I've got a Remington rolling block in 7mm Spanish Mauser. I have no idea where the serial # is. Latest patent date on tang is 1874. All barrel bands are marked U. No other cartouches or markings I can find. Is there somewhere else I'm supposed to look?
What do I have?
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Jim Watson
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Serial number is typically on the edge of the tang, you have to take the buttstock off to see it. It won't tell you much, Remingtons were not serial numbered from one, they used block and contract numbers and started over a lot.
Is there a crest on top? Mexican rifles are clearly marked.
The "U" on the barrel bands stands for "Up". They are actually made to match the taper of barrel and foreend so are marked to be installed right. Up is to the right, hammer or bolt handle side.
Is there a crest on top? Mexican rifles are clearly marked.
The "U" on the barrel bands stands for "Up". They are actually made to match the taper of barrel and foreend so are marked to be installed right. Up is to the right, hammer or bolt handle side.
Just trying to figure out if its a 1901 or 1902 or if its an 1890s gun. I'm guessing that if the last patent date is 1874 its NOT a 1901. Which confuses me because I thought most 7x57 SM guns were post 1900 manufacture. My understanding is that while the 1902 models and after will safely shoot factory 7x57, it is unwise to shoot in the earlier guns.
Jim Watson
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The 1902 is distinguished by its different extractor. You would have to look up a picture or close description.
It is commonly said that the Rolling Blocks will have excess chamber headspace by "modern" standards. It is also commonly said that the specifications were changed after the rolling blocks were built, but that seems unlikely because there is no mention of changes in Mauser headspace. I think it likelier that Remington cut a roomy chamber for easier loading and extraction of rimless smokeless ammo in a black powder design.
It is commonly said that the Rolling Blocks will have excess chamber headspace by "modern" standards. It is also commonly said that the specifications were changed after the rolling blocks were built, but that seems unlikely because there is no mention of changes in Mauser headspace. I think it likelier that Remington cut a roomy chamber for easier loading and extraction of rimless smokeless ammo in a black powder design.
Assuming it was not rechambered, the 7 mm Mauser cartridge dates from 1892 which puts it ten years from 1902 and you know it is not an 1901 or 1902. That puts it between 1892-1900. You might try Gunboards to get a bit more precise date as some subforums of that board have stickies with serial number information. I also suspect that it would have been more like 1894 or so before Remington came out with a 7mm Mauser as the Spanish did not formally accept the cartridge until 1893 from my understanding (the older Spanish Mausers were to test the concept and are very rare).
The U on the band tells you which side of the band is supposed to be pointing toward the bore as you can install them backwards. From gunboards, "The "Us" on the barrel bands should have the open side of the letter U facing toward the muzzle and be on the left side of the rifle when you reassemble the piece. That's apparently why they are on there... " http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?306959-Help-with-Remington-rolling-block
Here is a gunboards post indicating the prior to the 1901 and 1902 model, Mexico bought some in 1899 in 7mm Mauser. http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?72796-7mm-Remington-Rolling-Block-Info (see DocAV post toward the bottom).
Hope this helps.
The U on the band tells you which side of the band is supposed to be pointing toward the bore as you can install them backwards. From gunboards, "The "Us" on the barrel bands should have the open side of the letter U facing toward the muzzle and be on the left side of the rifle when you reassemble the piece. That's apparently why they are on there... " http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?306959-Help-with-Remington-rolling-block
Here is a gunboards post indicating the prior to the 1901 and 1902 model, Mexico bought some in 1899 in 7mm Mauser. http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?72796-7mm-Remington-Rolling-Block-Info (see DocAV post toward the bottom).
Hope this helps.
Jim Watson
Member
Flayderman says the No 5 smokeless Rolling Block came out circa 1897. They changed the extractor in 1901 or 1902. So yours is from a 4-5 year window around the turn of the (last) century.
I read an article in an old Handloader's Digest. The author had a 7mm RB and some 7mm ammo nearly as old. He broke down the ammo, discarded the stale powder and corrosive primers, inspected and sorted the cases. He fireformed the good looking ones and discarded the cracked necks. He then reloaded and shot the sound brass repeatedly with no further loss. But then he was loading cast bullets and not pushing the velocity. And he was neck sizing, preserving the fireforming to whatever dimensions Remington thought good, even if different from Mauser's ideas.
I read an article in an old Handloader's Digest. The author had a 7mm RB and some 7mm ammo nearly as old. He broke down the ammo, discarded the stale powder and corrosive primers, inspected and sorted the cases. He fireformed the good looking ones and discarded the cracked necks. He then reloaded and shot the sound brass repeatedly with no further loss. But then he was loading cast bullets and not pushing the velocity. And he was neck sizing, preserving the fireforming to whatever dimensions Remington thought good, even if different from Mauser's ideas.
Jim-a while ago when I took it to a gunsmith he made a cast of the chamber. While it is in 7mm he said it appears to be in "Spanish Mauser" and claims the dimensions are ever so slightly longer than 7x57 Mauser. While he said it is in his opinion LIKELY safe to fire relatively low-pressure commercial 7x57 through it, he strongly recommended fire-forming brass and loading my own with a long, heavy bullet. (He did say I had a good strong action and that he imagined the gun was totally shootable. He also test fired it with some factory 7x57 and couldn't find any egregious case stretching at that time ) Thanks for the input.
That does seem to be the case with SOME guns having slightly larger chambers. Pretty much similar to what the Brits did with their .303 - it was important to be able to chamber dirty or slightly damaged ammo. That plus wartime quality control wasn't up to 100%.
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