Remington RB1 builder

[Walz]

Hello, I'm a gunsmith, and I have plenty of experience in firearms.

what I'm doing next is I'm starting to build a Remington rolling block rifle for my armory, however very little information about the Remington RB1 is available on line. I could build or buy a stock RB1, however I don't want to, I want to work outside the box on this one and go into a different direction with building it. I want to use it for hunting, muck it up, and not have it for a safe queen.

I'm trying to find out which, if any other vintage Remington rolling block rifles parts are interchangeable with this newer model. I've read that the Remington RB1 receiver was cast using the old blueprints of another rolling block receiver from the 1800's.

I'm looking for someone, who knows the rolling block rifles with some good advice and education. Blueprints would benefit me a whole lot, a parts source other than Numrich would be awesome.

I know Numrich has parts, however I want to customize the build by using a different trigger guard, so I can get a different style of stock. I also want a full octagon barrel and forearm. I'm going to install a scope on the barrel. The hammer and rolling block is going to be a different style. I think im I'm going to nickel plate the hammer, rolling block, trigger, buttplate,

If anyone can assist me with this project with good solid input please email me at david@wasillalocksmith.com. or respond here and I will contact you.

Happy New Year

My company:
David Walz Gunsmith, FFL Dealer
5711 West Raspberry Loop
Wasilla Alaska 99623
907-315-0525

[nambujim]

You need to contact Kenn Womack at www.rollingblockparts.com.

Kenn has parts, knowledge, and is a nice guy......hope he can be of help.

Jim Peterson
Charlotte, NC

[Walz]

Tried him, didn't get anywhere.

I really want to find out when exactly the receiver was made, serial number: RB 0418 I have the date of manufacturer for all my firearms.

This receiver was made in the 2000's (I'm pretty sure it's newer than the 1990's), I wanted a 45-70 for hunting in Alaska, my armory is full of different caliber rifles, pistols, revolvers, however I need a 45-70 and Remington rolling block rifle fits the need.

What is really important is that the receiver is hefty, solid state of the art built, excellent quality and condition receiver. It's not junk like some rifles of today. I'm able to get all of the parts from the 1700's-1800's era except for the barrel which is new. This will be awesome after I am done.

I can't even get help from the Remington Arms company since this is from the Remington custom shop. Since I wrote this post, I've learned a lot about the RB1 Remington Sporter. It's universal so it will interchange with other Remington rolling block #1 rifles so I'm going to build it my way.

I have bought a trigger guard for the 1880's Remington Rolling Block Model # 1 in 43 Spanish, the hammer is from 1870's. When I am done I will have the exposed parts hot blued.

The stock and forearm are going to be 1870's style, but new and I'm using barrel bands making it rugged.

I'm still brainstorming.

I might have the hammer, trigger and rolling block, nickel plated.

I'm mounting a new scope on it, all steel, full steel Piccadilly rail, all custom fit, mounting screws are going to be longer and larger, oh, and blued to match the firearm.

Regards

David Walz,
David Walz Gunsmith
Federal Firearms License Dealer
(907) 315-0525
5711 W Raspberry Loop
Wasilla, AK 99623
https://sites.google.com/site/gunsmithingffl/

[nambujim]

When you get an inquiry starting with "I'm a gunsmith and I know plenty about firearms" it leads me to wonder why he's contacting us, then when you make a suggestion the abbreviated response is "tried him, didn't get anywhere" it confirms your first impression. Well, I have two (2) other suggestions but one would probably be rejected by "admin" while the other just might be a solution to his inquiry but what the heck it probably wouldn't be appreciated.

Jim Peterson
Cranky in Charlotte, NC

[Walz]

When you get an inquiry starting with "I'm a gunsmith and I know plenty about firearms" it leads me to wonder why he's contacting us, then when you make a suggestion the abbreviated response is "tried him, didn't get anywhere" it confirms your first impression. Well, I have two (2) other suggestions but one would probably be rejected by "admin" while the other just might be a solution to his inquiry but what the heck it probably wouldn't be appreciated.

Jim Peterson
Cranky in Charlotte, NC

First of all, everyone cannot know everything. I work on firearms and its never the same one over again. With that said I was wanting someone who knew the rolling block and have a intelligent conversation. Every firearm has its own signature and I needed specific information about the rolling block blueprint and a specific part, the breech block and its a complicated part that has several functions. Since I'm building a rolling block from different models I need help on the parts. The end result will be a safe operating firearm and not a bubba gun.

I stand corrected, Ken is who I contacted and within a short time I had all my answers. It was someone else who was not helpful. So I apologize for my ignorance.

I just don't need useless information I just want someone who has the correct answers, and if you are mulitalented than it works for me and not someone who just is able to one job task over and over again (like flipping hamburgers, changing oil, reading meters, answering phones) then gets on a forum and acts like he knows everything. I am able to perform many different jobs my age gives me patients with jobs, my age gives me knowledge, and my age gives me my attitude of "just the facts" and if anyone asks me for help I'm glad to give them it if I know the subject matter and not act like a know it all.

I don't waste time, I problem solve things, I spent my whole life thinking outside the box, fabrication, I get the job done professionally.

[Walz]

Well, since my last post, this is what I discovered by trial and success:

Using a RB1 receiver and everything else Remington rolling block rifle #1 #5 from the 1800's.

1. The RB1 receiver does bolt up to the Remington rolling block #1 trigger guard however you will need to tap the trigger guard to accept the RB1 screws for both rear mounting screws. Note: the trigger guard is really, really hardened so unless you have really top quality taps made in the USA you are screwed.

2. The RB1 receiver and the trigger guard don't match up in the front so you need to remove 1/8" of material from the RB1 receiver. Note this will change the barrel setting so you will have to do some milling to the barrel for the ejector, and if you use a ejector from the 1800's, you will need to use the screw from the 1800's also, another tap you will need.

3. The trigger guard, aligns up with the hammer, so that is really good, however I did a trigger job using a welder, and re-hardening the trigger for better performance. Working slicker than snot.

4. Both of the 1800's hammer and trigger pins are larger and longer than the RB1 receiver, however I did adjust the pins and the receiver. The pins are really hard so having the proper tools makes the work much easier to accomplish. The pins are not standard size, so I used a expandable mill bit making a real tight fit.

5. I fitted the stock to the receiver and trigger guard, then I reinforced the stock inside between the receiver and trigger guard, and using boiled linseed oil I was able to seal everything up. In Alaska the weather will screw up wooden stocks if unprotected inside and outside.

6. The forearm was hand fitted also, using the barrel stud, and the receiver to keep it from moving welding the ram rod into place keeps the forearm secured into place.

7. The octagon barrel was fitted with a 6" Picatinny rail for the scope. This is a critical part of the scope, having a good secured base keeping the scope from any movement. Having a octagon barrel makes this easier, however I've used a blank picatinny rail doubling up on the mounting screws.

8. The sling was mounted with a barrel band, the forearm needs to be free from any obstacles.

9. The breach bolt was set with the barrel and headspace, a 45-70 finished reamer was used.

9. Everything was blued, nothing fancy just making it all uniformed, but I'd does look like awesome, like really slick.

Overall, as you can see from my list, it was a lot of work, and as you can see uncharted territory. That's why I was looking for someone else who worked on the RB1 receiver. It would have gone a whole lot easier if someone had the experience building the rolling block from scratch. This is the best of two decades, a new receiver, barrel and old parts that are made really tough.

Not to many people are up to a challenge of this large scale project, I enjoy difficult projects, the more difficult the more enjoyment I get of finding a solution. The rolling block is not a intricate rifle, not a difficult rifle, however when you build one from ground up it, with no information about the rifle, things can get interesting.

Building a rolling block 45-70 requires a lot of patience, a lot of time, making sure that the firearm is safe to shoot, and in the end a firearm that's 100% perfect and not something that bubba assembled.

[Walz]

https://sites.google.com/site/acustomrollingblockrifle/

This is my documentation page, I'm updating it regularly between other jobs.

And by the way:

[Walz]

A lot of work has been done on the builder. I have been unable to get any good useful feedback, no one really has done work on this with any documentation. So I am still inputting here https://sites.google.com/site/acustomrollingblockrifle/ on my Remington rolling block rifle page. After seeing some internet posting on how they built a Remington rolling block, and how scary they came out, I just hope that they don't really fire it. Chances are it will blow up.

So I moved forward and it's looking good, everything is top quality, labor intense work, all of the parts are blued, and the Remington rolling block parts from the 1800's came out excellent. Everything had to be hand fitted, and finished. Everything is perfect, no shortcuts, this is going to be used for hunting and not a safe queen.

The forend is brand new, then I went and completely shaped it to what I wanted. The look is perfect for a older looking seasoned looking rifle. I used a Winchester part for the forend, holding it to the barrel. The stock is next, since the forend took me a few days to shape, and finish, the new stock may take seven days to fit and finish, with a heavy duty recoil pad installed and not some piece of tin on the buttplate.

I have a Remington recoil pad and I a hoping to fit the stock to the recoil pad. It would be really cool to have t Remington name on the recoil pad.

The furniture is soaked in a old type of stain used for the 1800's rifles, then I use boiled linseed oil, inside and outside. It's sealed up, with a flat finish.

The Remington breech block is a new one, I fitted to the receiver and it functions perfect with the trigger.

I still have a long way to go, it's slow and methodical, and it's done 100% right.

I was fortunate to find a Remington RB1 barrel, saving money. It was a nos just like the receiver. I was able to mount a picatinny rail, rear iron sight for backup. The RB1 REMINGTON barrel front sight dovetail is 7/16", I've searched everywhere for a regular dovetail and came up empty. All I could find are the girly front sight worth hundreds of dollars that would not last one hour hunting. So I am still sourcing parts and it's no big hurry.

The only three things that are RB1 is the receiver barrel and breech block. The furniture is custom, the rest of the parts are Remington rolling block 1800's.

I hope someone can use this when they decide to build a Remington rolling block rifle for hunting, a real 1800's traveling rifle with all of the bumps and bruises, getting down to business.

[Walz]

img_0454 (large).jpg_thumbnail0 (1).jpg (10.8 KiB) Viewed 4986 times

I am going to pattern my builder after the: Remington, No.1 Sporting Rifle from1873.

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It has some really nice lines, flat hammer and breech block pins, duel screws in the rear trigger guard. The rear tangs are equal, I am able to put a original screw setup from the 1800's and not the one Remington RB1 set up.

[Walz]

The rolling block rifle, the gun oil is shining off the rolling block rifle.

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Breech block, hammer are installed.

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Here is some of the photos

[Walz]

Well, after some long hours of research, the rolling block rifle is almost finished. I found Womacks Rolling Block Parts, Ken really helpful and knowledge and he is really cool. I never found anyone else who was savvy about the rolling block rifle that could help me, however I am a pioneer and I like blazing a new trail.

My gunsmithing business day after day brings me different firearms to work on, and it's like a technician who works on all different types of automobiles. True, they have 4 wheels but that's really it everything is different. So as a gunsmith I'm tasked with figuring out the firearm. Some of my books cover a specific firearm and some don't.

When I started this thread I pissed off some folks, however I have from experience been on forums and read some responses from other members and it's a bunch of bull crap. Not all of the responses, but it's really disappointing to have idiots trying to BS a solution wasting time. I cut to the chase, I want someone who knows what they are taking about simple quick and if no one knows keep quiet. I have never been socially acceptable as I am not into BS, wasting time.

Thanks

[Walz]

I have only a couple of pieces that are being blued and it's done.

[Walz]

The Remington rolling block rifle has been completed:
The butt pad, sling, special swivel.
Winchester 100 year old front sight.
Receiver.

[Walz]

Upper swivel band, it's blued finished, and attached with a set screw.
A scope, and the max 250 yards. Great for a good fair game hunt.
The breech block 100% customized.

[Walz]

The stock and forearm are complete, I used a dark stain, and boiled linseed oil. I want a flat non shining finish, this is a real hunting rifle made especially to resist the elements thrown at it.