New old Rolling Block

[Cerberus Group]

I started a rolling block thread here

Show us your rolling blocks

Here's my Number 5 Remington Rolling Block saddle ring carbine in 7mm...around turn of the century. Made in 7mm Spanish, but will fire 7mm Mauser rounds.

www.northwestfirearms.com

 

[Mikej]

Mine still has the original full octagon tapered barrel. It's 1-1/8" across the flats at the receiver and 1" at the muzzle. In order to save the original barrel we (Jim Dubell, the custom gun maker) and I decided to put a liner in it. It was either that or rebore the barrel for maybe .45-70. It was originally a .38 Long rimfire. With the pre-rifled liner it could stay a .38 caliber and we chambered it for .38 Special/.357 Magnum. Since these pics were taken I have added a globe front sight with level.

I could say I restored it, but that would be inaccurate. I tracked down a lot of the parts and did some of the work, but the bulk of it was done by Jim, who was a member of the American Custom Gunmakers Guild. Jim has passed on now, but his work will live on.
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I always love when you post pics of that rifle. No issues for me that it was completely redone into something very usable and good looking.

I still have my old fugly Remington/saddle ring in the safe, as fugly as ever! Would like to do something like you did sometime in the future maybe.

 

[Member 38805]

That's a very nicely done Rollling Block restoration Zeke! I like that you kept the original appearance of the #1, yet made it something fun to shoot also. I picked up a similar #1 at an OAC show a couple years ago. Like yours it started life as a .38 Long RF, and it had already ben relined and reworked to be a .38 Special when I got it. It hasn't had any other restoration work though, so still looks as it did before the barrel work. It's not a cream puff, but decent enough for me to not change it. I do need to do one repair though. When I bought it the lower tang had been shortened about 3/8", and the inletting in the stock was filled with wood putty and stained. I assume somebody broke the end of the tang off somehow, so I need to make up a piece to replace the missing end and weld it back on. Then dig the wood putty out and drill the hole for the wood screw that should be in the lower tang of a true Sporting model.

I'm in the middle of repairing my set trigger Hepburn currently, so the Roller will maybe get inline next. Having a new 34" #4 weight full octagon .40-65 barrel installed on the Hepburn. The old barrel got screwed up by a gunsmith who did a crappy reline installation, and couldn't be saved. Hepburn should be back any day now, and then I can take the new barrel off it, polish it, and rust blue the barrel.

 

[ZigZagZeke]

I always love when you post pics of that rifle. No issues for me that it was completely redone into something very usable and good looking.

I still have my old fugly Remington/saddle ring in the safe, as fugly as ever! Would like to do something like you did sometime in the future maybe.

One of the things I really lust after is a RRB saddle ring carbine. It would be the perfect trapper gun. I'd love to find one in bad enough shape to restore.

 

[ZigZagZeke]

That's a very nicely done Rollling Block restoration Zeke! I like that you kept the original appearance of the #1, yet made it something fun to shoot also. I picked up a similar #1 at an OAC show a couple years ago. Like yours it started life as a .38 Long RF, and it had already ben relined and reworked to be a .38 Special when I got it. It hasn't had any other restoration work though, so still looks as it did before the barrel work. It's not a cream puff, but decent enough for me to not change it. I do need to do one repair though. When I bought it the lower tang had been shortened about 3/8", and the inletting in the stock was filled with wood putty and stained. I assume somebody broke the end of the tang off somehow, so I need to make up a piece to replace the missing end and weld it back on. Then dig the wood putty out and drill the hole for the wood screw that should be in the lower tang of a true Sporting model.

I'm in the middle of repairing my set trigger Hepburn currently, so the Roller will maybe get inline next. Having a new 34" #4 weight full octagon .40-65 barrel installed on the Hepburn. The old barrel got screwed up by a gunsmith who did a crappy reline installation, and couldn't be saved. Hepburn should be back any day now, and then I can take the new barrel off it, polish it, and rust blue the barrel.

Jim Dubell, who did 95% of the work was a member of the ACGG. He made parts, filled holes that shouldn't have been there, and just generally remanufactured the rifle. I would never have thought of using a draw file to remove microscopic pitting and sharpen the corners on the receiver and barrel which had been rounded off over time, and if I had I would not have had the time and patience to do it.

ACGG – America's finest firearm craftsman.

www.acgg.org

 

[Member 38805]

I've spent far too many hours with a draw file and stones or sandpaper blocks trying to get receivers flat and smooth!! I usually send the receivers to Al Springer in Montana to be annealed first. If Al will be doing the color case, then he anneals them for free. And I always have Al do my color case, so it only costs me a flat rate box to get the receivers annealed first.
I've always been a fan of long heavy barrels, so carbines in general never appealed to me. A long barrel of any shape makes me weak in the knees, so those extra length barrels are what I like best.

I've contemplated a non traditional chambering for the Rolling Block i have in .38 Special. A couple friends have rechambered to the .35-30 which is a .30-30 case opened up to .35 caliber. Easy to get brass for, and with cast bullets a nice little cartridge too. Even works well with either BP or smokeless. And could maybe shoot a bit further with decent accuracy using some heavier .357" bullets.
I see 4D reamers has it on their reamer rental list, so it would be pretty cheap and easy for me to change my .38 Special to a .35-30 instead.

 

[Mikej]

One of the things I really lust after is a RRB saddle ring carbine. It would be the perfect trapper gun. I'd love to find one in bad enough shape to restore.

Oh hell, I should put some pics of it up! You'll see.