Original Item: Only One Available. The U.S. Springfield rolling-block U.S. Army & Navy rifles and carbines were manufactured in 1870–72 by Springfield Armory, using the design originated by Remington Arms Company, under a royalty agreement. Here we have a very interesting example, which is not in the standard .50-54 caliber that these were usually issued in. We assumed it was possibly .45-70, but when we put a cartridge in, it rattled around, while the bore only measures about .436". We believe this is in .43 Spanish, possibly "Reformado", which has a larger base diameter than .54-70 while having a smaller bullet. We unfortunately do not have any molds on hand to determine precisely which it is for. We are not sure if the barrel began life at carbine length, or was later shortened. It may have been exported, or even some type of experimental weapon.

The carbine shows significant wear and past oxidation to the receiver, which has unfortunately obliterated most markings that were present. In form however it is just about an exact match for the Springfield marked Remington Rolling block carbine. The Remington patent markings are still faintly present, but illegible, and we did check under the butt stock, where it has serial number 9315 on both the receiver and trigger guard tangs. The barrel has some proof marks on the sides, which we were not able to identify.

The condition of the carbine is very nice, with a nice aged plum patina on the metalwork, and a lovely look to the wood stocks, which look to have been arsenal refurbished. The butt stock in particular has some fantastic "flame" figuring on both sides, which really "flips" in the light.  The barrel bore is in very good condition, showing crisp 5 groove rifling with strong lands and grooves, and a partly bright finish. Mechanically, the rifle cycles correctly, with the ejector presenting. The saddle ring bar on the left side is intact, with one ring still attached. It also has sling swivels under the butt and on the single barrel band.

This is a very interesting example of a U.S. Remington Rolling block carbine, with some great research potential. Fully cleaned and ready to display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: circa 1872
Caliber: .43 Spanish / Egyptian
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 20 1/2 Inches
Overall Length: 35 1/2 Inches
Action type: Rolling Block with Rear Hammer
Feed System: Single Shot

History of the Springfield Remington Rifles & Carbines

During the U.S. Civil War, Joseph Rider experimented with several breech loading weapon designs. In 1865, he was issued the first patent for what would evolve into the Remington rolling block action. The Remingtons continued to invest in Rider's work, and met with Ordnance Department officials in the hope of interesting them in this new design. The U.S. Navy Ordnance Department became interested in the design, and purchased several different models of rifles from 1867 through 1869. Field trials of these various rifles yielded mostly positive results.

In 1869, the Navy Bureau of Ordnance tested many different weapons, and settled on the .50 caliber Remington Rolling Block for use by both the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marines. An order was placed for 10,000 model 1870 rifles. After the rifles were produced, Navy inspectors realized that the rear sights had been positioned incorrectly, and were dangerously close to the chamber, making the weapon unsafe for use. All 10,000 rifles were rejected, and were subsequently sold to France for use in the Franco-Prussian War. The sale of the defective rifles enabled enough funds to be recovered that the Navy Ordnance Department ordered an additional 12,000 rifles.

Following the success of the model 1870, the Governor of New York ordered 15,000 Remington rolling block rifles and bayonets for his state's militia. These model 1871 rifles were very similar to the model 1870 rifles, but differed in some details. Field experience with the model 1870 showed that the mechanism jammed too easily in dusty conditions. Users also did not like loading the weapon at full cock. The model 1871 included a locking bolt in the breech mechanism. The user pulled the hammer to the full cock position, retracted the breech block spur to expose the chamber, and inserted the cartridge. When the breech block closed, the hammer automatically fell to the half cock position, and the weapon could not be fired until the hammer was once again pulled to the full cock position.

Over 20,000 model 1871 rifles were eventually purchased by the state of New York. The U.S. Army did not greet the Remingtons with much enthusiasm, despite its superiority to the standard-issue Springfield model 1870. Foreign sales of the weapon were much more successful. Denmark ordered many of the model 1870 and 1871 rifles. In 1873, Spain ordered 50,000 model 1871 rifles, which were delivered in 1875. Numerous other countries, such as France, Chile, Argentina, Cuba, Greece, and Puerto Rico also purchased this rifle.

NOTE: International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.