« previous next »
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: How do I tell which Remington Rolling Block Action I have  (Read 2757 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline DonT

  • Trade Count: (6)
  • Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 282
How do I tell which Remington Rolling Block Action I have
« on: July 31, 2007, 05:47:48 AM »
Need to order wood and they are asking if it is a 1, 1/2 or 5 as they use the same wood or 2 or 4. (not sure what happened to 3's)...

How do I tell which action I have?  I have searched the net and can't find anything on IDing these actions..

Mine, as I understand it, was one of those made by Remington (and so marked) made up and sent to Sweden and then they barreled and stocked.

This action has had the Swedish barrel had been removed during it's life and replaced with a badger barrel chambered in 30-40 Krag.  I have had a number of Range Experts look the gun over and tell me it is a smokeless actioin since it didn't have cutouts on the side of the block.

Can someone tell me how to tell which action it is (number wise) so I don't end up ordering the wrong pre-inletted stock.

Thanks in advance
DonT
Logged

Offline GregP42

  • Global Moderator
  • Trade Count: (6)
  • A Real Regular
  • *****
  • Posts: 752
  • Gender: Male
Re: How do I tell which Remington Rolling Block Action I have
« Reply #1 on: July 31, 2007, 07:20:26 AM »
Don,

Post the dimensions and when I get home I will get mine out and my books.

Greg
Logged
NRA Life Member
"Those who sacrifice essential liberty for temporary safety are not deserving of either liberty or safety."  - Ben Franklin, 1776
Vis Sis Mis!

Offline John Traveler

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1359
Re: How do I tell which Remington Rolling Block Action I have
« Reply #2 on: July 31, 2007, 08:19:11 AM »
Don,

If your's is really a Remington-made action sent to Sweden to be barreled and stocked into a military rifle, it's a Number 1 (black powder) action, model of 1867.  The receiver should measure a nominal 1.312" thickness.  A Number 1 1/2 should measure a nominal 1.140" thickness.

As far as I know, Remington never made or sold smokeless actions to the Swedes.  By the time the Remington Number 5 (smokeless) action came out in 1897, the Swedes had been building their own actions and rifles for almost 30 years, and had adopted the Mauser rifle.  The breech blocks are interchangeable between the Number 1 and 5 actions.

The Number 2 and 4 actions are much smaller and different proportions than the large Number 1 and 5 actions.  The Number 3 was the Reminghton-Hepburn, a dropping block target rifle, not a rolling block.

The easiest was to identify a Number 5 action without removing and measuring the barrel shank, is to look for the receiver radial relief cuts on either side of front of the breechblock.  A black powder Number 1 action will have them, but the Number 5 will not.

HTH
John

Logged
John Traveler

Offline Rangr44

  • Trade Count: (6)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2158
Re: How do I tell which Remington Rolling Block Action I have
« Reply #3 on: July 31, 2007, 08:26:35 AM »
IIRC, All the Remington Swedish & Danish RB's were #1's.
Logged
There's a Place for All God's Creatures - Right Next to the Potatoes & Gravy ! !

Offline Cal 50

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 8
  • Gender: Male
Re: How do I tell which Remington Rolling Block Action I have
« Reply #4 on: August 03, 2007, 02:59:34 PM »
Another way to tell if one from the other is to look at the breech block.  If it has not been changed, the No.1 1/2 has the finger lever straight up and the number 5 has the finger lever projecting on the right hand side.  Hope this helps.
Logged
Do it right the first time!

Offline DonT

  • Trade Count: (6)
  • Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 282
Re: How do I tell which Remington Rolling Block Action I have
« Reply #5 on: August 06, 2007, 03:23:05 AM »
Thanks for all the help folks.. This one looks like a number 1 as it is 1.312 (aprox) wide and has a radius in the inside of the action on either side of the breach block (almost looks like it is an extension from when they bored the hole for the barrel.

Next thoughts, I am shooting very light light loads (18.5-19.0 of 2400 behind a cast 175 grain bullet) and  this rifle has a badger barrel on it.  It is a black powder action anyone see a problem with these light loads? 

The action is tight, the rounds do not stick on extraction, no high pressure or headspacing issues apparent.

DonT
Logged

Offline John Traveler

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1359
Re: How do I tell which Remington Rolling Block Action I have
« Reply #6 on: August 09, 2007, 09:02:59 AM »
Your light smokeless sound fine to me.  I routinely shoot smokeless .45-70 1873 Trapdoor Springfield loads in my blackpowder action rolling blocks.  Your Badger barrel is stressed for modern smokeless cartridges, and firing factory or equivalent handloads should be safe IF the breechblock is fitted with the smaller diameter firing pin.

The limiting factor in shooting light and moderate smokeless loads in a blackpowder rifle besides the strength limitations of the action, are the firing pin/breechblock interface, and the gas handling features of the action.  The rolling block action has poor gas handling design in case of a blown primer.  A sloppy firing pin/breeech fit greatly increases this hazard to the shooter.

You notice that Remington used a smaller firing pin for it's Number 5 smokeless actions compared to the larger firing pin in the Number 1.  The radial cuts were also eliminated to strengthen the action.
Logged
John Traveler

Offline DonT

  • Trade Count: (6)
  • Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 282
Re: How do I tell which Remington Rolling Block Action I have
« Reply #7 on: August 09, 2007, 09:18:55 AM »
John,

Thanks for the info... I really like the rifle, have a stock and forend coming for it with hopes of improving the handling slightly.

I really like the older rifles, I also shoot a converted Vetterli in 41 Swiss and some older Swedes.  Guess it is kinda like having an old pocket knife that belonged to grandpa.  The new ones are prettier but that old one just seems to hold an edge just a little better... ;)

Take care and thanks for the help..
DonT
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up
« previous next »