Fun link to the Potterfield video, and I didn't realize I was approximately copying the Custer rifle. My inspiration came from looking through Roy Marcot's book "Remington Rolling Block Rifles, Carbines and Shotguns - Sporting and Target Rifles" and trying to copy the one I found the most attractive.

Kenn delivered. I got the desired extractor, a barrel stub, and an old original military buttplate,
complete with patina to match my action, and a gouge on the heel of butt, included free of charge.
Probably done by some Spanish or Egyptian gravel or stone, while rifle was standing sentry duty.



I have plenty of wood in order to assure a perfect wood-to-metal fit.

Yep, got my parts in a clear plastic scrapbooker's storage box and there they sit.
Meanwhile the Rolling block musings continue:

A "Sporting Rifle" with a lively, tapered, round barrel instead of a heavy, straight, octagon barrel?
A 2.75-pound difference?

8.75-pound Sporter vs. 11.5-pound Silhouette: see below

Remington Custom shop offering from 1997 to 2007???















REMINGTON ROLLING BLOCK NO. 1 SPORTING RIFLE. Cal. 45-70. SN RB97 0021. This beautiful rifle was a gift to consignor from the Remington Arms Co. for his assistance in re-designing the Rolling Block rifle for reintroduction in 1997. This is a Remington Custom Shop rifle and the only one produced with a hand rubbed, oil finish stock & forearm. It has a 30-1/4” medium weight rnd bbl with German silver blade Rocky Mountain front sight & sheet metal semi-buckhorn rear sight. Mounted with very highly figured, flame grain, checkered, American walnut with metal tipped semi-schnable forearm 11-1/4” long with serpentine grip stock with dark wood inlay and a smooth steel shotgun buttplate. It has sgl set trigger. CONDITION: New, unfired. Retains virtually all of its bright orig factory blue & brilliant case colors. Wood has no discernible flaws & retains virtually all of its fine hand rubbed oil finish. Crisp mechanics, brilliant shiny bore. 4-60212 JR406 (2,500-3,500)

http://jamesdjulia.com/item/lo...porting-rifle-60212/

No. 1 Mid-Range Sporter, 30-inch, medium, round barrel, 8.75 pounds, pictured above.
No. 1 Silhouette, 30-inch, heavy, octagon barrel, pictured below:


Remington No. 1 Silhouette rifle. Illustration courtesy of Remington Arms Co. Inc.

From Chuck Hawks:

In recent years Remington has revived the rolling block rifle in traditional centerfire calibers. For 2007 the No. 1 Rolling Block in .45-70 Government caliber is available through the Remington Custom Shop in Mid-Range Sporter (standard contour barrel) and Silhouette (heavy barrel) versions.

The Sporter combines a 30-inch round barrel with an American walnut, pistol-grip sporter stock. Cut checkering in a point pattern is applied to both forend and buttstock. The barrel and receiver have a polished, blued finish. The barrel is fitted with an adjustable, center-notch buckhorn rear sight and a front blade sight. The barrel is rifled 1 turn in 18" for smokeless powder .45-70 cartridges.

In addition to the standard version, the Mid-Range Sporter Rolling Block is also available with a number of options. These include a single set trigger; semi-fancy American walnut stock with steel Schnabel fore-end tip and steel butt plate; case-colored receiver; and a leather-bound canvas covered motor case.

Here are the basic specifications of the No. 1 Sporter:

Order number - 27567
Action - single shot rolling block
Caliber - .45-70 Government
Barrel - 30" sporter weight, 1 turn in 18" twist
Sights - blade front, adjustable buckhorn rear
Trigger - single stage; single set trigger optional
Stock - shotgun style buttstock with checkered pistol grip and checkered forend
Overall length - 46.5"
Weight - 8.75 pounds
2007 MSRP - $2665
The Silhouette is similar to the Sporter, but has a 1 1/8" diameter, heavy round barrel. The barrel has a dovetail for a front sight, but is supplied without sights to allow the shooter the option of after market sights. A single set trigger is standard equipment on the Silhouette rifle, which meets NRA blackpowder cartridge rifle (BPCR) silhouette requirements

Here are the basic specifications of the No. 1 Silhouette:

Order number - 27569
Action - single shot rolling block
Caliber - .45-70 Government
Barrel - 30" heavy barrel (1-1/8" diameter, no taper), button rifled .004" deep (suitable for cast bullets), 1 turn in 18" twist rate
Sights - None; barrel milled for front sight dovetail, tang drilled and tapped for vernier sight; tang-mounted vernier sight and front globe sight with spirit level optional
Trigger - Single Set Trigger
Stock - shotgun style buttstock with checkered pistol grip and checkered forend
Overall length - 46.5"
Weight - 11.5 pounds
2007 MSRP - $3065
These modern rolling block rifles are faithful recreations of the Remington-Rider design actually made by Remington. They are, therefore, the real thing. Although relatively expensive, they are cheaper than mint originals, and they are made with modern materials. You can plink, hunt with them, or shoot them in competition.

http://www.chuckhawks.com/remington_no1_rifles.htm

I wonder who did the color casing for Big Green. Turnbull?

Looks like Turnbull on that one particular rifle anyway ...

I have not heard good things about the new Remington Rolling Blocks as far a accuracy and overall balance.

quote:

Originally posted by loud-n-boomer:
I have not heard good things about the new Remington Rolling Blocks as far a accuracy and overall balance.

I see that now.
Corrected my mistaken comment above about the silhouette model having an octagon barrel.
It is straight cylinder, round, 1-1/8" diameter, 30" long, 11.5 pounds.
Terrible balance on that one, worse than a fence post!
Turning that into an octagon about 1.050" across the flats and add some taper, and cut it to 28" would improve it.
But the sporter ought to be nice with a tapered round barrel and only 8.75 pounds.
Excellent "stalking rifle" if it will shoot straight.


Here is Chief Touch the Clouds, Miniconjou,Teton Lakota Sioux, possibly a cousin of Crazy Horse, Oglala Lakota Sioux:



Touch the Clouds did not participate in the Battle of the Little Bighorn, 1876.
But some have wondered if that is Custer's .50-70 RB sporter he is holding in the 1877 photo.
Swapped some ponies with his relatives, after the battle, for that piece of plunder?
Cousin Crazy Horse was in attendance at that battle.
How else does an Indian chief on the run get hold of one of the Remington Custom Shop rifles?
Surely he did not correspond by mail to order it and then go pick it up at the post office!

http://www.american-tribes.com.../BIO/TouchClouds.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touch_the_Clouds
http://www.franksrealm.com/Ind...ou-touchthecloud.htm

This is approximately what I am trying to duplicate, except in .50-70 and with a 28-inch barrel.

LNB,
Nice.
Same sights as the General Custer Sporter too:
Rough&Ready rear and Beach front.



https://montanavintagearms.com...-ready-barrel-sight/



https://montanavintagearms.com...ination-front-sight/

LNB,

Is your action one with the half-octagon receiver top?
If so, that is another difference of your build from the Custer sporter (round top),
besides the shotgun butt you have versus his curved butt plate.
You are not recreating the Custer sporter.

Neither am I.
I am going to recreate the obscure "Crazy Horse Rolling Block."
That is the one he refused to swap off to cousin Touch the Clouds.
.50-70 Gov/Musket, sporterized/rebarreled military carbine.
Sort of a "Quigley Up Over" rifle, but no patchbox on the right side of the butt,
though it will have the saddle ring on the left side of the action, of course.

I do agree that you have the right barrel contour and length, Crazy Horse would approve,
even the .510-groove/.500-bore, and 1:24" twist. But make that 6-grooved,
not one of those confounded 3-grooved or 5-grooved barrels.
There is such a thing as going too far in authenticity to the oddity of the antique!

Yep, I hear you. I have all of the parts except the barrel, which should be here in early January. Mine is a round top action, but is a Swedish Carl Gustav, rather than a Remington. I have a nice #5 rifle that I was going to pull the action out of for this project, but the bore is excellent, and the rest of the rifle is very good to excellent so it seems somehow sinful. I shoot it with light smokeless loads and have fun. I use brass sized to the chamber so headspace is not an issue and the loads I shoot supposedly generate about 38,000 psi of pressure. I keep meaning to work up some cast bullet loads for it, but have not gotten around to getting a bullet mold for it.

I have the MVA Rough and Ready on my roller, too. Need to add that Beech front.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill/Oregon:
I have the MVA Rough and Ready on my roller, too. Need to add that Beech front.

Bill,
I ordered those sights too.

MVA Rough & Ready rear: "RR BARREL SIGHT STYLE: 8-32 2-Screw"

MVA Globe-Beach combo front: "MVA Combination Front Sight"
"PIN SIZE: Standard (153-SKU)"
"DOVETAIL SIZE: .378 DT (SKU-378)"

So I need an octagon barrel.
Will get one from "The Gun Works Muzzleloading Emporium," similar to LNB's "Oregon Barrel Works"?:
.510"-grooved/.500"-bored, 6-grooved.
30" 4140 chrome moly with 1" length of round at the breech then scalloping into the 1.1" octagon, tapering into the 0.9" octagon at the muzzle end of the barrel.
1:24" twist, 6-groove.
Cut to 28" finish length.

It occurs to me that if I put that barrel and sights on the Pedersoli 45-70 I have, it will be a close facsimile to the General Custer 50-70 Govt. sporting rifle.

I would not sacrifice a No. 5 in excellent condition either.
That would be a crime.

Maybe I'll save the circa 1870, antique No. 1 saddle-ring action for the "Crazy Horse Up Over" sporterized ex-military rifle.

And Dave Manson had a 50-70 Govt. reamer on the shelf that was for .510-grooved barrel.
It has 0.020" length of freebore that is .512" diameter.
Floating pilot added to the fixed pilot reamer. 0.4995" pilot.

Hey, when I started this thread, I did not know much of anything about Rolling Blocks.
Now I are one.

Hey RIP, interested in sharing the reamer? Sounds like our rifles will be identical brothers from different mothers.

LNB,
For you, OK, but not until after it has been used on my barrel.
PM if interested.