Sad Rolling Block

[Major 2]

My Friendly FFL ( I do a lot of old gun repair & appraisals for them )
has customer that brought in a Remington Rolling block

Good part is it has great action and in very good cond.  , bright bore

bad news it was cut down at some point and sportified , the stock is sq. cut about 1 1/4" ahead of the rear barrel band.

and some WAG mounted a modern Weaver Scope .... The customer does not know what Caliber it is

So I been asked to cast the chamber ( Kerro Safe ) in hopes he can shoot it

I'll post some photo 

If it were mine I think I'd re-barrel it and re- stock it or repair it to Carbine length ...as a project
   

[Oregon Bill]

Major, what flavor o' rolling block did this turn out to be?

[Major 2]

It was chambered in 43 Spanish

[Dave T]

From what I understand the 43 is kissin' cousin to the 44-77 Sharps. That would be an interesting cartridge/rifle to play with but the other things done to it (the idea of that scope on a RB makes me shudder - lol) present something of a problem. Since 43 Spanish isn't a cartridge you can run down to the gun shop and buy (even when gun shops had ammo) one wonders what the previous owner was thinking when he/she/it put that scope on. Curiouser and curiouser.

Dave

[Drydock]

Bubba is not to be understood!

[Professor Marvel]

Since 43 Spanish isn't a cartridge you can run down to the gun shop and buy (even when gun shops had ammo) one wonders what the previous owner was thinking when he/she/it put that scope on. Curiouser and curiouser.

Dave

Re the scope...
Bad Eyes?  If it was already cutdown, as a deer carbine, the owner most likely saw no harm.

I myself am running into that issue... Anything I want to shoot past 75 yards is getting a scope put on it, but in a manner that is not irredeemable. Ascetics and originality be damned, if I can't put the roundinto a teacup with my eyes at 175 yards it becomes a museum piece.

I see a progression in these old rifles.
Milsurp "fill in the blank" gets offered via Bannerman, hardware store or mail-order at $1.59 a pop.
Makes a great first deer rifle for the kid! Ah, but it is too long and too heavy, so we cut down the stock
And the barrel... Makes a satisfactory cheap deer carbine.

That crappy looking but good enough carbine gets passed around the family, may end up as a wagon gun or loaner, pretty soon gets shoved in the closet, if not tossed out. After all more modern stuff , betterer stuff is available by now, ( 1920?  1930? 1950? )

Eventually it comes out of the closet or attic. A more mature sort with the funds available might try to rebarrell, restock, or restore it... A more frugal fellow with less disposable cash just wants to make
G-grandpa's  "deer gun" shoot again and take another deer!  Or, turn it into the cheap first rifle for the latest sprout.... Again ... But with a scope for easy sighting....

Not everybody has $200 to drop on juniors first deer rifle, especially if he/she might not carry on the hunting tradition for whatever reason...  Have you seen the price of a new water heater lately? I shudder...

Better to have it shooting than to turn into a wall decoration.

Yhs
Prof marvbles

[Drydock]

True.   A wise man once wrote: "History is not what it used to be."

[Major 2]

You may want to avert your eyes 

Note: the aluminum PICATINNY mount for the scope , ( barrel is drilled for it w/ 3 screws ), there is also some kind of ramp front sight and a V  block rear sight.

[Professor Marvel]

You may want to avert your eyes 

Note: the aluminum PICATINNY mount for the scope , ( barrel is drilled for it w/ 3 screws ), there is also some kind of ramp front sight and a V  block rear sight.

Coooooooool .... that would go well with this tactical 1858




if its a pre '98 I would offer the man $50 ....

cuz I have a welder and a whole box of green mountain barrels... !

yhs
prof grumblebunny

[DeaconKC]

That's just the sort of mud puppy I love to redeem! Seriously, if he would sell, I would like to make him an offer.

[Major 2]

I didn't meet the guy, it was my FFL that commissioned me , I returned the carbine & chamber cast to the store.
Gave some passing thought to the project myself ....re-barrel & rechamber find forstock , but told the guy did not wish to sell it...

I can ask again , but I think it was someway an heirloom ...

[LongWalker]

I've got one of those fine rolling blocks chambered in 43 Spanish.  My plan was to strip it for the action, and trade it off at a gun show.  But here's someone's big chance to save this Priceless Piece of History:  I'll sell the whole rifle for just twice what I expect to ask for the action (since it is currently a "Priceless Piece of History", and a stripped action is just a "Bubba Event").   I'll be here (listening to the crickets) waiting for the calls . . . .   

Sorry, pet peeve.  In 40 years of hearing people complain about modifications other people have done to their firearms, purchased with their money, I have yet to see anyone offer to buy the darn thing before it is chopped--even when it is offered for sale before the modifications are done.  Just a guess, but the guy who cut it down might have been perfectly willing to trade it--uncut--for a 94 Winchester.

So act now.  Quantities are limited, and they aren't making History any more!

[DeaconKC]

There are 2 RBs at my LGS right now, both unmolested. Both over $1,000 so I can't swing that right now. So, I am willing to put in some "sweat equity" to have one I can shoot.

[KenH]

I know it's blasphemy, but I have a Rolling Block rebarreled to 45-70 with a scope, and even a 45-70 Trapdoor with a scope.  With my eyes I could barely see to hit a paper plate at 50 yds with iron sights.  I have found with tang mounted sights I can actually shoot to 50 yds ok, and have held <1" group at 50 with my 1874 Sharps with tang sight.

There are reasons to mount a scope if a shooter is wanted rather than wall hanger.  Myself, I'm not much into Wall Hangers - that's like a safe queen only taken out to clean.

Ken H>

[Coffinmaker]

  PLUS ONE too KenH   

People are Hazardous to Your Health