#1 Rolling Block in .32-20 WCF

[mm93]

Won this rifle at an auction a couple weeks ago, and was supposed to arrive by UPS tomorrow.
Big surprise just now, the #1 Rolling Block in .32-20 just got delivered! Didn't check this morning as yesterday it still said Tuesday delivery. Suddenly a knock on the door and there was the brown truck!
The auction house did a great job packing it in bubble wrap, and it took me 15 minutes to cut all the tape and reveal the rifle! The gun is much nicer than auction pictures, with all original finish on the stock and forearm, and excellent bluing on the barrel! As suspected it's been rechambered from a .32 Long to be a .32-20. But I suspected it was a .32 Long RF, but it wasn't. It has the original centerfire breech block, so it was always a centerfire. Barrel is marked E Remington & Sons, and "32" on the bottom flat ahead of the forearm. Bore looks very shootable, and I'll run a tight patch through it before I slug it to see the groove diameter.

 

[hawg]

Nice.

 

[mm93]

Dug through my case of spare sights and found a brand new Remington windage globe with spirit level in my stash. But it's a lot of sight for this little rifle, so I might shoot it with the silver blade first, and see how it does before I put something so expensive on it.

 

[Johnm1]

When I did research on it 7mm Rolling Block I no longer have I seem to remember that all of the number ones were black powder guns. Is that your understanding?

I’d love to have that one. Been looking for a suitable specimen to convert to 32 long and turn it into my squirrel gun. Bit in order for me to do that it would have to be a basket case of a specimen. Or like you, find one already converted.

 

[mm93]

When I did research on it 7mm Rolling Block I no longer have I seem to remember that all of the number ones were black powder guns. Is that your understanding?

I’d love to have that one. Been looking for a suitable specimen to convert to 32 long and turn it into my squirrel gun. Bit in order for me to do that it would have to be a basket case of a specimen. Or like you, find one already converted.

This one began life as a #1 in .32 Long, and got reamed to be a .32-20 WCF.
Yes, all the #1 Sporting Rifles are black powder. Technically the later smokeless powder 7mm are the same size action, but are usually referred to as a #5 action in the modern steel and smokeless cartridges.
The Sporting #1 actions are also all sliding bar extractors, but military #1 are found with sliding bar or rotary extractors.

 

[Johnm1]

I’m not sure if black powder/smokeless is a concern for a rifle. Is the action strong enough for smokeless or do you plan to load black powder 32-20?

 

[Captain*kirk]

Wait...UPS delivered a centerfire rifle to your doorstep without an FFL?
Where do you live?

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Looks awesome!

 

[hawg]

Wait...UPS delivered a centerfire rifle to your doorstep without an FFL?
Where do you live?

Might have a C&R license.

 

[Titanvk56]

Or considered an antique.

Very nice!

 

[Jim Watson]

Looks like a new vernier tang, it needs that globe front.

 

[hawg]

Or considered an antique.

Very nice!

It's not.

 

[Dave T]

mm93, I am seriously envious. What a nice find!

Dave

 

[mm93]

I’m not sure if black powder/smokeless is a concern for a rifle. Is the action strong enough for smokeless or do you plan to load black powder 32-20?

A #1 Sporting Rifle action is plenty strong for a .32-20. But I load mine to around 1000 fps, which with my powder is below BP pressure levels. I have Rolling Blocks in .44-77BN, .45-70, and .40-65 that I load with 4198 that are below BP pressures.

 

[mm93]

Wait...UPS delivered a centerfire rifle to your doorstep without an FFL?
Where do you live?

Pre 1899, so no license of any kind needed, just proof that you're over 18 yrs. old.

 

[mm93]

Looks like a new vernier tang, it needs that globe front.

Yes, a brand new MVA tang sight they sell for around $379 these days. Bonus.

 

[mm93]

Took the Rolling Block down to basic pieces today to inspect all the parts. I do this for any old gun I buy before attempting to fire them. Nice and clean internally and has a new mainspring, and firing pin, plus a few new screws also. While it was apart I gave the action a tuneup by removing the flat trigger spring, and made a spring out of .045" piano wire to reduce the pull. I also narrowed the mainspring width to lighten the hammer, and further reduce trigger pull. Got it down from around 6.5 lbs. to 3 lbs., but a little more mainspring work should get it under 3 lbs. and still have consistent primer strikes.
Going to make up some more ammo as reloads I have in .32-20 for my #2 Rolling Block didn't chamber easily in this one. The chamber tolerances are tighter, so I'll size up some brass and make up more ammo for it.

 

[Acorn Mush]

Will be interesting to see what it will do at 50 and 100 yards off the bench. I know 100 yards might be a long stretch for a .32-20.

 

[mm93]

Will be interesting to see what it will do at 50 and 100 yards off the bench. I know 100 yards might be a long stretch for a .32-20.

I have a couple other .32-20 rifles also, and have shot them out to 500 yds. on steel dingers. The .32-20 will shoot farther, and more accurately than most people consider trying. This is my Ballard #2 Sporting rifle in .32-20, which now has a tang sight on it, and a globe front sight so it can shoot better for longer distances.

 

[Jim Watson]

Ooh, dot's nice. The Ballard is not as strong as some of the other single shots but its "zero headspace" action and fine triggers made it popular for target rifles.

 

[mm93]

Ooh, dot's nice. The Ballard is not as strong as some of the other single shots but its "zero headspace" action and fine triggers made it popular for target rifles.

Ballard rifles are stronger than people give them credit for. Not like a 1885 High Wall, or Hepburn, but plenty strong enough. I have Ballard rifles in very large original chamberings like .45-100 and .44-100, and a number of other chamberings.
I prefer the Marlin Ballard over any other old single shot rifles of the late 1800's. Not just for their beauty, but also for their lockup, and accuracy.
I have about 3 dozen various Ballard model rifles. Been collecting and shooting them for 4 decades or more.

 

[Jim Watson]

Sure, ample for black powder.
Several years ago a Lady was injured at the Q when smokeless wrecked her Ballard. It was a very early cast action, though.

 

[Acorn Mush]

I have a couple other .32-20 rifles also, and have shot them out to 500 yds. on steel dingers. The .32-20 will shoot farther, and more accurately than most people consider trying. This is my Ballard #2 Sporting rifle in .32-20, which now has a tang sight on it, and a globe front sight so it can shoot better for longer distances.

That is one BEAUTIFUL-looking rifle! Question: is extraction and ejection automatic when the breechblock is lowered? My (rimfire) Merrimack Arms Ballard has an extractor knob on the bottom of the forearm, immediately in front of the receiver.

My hat is off to you, hitting targets at 500 yards with a .32-20. Keep up the good work.

 

[mm93]

Ooh, dot's nice. The Ballard is not as strong as some of the other single shots but its "zero headspace" action and fine triggers made it popular for target rifles.

Ballard rifles are stronger than people give them credit for. Not like a 1885 High Wall, or Hepburn, but plenty strong enough. I have Ballard rifles in very large original chamberings like .45-100 and .44-100, and a number of other chamberings.
I prefer the Marlin Ballard over any other old single shot rifles of the late 1800's. Not just for their beauty, but also for their lockup, and accuracy.
I have about 3 dozen various Ballard model rifles. Been collecting and shooting them for 4 decades or more.

That is one BEAUTIFUL-looking rifle! Question: is extraction and ejection automatic when the breechblock is lowered? My (rimfire) Merrimack Arms Ballard has an extractor knob on the bottom of the forearm, immediately in front of the receiver.

My hat is off to you, hitting targets at 500 yards with a .32-20. Keep up the good work.

That's one of the first things John Marlin changed to the Ballard rifles. His patented automatic extractor that pulled the case back about 3/8"-1/2" so it could be easily removed. I've owned some pre-Marlin Ballard rifles, and I like their manual extractors also, but the Marlin extractor is surely a big improvement.

 

[mm93]

The .32-20 addiction continues! I took my old Sharps out to our monthly gun show to sell. It's a gorgeous Freund Improved Sharps sold in Feb. 1880 to Carlos Gove of Denver, Co. but I just am not a Sharps guy. Set it out on my table and my friend with a neighboring table immediately told me to consider it sold! He happened to have a very nice Remington Hepburn in my favorite .32-20 chambering, and I told him I'd gladly take it as part trade! We got together the next week for him to pay the cash difference and he showed me a 16x JW Fecker target scope he was selling, so I took that too! Then got the rest in cash to complete the trade/sale.
Here's the new Hepburn in .32-20:

Of course I had to upgrade the simple buckhorn and blade sights, so it now has an MVA Soule with Hadley disc on the tang, and a Shaver globe with spirit level up front. Haven't had it to the gun club as my nephew took me away from my retirement schedule to help him wire his new home. He's taking vacation next week, so maybe I'll get the Hepburn out and see how accurate it is. In the meantime I'm loading up my favorite recipe for the .32-20 to get ready.