Remington-Hepburn No. 3 Sporting
E. Remington and Sons · Rifle · Discontinued · 1880
Also known as: Remington No. 3 Hepburn, Remington-Hepburn No. 3 Sporting Rifle
Overview
The Remington-Hepburn No. 3 Sporting is a single-shot, falling-block sporting rifle designed by Lewis L. Hepburn and marketed by E. Remington and Sons from around 1880 to 1907. Its breechblock is operated by a distinctive side-mounted thumb lever, and the strong action was chambered in a wide range of black-powder cartridges from .22 Long Rifle up to .50-90 Sharps, with .45-70 Government among the most popular sporting chamberings. Standard sporting rifles wore 26, 28, or 30-inch octagonal or round barrels with blued finish, case-hardened actions, and checkered walnut pistol-grip stocks.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4200 g (148.2 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1168 mm (45.98") |
| Barrel Length | 762 mm (30.00") |
| Action Type | Falling Block |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 545 m/s (1788 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2753 J (2031 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 200 m (219 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 1000 m (1094 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued Barrel Case Hardened Action |
Calibers
- .45-70 Government · primary — also known as .45-70 Govt, .45-70, .45-70 Springfield, 11.63x53mmR
- .38-55 Winchester — also known as .38-55 Win, .38-55 WCF
- .25-20 Winchester — also known as .25 WCF, .25-20 Win, .25-20 WCF, 6.5x33mmR
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Single Shot
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock Notch
- Features: Side Thumb Lever, Octagonal Or Round Barrel, Walnut Pistol Grip Stock, Hand Checkering, Optional Double Set Trigger, Drilled For Tang And Telescopic Sights
Variants
- Remington-Hepburn No. 3 Match Rifle - Target Rifle
- Remington-Hepburn No. 3 Long Range Creedmoor - Long Range Target
- Remington-Hepburn No. 3 Schuetzen Match - Schuetzen
Base model
Service history
Operators
- American sport hunters and target shooters · adopted 1880 · as No. 3 Sporting Rifle
Production
Estimated total produced: 10,000 · Production years: 1880-1907
Approximately 10,000 or fewer produced across all No. 3 grades and chamberings; Sporting Rifle was the standard configuration
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Lewis L. Hepburn
Discontinued: 1907
Notes
The Hepburn is among the rarest of the major American single-shot rifles, with roughly 10,000 produced across all grades. Higher grades included Match, Long Range Creedmoor, and Schuetzen configurations, some with double-set triggers.
Background
Designer Lewis Hepburn was Remington's mechanical superintendent and a member of the American Creedmoor international shooting team, so he built his falling-block action to withstand the long-range target competition of the era before it was cataloged as a sporting rifle.