[Dick]

Hello,

I am seeking help in identifying a military rolling block, 3 band musket. It has a 31 3/4" barrel that mikes 13.5 mm at the muzzle. The only markings I can find on the rifle are a "U" on the middle barrel band and a "!" on the right side of the rear sight. There is a cleaning compartment in the very short butt stock (trap door in steel butt plate).
Thanks for and assistance.

Dick

 

[Coalcracker]

13.5mm is 0.5314961 inches. So it's probably a 54 caliber. It would take a black powder cartridge i think. Neat rifle you have there.

 

[LRDGCO]

Couple of very strange things. The first is a bore diameter of 13.5mm. The largest diameter cartridge that the Remington RB was chambered in was the Swedish/Norwegian 12.17x44R rimfire. So, 13.5 mm bore diameter is not something that was originally made by Remington. Then there is the side cocking lever. Definitely not original to a Remington Rolling block. So either that is a later conversion (not entirely infrequent) or the entire action is an off-license rolling block copy. I don't have enough expertise to say, but the screw designs and patterns don't seem at all right for a Remington RB and the lever definitely isn't.

You'll have to do a chamber cast to find out what it might be chambered in. Definitely a mystery. Any provenance - where it may have come from etc.?

What are the markings on the sight?

 

[Dick]

Thanks, gents. I appreciate your interest. No provenance on the musket whatsoever. The rear sight leaf has lines marked 500, 600, 700, 800, and 900. No indication if yards or meters. I don't think this is a Remington. The breach block has no ear, and the lower part of the receiver is held on with two bolts one each side rather than two straight through.

D.

 

[LRDGCO]

It's a bit like the Stevens Crackshot Model 16 rifle built on a massive scale. The hammer profile is also very distinctive. A real mystery. Sorry that I can't do more than ask questions. ASSRA is a much more likely place to find someone that might be able to identify it.

ASSRA Home Page

 

[doctor runes]

If I may take a guess it would have been made in India. I have never seen one with a lever to open. A rare and wonderful find you have there.

 

[Square target]

I am 99% sure i have seen this gun before. It was more than likely on the youtube channel "forgotten weapons". I would try contacting the guy that runs that channel and see if he can help you. There are several things that lead me to believe this may have been some sort of military trials gun. It's a musket, it has sling swivels and the lack of markings. Does it have a bayonet lug? Many people back in the day tried to get in on the military contracts and produced rifles. Some were one offs', some in small quantities and others were made in semi large quantities and then sold on the civilian market. It could be quite rare and possibly valuable. As far as the caliber it could be a number of things and even possibly re chambered at some point. The only way to be certain is to do a chamber casting, measure it and scour the internet looking for case dimensions that match or come real close. Sometimes chamber castings will be off a couple of thousandths here and there but will be close enough to identify.

 

[Steyr Man 146]

Rolling blocks were copied by many countries the 13.5mm Brazilian? Argentinian? South American? also Remington sold/licensed many countries to make their own. Nice piece non the less I am on board with coalcracker .54 black powder underneath barrel any other markings?