egypt, Spain, and Argentina. Almost all the Latin American countries at the end of the 19th century used some variation of the rolling block. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid probably met their ends at the hands of soldiers with rolling blocks.
Figure 2. Short-barreled Remington rolling block carbine.
Remington rolling blocks were produced in a wide range of calibers. The vast majority fired black powder cartridges, but some later versions fired smokeless. They can be found today, chambered in .22 LR, .45-70 Government, .43 Spanish, and literally dozens of other variations. Much of this is due to the strength and reliability of the action. In heavy calibers, Remington rolling blocks were the classic buffalo rifle. The claim has been made that more buffalo fell to Remington rolling blocks than any other rifle.
Figure 3. Full-length military Remington rolling block with cleaning rod and sling
Nowadays, unless you’re fortunate to find one chambered in a popular smokeless cartridge like .22 LR or 7mm Mauser, you’ll have to load your own. Brass for the .43 Spanish is still available, bullets have to be special-ordered, and they are not cheap. All the equipment to cast and load your own can cost more than the rifle.
This article won’t get into the subject of loading. Bullet and cartridge choice will depend on what you’re using it for. Plinking or hunting? It’s the old drill. At what range do you engage, and how much energy do you need to have left to ensure sufficient penetration? Then, you’ll have to find the rifle with the caliber you want. One will need to get used to the ballistic performance of these rounds.
All I’ll say is these are f*****g cool. Regular .308 full metal jacket ammo weighs about 147 grains. The .43 Spanish lead round-nose comes in at 370 grains. The original load, with 77 grains of black powder, generated a muzzle velocity of about 1,275 fps (depending on barrel length and other factors). That’s not bad for the day.
Now, there’s a tradeoff. A round that gives 40% of the muzzle velocity of modern ammo, but 2 ½ times more weight in a soft lead package. It’s the old choice of whether one prefers to fire a small, high-speed projectile or a brick.
Black Powder Redux
These days we are deluged with a plethora of .223 AR platforms, 9mm semi-automatic pistols (especially striker-fired models), and all manner of weapons out of gun-foo movies. Frankly, it can be refreshing to go back not one century but two. Find a weapon that doesn’t come out of a video game, but is still easier to carry and more convenient than a blunderbuss or flintlock.
Here, I present to you the most popular rifle of the period between the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 and World War I. The Remington rolling block rifle was the best seller of the day. It was produced until 1918, both at home and abroad under license. Figure 1 is a close-up of the Remington rolling block action, which will be discussed in more detail a bit later.
Figure 2 shows a short-barreled Remington rolling block carbine. Figure 3 shows a version with a full-length barrel. These weapons were sold all over the world to places like Denmark, Egypt, Spain, and Argentina. Almost all the Latin American countries at the end of the 19th century used some variation of the rolling block. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid probably met their ends at the hands of soldiers with rolling blocks.
Figure 2. Short-barreled Remington rolling block carbine.
Remington rolling blocks were produced in a wide range of calibers. The vast majority fired black powder cartridges, but some later versions fired smokeless. They can be found today, chambered in .22 LR, .45-70 Government, .43 Spanish, and literally dozens of other variations. Much of this is due to the strength and reliability of the action. In heavy calibers, Remington rolling blocks were the classic buffalo rifle. The claim has been made that more buffalo fell to Remington rolling blocks than any other rifle.
Figure 3. Full-length military Remington rolling block with cleaning rod and sling
Nowadays, unless you’re fortunate to find one chambered in a popular smokeless cartridge like .22 LR or 7mm Mauser, you’ll have to load your own. Brass for the .43 Spanish is still available, bullets have to be special-ordered, and they are not cheap. All the equipment to cast and load your own can cost more than the rifle.
This article won’t get into the subject of loading. Bullet and cartridge choice will depend on what you’re using it for. Plinking or hunting? It’s the old drill. At what range do you engage, and how much energy do you need to have left to ensure sufficient penetration? Then, you’ll have to find the rifle with the caliber you want. One will need to get used to the ballistic performance of these rounds.
All I’ll say is these are f*****g cool. Regular .308 full metal jacket ammo weighs about 147 grains. The .43 Spanish lead round-nose comes in at 370 grains. The original load, with 77 grains of black powder, generated a muzzle velocity of about 1,275 fps (depending on barrel length and other factors). That’s not bad for the day.
Now, there’s a tradeoff. A round that gives 40% of the muzzle velocity of modern ammo, but 2 ½ times more weight in a soft lead package. It’s the old choice of whether one prefers to fire a small, high-speed projectile or a brick.
The Rolling Block Action
Figure 1 is a close-up of the Remington rolling block action. When cocked, the hammer leaves room for the rolling block to be thumbed back. This opens the breech, into which a bullet is inserted. The rolling block is then thumbed shut. The rifleman then aims and shoots. The hammer falls, hits the firing pin, and the rifle fires.
It’s a very strong, simple action. This video shows how the different components work together: Rolling Block How it Works
This video, from Forgotten Weapons, is a great introduction to the history and features of the weapon. Introduction to the Rolling Block
It’s actually quite funny because they have trouble hitting the target. But I think the idea is that they are having a lot of fun shooting this rifle. After getting familiar with it, the shooter can probably get quite effective once he understands all the factors that affect the performance of the round.
Here’s another video that shows the firing of an Argentine carbine: the 1871 Argentine Rolling Block Carbine.
Closing Words
That’s it. Just wanted to write this up for a bit of fun and a change of pace. I do think it’s worthwhile from time to time to appreciate older weapons and their simplicity. A breech-loaded single-shot rifle with scarce ammo makes one think more carefully about each shot.
These weapons are by no means rare. Certain variations are (see this discussion of the rolling block manufactured for the Papal States: Papal Staten Rolling Block in 11.7mm or .50-70), but if you are looking for a shooter, you’ll probably be able to find what you want.
Cameron Curtis has spent thirty years in the financial markets as a trader and risk manager. He was on the trade floor when Saddam’s tanks rolled into Kuwait, when the air wars opened over Baghdad and Belgrade, and when the financial crisis swallowed the world. He’s studied military affairs and warfare all his adult life. His popular Breed series of military adventure thrillers are admired for combining deep expertise with propulsive action. The premises are realistic, the stories adrenaline-fuelled and emotionally engaging.
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