Remington 1871 Army Rolling Block Pistol
date: label: date made
content: 1871
name: label: maker
content: Remington Arms Company, Inc.
notes: label: Description
content: Physical Description:
label: Description
content: This .50 caliber center fire Remington 1871 Army pistol was made by the Remington Repeating Arms Co. It is a breech loading rolling block pistol. It has walnut grips and forend with a blue finish. The frame and trigger guard are casehardened.
label: Description
content: This pistol is stamped “REMINGTON’S ILION, N.Y.U.S.A” over top “PAT MAY 30. NOV. 15TH 1864. April 17TH 1866.” on the left side of the pistol. On the same side “S” and “P” are stamped. At the rear of the grip is a rectangular stamp, with script letters “LRS.” on the inside.
label: Description
content: History:
label: Description
content: The rolling block pistol was developed from the split breech carbine invented by Leonard Geiger. Remington Chief Designer Joseph Rider modified Geiger’s model to create the Rolling Block Pistol in 1866.
label: Description
content: The rolling block pistol was easy to use, reliable and accurate. Cock the hammer and slide the breech back for easy cartridge insertion. Then move the block forward. When the trigger is pulled, a projection rolls under the breech.
label: Description
content: There were five models made of the rolling block design. The Remington Model 1871 Army Pistol was the final design. In this Model, the trigger and guard were moved forward, and a spur was added behind the hammer for better grip. A firing pin retractor was added. This design, while sold to the U.S. Government for military use, was never sold to the military.
label: Description
content: References:
label: Description
content: Flayderman, Norm. Flayderman’s Guide to Antique American Firearms…and their Values, Gun Digest Books, Iola, 2007. 9th edition.
label: Description
content: Gardner, Robert E. Col. Small Arms Makers: A Directory of Fabricators of Firearms, Edged Weapons, Crossbows and Polearms, Crown Publishers Inc, New York: 1963, p. 159-160.
label: Description
content: Womack, G.S. “Remington Rolling Block Parts,” GS Womack. <www.rollingblockparts.com>.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: New York, Ilion
setName: label: See more items in
content: Military and Society: Armed Forces History, Military
label: See more items in
content: Military
label: See more items in
content: The Bitter Collection of Firearms
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: The Adriana and Edwin W. Bitter Family Collection
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1985.0783.03
label: accession number
content: 1985.0783
label: catalog number
content: 1985.0783.03
objectType: label: Object Name
content: pistol
label: Object Name
content: pistol, rolling block
label: Other Terms
content: pistol; Firearms; Army; Center Fire; .50 In; Rifled; 09; Sa
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal (part material)
label: Physical Description
content: wood (part material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 12 in; 30.48 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall: 1 3/8 in x 12 3/8 in x 6 in; 3.4925 cm x 31.4325 cm x 15.24 cm