Sporting Serial Numbers

[Yellowhouse]

This rifle is not mine but the serial number illustrates my question as I have one similarly marked and have seen others. Is the first digit a "1" or a "4"?????? http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewIt ... =508119498

[oldremguy]

I would say that it is a 4 that was lightly stamped or there was a problem with the number 4 in the die that was used. Here is a photograph of a early sporting rifle with the round receiver and has the patent dates ending with 1866 on the upper tang.

484.jpg (223.72 KiB) Viewed 2257 times

The rifle show on gunbroker if the ser. no. was 1777 I would think that it would also have a round receiver and would have the patent dated on the upper tang. Having a ser. no. 4777 would put it in the range of sporting rifles that had the patent dates stamped on the left side of the receiver.

Have a Good Day,
Matt

[Yellowhouse]

Thanks Matt. That puts my 44-77 in the 4xxx range....about where it should be!

[oldremguy]

Hello Yellowhouse,

The 44-77 is a nice cartridge to have a Remington Rolling Block Sporting Rifle in.
My rifle is 44 rimfire, the bottom of the barrel is marked 44 CTGE. To shoot it I replace the rimfire breech block with a centerfire military rolling block breech block.
The only cases that fit the rifle is a 44 Evans that I found at Buffalo Arms. Then I cast the bullets that have a heeled base to fit inside the case mouth. It makes for a good short range rifle.

Matt