Rolling Block Rifle

[The Trinity Kid]

Hi y'all.  Got a quick question.   What year did the Rolling block hit the market and what calibers?   I'm writing a book and need to know so I don't arm him too early.....

--TK

[Fox Creek Kid]

1867 in .46 Rimfire & .50 Rimfire. No one knows exactly when they introd 44-77 & 50-70 but after 1869.

[Arizona Trooper]

There was a rolling block musket conversion that came out not long after the end of the Civil War. They have the '66 patent date so would be later than the summer of '66. Caliber was 58 US Musket centerfire. Ammo usually used bar anvil primers. It looks like a rimfire. The 50-70 two band and three band conversions came out about the same time, or very shortly afterward.

There were also the split breech carbines. These look like a rolling block, but the action locks up differently. These were in 46 Ballard and 56-50 Spencer rimfire. The 46 cal. deliveries started in Feb. of '65, while the 50s came in later in '65 after the war was over. 

The '67 Navy carbine deliveries started in '68. These were in 50-45 Carbine/Cadet centerfire. This is the same cartridge used in the 1867 Trapdoor cadet rifle and the prototype 1868 Trapdoor carbines. The first delivery was rejected because the rifling was cut too deep, so those RB carbines didn't hit the fleet until 1869 or so. 95 were overruns that were sold on the civilian market, probably in '68. This one would be a good candidate for a an early civilian Rolling Block purchase. They are handy guns, shoot well and are easy to carry on horseback, even thought they don't have a saddle ring.

[The Trinity Kid]

Thanks guys, very helpful.  Yeah, at the moment the book is taking place in the summer/fall of '66, so he has a Springfield '61 musket, but he is going to lose that somehow and need a replacement heavy rifle.  But trying to be historically accurate and all, I didn't want a futuristic rifle.  His Winchester '66 is really pushing it....   Though I will tell you he carries two Remington NMA revolvers. 

--TK

[Shotgun Franklin]

You could change that '66 into a Henry, except for how they load there ain't a nickel's difference.

[The Trinity Kid]

I thought about that, but the Winchester sorta adds to the effect being something special.  I've got a good background idea on how he gets it, but haven't been able to get it on paper yet.

--TK

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

I can't recall the reference, but I recall hearing that Goodnight & Loving equipped their crew with Remington split-breech carbines for their first drive during the summer of 1866.

[Shotgun Franklin]

I don't think it was Goodnight and Loving but the first drive after the war records the Drovers as being armed with the Remington.

[Fox Creek Kid]

I can't recall the reference, but I recall hearing that Goodnight & Loving equipped their crew with Remington split-breech carbines for their first drive during the summer of 1866.

It was Nelson Story. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Story

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Well!  At least I got the year correct.