First picture of my Remington Rolling Block....

[Harry O]

http://www.hunt101.com/showphoto.php...2/ppuser/34373

Just got it bolted together tonight. I know that it will horrify some of the purists, but I wanted to have something comfortable to shoot. I should know next week if my theories are correct.

I started with an original Remington Rolling Block action that was one of the first 40,000 sold to Sweden in 1867. The action was in good condition, but there were plenty of handling marks from the last 140 years. I spent a lot of time filing and stoning the sides to work them out.

I had a 28" long barrel blank in .457 that I got some years ago in a pile of other stuff. Then I took it to a gunsmith who makes his own Rolling Blocks. I told him to make the barrel as long as possible (turns out he was able to salvage 27-5/8" from it) from the blank. I also wanted it shaped like a Krag barrel. Full diameter around the cartridge and an inch or so ahead of it, then double-s-curve down to a smaller diameter, then taper it to a thin muzzle. He threaded the barrel, did an action job on it, and chambered it for 45-70. I will ONLY be using Black Powder in it.

I also wanted him to case-harden the action. It took 6 months, but he did beautiful work. I cut off the front of a Krag takeoff stock and used the Krag barrel band at the front. I used the cleaning rod holder in the front of the action (rear of the front stock) to hold the rear. The rear stock was a high-comb model from Gunstocks Inc. Both are plain wood, but honest. I put in a metal spacer around the rear bolt (between the tangs) to reduce strain on the wood. With comfort in mind, there is a 1" thick recoil pad.

The front sight is a Lyman target sight I have had laying around for a few years. The rear sight is a tang sight for a Winchester 94 that I got cheap at the Cabelas Bargain Bin in Sidney several years ago. After I got the barrel and action back from the gunsmith, I put everything together.

It looks pretty good. I just hope it shoots.

[45nut]

Nice lookin' rifle there!

[Harry O]

e-mail sent.

[Harry O]

Try this.

[StrawHat]

Harry O,

Nice work.

I am remodeling a Pedersoli RB.

Not going to be as modern as what you have done but yours will probably be more comfortable to shoot!

What does yours weigh with that long skinny barrel?

[jjamna]

I am not a purest so I don't know what it is suppose to look like but I think it looks Darn Good
(edited for family viewing)

[Shooter6br]

I have a Pedersoli 45-70. I shoot smokeless. I sold all my Benchrest guns to enjoy the old 45-70 I was tried of all the work one has to do to shoot benchrest. I cast my own bullets and make my own bullet lube. I t is just plain fun Good luck with your RB. Thanks for sharing your project Rick K. Shooter6br @aol.com

[Harry O]

Harry O,

What does yours weigh with that long skinny barrel?

It weighs 7lbs-13oz as you see it right there. I will probably eventually add a sling. I also don't have a conventional rear sight (on the barrel instead of the tang) yet. Still shouldn't be very much more than 8lbs when completed.

It will be interesting to see how a tight action with a new barrel and tightly fitted front and rear stocks will shoot. I have shot a couple of original ones that are more than 100 years old, with dried wood and a pitted barrel. It is hard to see from them why the Rolling Block was so celebrated. With a new one, I may find out.

BTW, the original deep drop rear buttstock and the curved metal buttplates on the originals are exactly why I set this one up the way you see it. I don't like being beat up when I shoot.

[Harry O]

Yesterday the weather was so good, I took a day off work and went to the range to try it out. I have some sorting out to do, but it looks like the rolling-block has potential.

My theories on how to tame the recoil worked well. Shooting BP loads offhand was easy, even with it weighing less than 8lbs. Even shooting from a bench was OK -- stiff recoil, but not excessive.

First thing I have to do is lower the front sight. I was not able to get to within 4" of the center even with the rear sight all the way up (whot was low). The sample "Big Lube" bullets tumbled. The Lee 405gr hollow-base grouped well. I had them sized 0.458" because I thought I slugged the barrel at 0.457" (when I first got it several years ago). It is acting like the barrel is bigger, though. When I got home I loaded up an "as-cast" Lee bullet (0.460") and it fit the chamber. I am going to try that the next time. Both loads were with a full case of BP.

Other than that, everything worked well. The action is tight and the ejector works well (even though it is one of the "early" ejectors that people speak ill of). The only problem is that whenever I fired a shot, my first instinct was to lower the lever to jack in a new shell.

[twotoescharlie]

I have a RB built from one of the old Numrich kits, shot my first deer with it. It ain't a toteing gun as it has a one and one eight octagon barrel on it. 45-70 cal weighs a little over 12 pounds.

TTC