Remington Rolling Block Rifle
Remington Arms Company · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1867
Also known as: Remington-Rider Rolling Block, Remington No. 1, M1867, M1871, Mle 1867 (French)
Overview
The Remington Rolling Block is a single-shot, breech-loading rifle that became one of the most successful and widely adopted military rifles of the late 19th century. Designed by Joseph Rider and refined from a patent by Leonard Geiger, the action uses two pivoting blocks - a rolling breech block and a hammer - that interlock to seal the breech against high cartridge pressures. Its remarkable simplicity, strength, and ability to handle any cartridge of the era made it the rifle of choice for over 40 nations, with production exceeding 1.5 million military variants alone. Available in calibers from .22 rimfire to powerful military rounds like .43 Spanish, .50-70, and .45-70, the design saw service from 1867 well into the 20th century, finally leaving Remington's catalogue in 1934.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4082 g (144.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1300 mm (51.18") |
| Barrel Length | 889 mm (35.00") |
| Action Type | Bolt Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Trigger Pull | 27 N (6.1 lbf) |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 410 m/s (1345 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2068 J (1525 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 500 m (547 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 1500 m (1640 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 17 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 559 mm (22.01") |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .43 Spanish (11.15x58mmR) · primary — also known as 11.15x58mmR, 11mm Spanish Remington, .43 Remington Spanish
- .50-70 Government — also known as .50-70, .50-70 Musket
- .45-70 Government — also known as .45-70, .45-70 Govt
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Single Shot Breech Loading
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock Hammer
- Features: Rolling Block Action, Exposed Hammer, Pivoting Breech Block, Single Shot, Iron Sights, Bayonet Lug
Variants
- Remington No. 1 Rolling Block — Large Frame Military
- Remington No. 1-1/2 Rolling Block — Medium Frame Sporter
- Remington No. 2 Rolling Block — Small Frame Sporter
- Remington Rolling Block Carbine — Cavalry Carbine
- Remington M1867 (Swedish/Norwegian) — Rimfire Military
Service history
Operators
- Sweden-Norway United Kingdoms · adopted 1867 · as M1867
- French Republic (Franco-Prussian War) · adopted 1870
- Spanish Army · adopted 1871 · as M1871 Spanish
- Egyptian Army · adopted 1869
- Mexican Army · adopted 1871
- Argentine Army · adopted 1879
- Republic of China (Qing dynasty)
- Ottoman Empire · adopted 1869
- United States Navy · adopted 1870 · as M1870 Navy
- Papal States
Conflicts
- Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871)
- Third Carlist War (1872-1876)
- Spanish-American War (1898)
- Philippine-American War (1899-1902)
- Second Boer War (1899-1902)
- Mexican Revolution (1910-1920)
- World War I (1914-1918)
- Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878)
Production
Estimated total produced: 1,500,000 · Production years: 1864-1934
Estimated 1.5 million military rifles produced by Remington between 1867 and the early 1900s, with hundreds of thousands more built under license in Sweden, Norway, Spain, France, Belgium, and elsewhere. Total worldwide production likely exceeded 2 million units.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Joseph Rider
Discontinued: 1934
Notes
The Rolling Block design gained worldwide credibility after France's emergency wartime purchase during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71. Spanish-issued Rolling Blocks were still fighting U.S. troops armed with bolt-action Krag-Jorgensens during the Spanish-American War of 1898. Civilian sporting variants (No. 1, No. 1-1/2, No. 2, etc.) were popular buffalo rifles on the American Plains. Standard military rifle weighed approximately 9 lbs (4.08 kg) with a 30-inch (762mm) or 35-inch barrel; the carbine version weighed 7.25 lbs with a 20.5-inch barrel. Total worldwide production - including license-built copies - exceeded several million units across more than 70 years of manufacturing.
Background
Remington was on the brink of bankruptcy in 1865 when Joseph Rider's rolling-block patent saved the company; within a decade it had become a global standard, adopted by over 40 nations and fired in nearly every major war from the Franco-Prussian War through the Mexican Revolution. Spanish troops armed with Rolling Blocks at San Juan Hill in 1898 inflicted heavy casualties on Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders, despite being outranged by U.S. Krags - a testament to the action's deadly accuracy in trained hands.