Original Item: Only One Available. These are extremely rare, and this is the first example that we have ever had! This is an example of the first metallic cartridge rifle design from Remington, and is the direct predecessor of the legendary "Remington Rolling Block" design! It is also the last pattern of military carbine delivered to the U.S. during the Civil war, which was the Type 1 "Small Frame" design, manufactured in .44 and .46 Rimfire. Eventually 5,000 of these would be produced by the Savage Revolving Arms Company of Middletown, CT., and these were mostly delivered by the end of the Civil War.

The Ordnance Department was sufficiently pleased that they ordered an additional 15,000 Type 2 "Large Frame" carbines, in the new .50 Government Rimfire, which today is usually known as .56-50 Spencer. The order was placed in 1864, but the first delivery of 1,000 carbines was not made until September 1865, with the final batch delivered in May 1866. For the most part these ended up being stored in Government Arsenals, as by that point the Civil War was over, and there were more than enough guns in service to satisfy any future needs. Eventually some of the Type 1 carbines were sold during the Franco-Prussian war, with the remaining examples sold off on the surplus market during the following years.

With a total production of only 15,000, these are extremely rare, and they very seldom come to market, especially in such nice condition as this, which shows no signs of abuse or major restoration. The design is very similar to the later Rolling block, and was based on designs by Remington's Joseph Rider, who had helped with the "Remington-Rider" line of revolvers. Compared to the rolling block, the action is larger and more robust, but definitely shows similarities in design. The most notable difference is the "split breech", which has both the rolling breech block and hammer on the same axis pin, compared to the separate breech and hammer on the Rolling block. It features a simple button extractor on the breech block, and the original patent markings are still fully legible on the top of the receiver tang:

REMINGTON’S, ILION, N.Y.
PAT. DEC. 23, MAY 3, & NOV. 16, 1864

The carbine is in form quite similar to most Civil War Era carbine, with a saddle ring bar and ring on the left side of the receiver. It has a "pinched" blade front sight and two leaf rear sight, which is currently quite stiff due to dried grease. The metalwork overall has a lovely aged patina, showing years of storage and cleaning. We checked the action, and it functions correctly with no issues, though we have no way to test to see if the ejector will work on real brass. The bore is in very good condition, showing clear three groove rifling with evidence of use and past fouling, now cleaned away. We checked under the stocks, and the bottom of the barrel is marked with serial number 1822, along with proof and other markings. We were not able to find any other markings on the carbine.

The stocks have a lovely aged look to them, with no signs of being refinished or repaired. There are dents, small gouges, and chips, consistent with use in service. There is also a crack running back about an inch from the top receiver tang, which is a common place for these to develop on the later Rolling Block design.

Really a lovely example of a very hard to find Civil War design, the predecessor of the legendary Remington Rolling block. Ready to add to your collection and display!

Specifications-

Years of Manufacture: 1865-66
Caliber: .56-50 Spencer / .50 U.S. Government
Cartridge Type: Rimfire
Barrel Length: 20 Inches
Overall Length: 34 Inches
Action type: Rotating Breech Block
Feed System: Single Shot

NOTE: International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.