Remington Light Baby Carbine

[lardog]

My latest itch is to find myself a nice light baby carbine, 44-40 but I don't know much about them. What kind of price range would be realistic for a nice original speciman? I promise to send a picture if I get the task completed.

[blackhills]

Hello.You had better do your homework on them.
From my limited experience,and I have seen a few,
beware of the nickel plated ones,make sure you can
tell original nickel from a refinish.There are some out there that are regular carbines that they are calling Baby Carbines,but the weight is the telling factor. An original should weight a little over five pounds with a 20" barrel,I think there are some with shorter barrels.I have never seen an original one.
I have been looking for one for years and haven't
found the right one yet.As to your post,you can expect to pay $2500 to $5000 depending on condition. Bob

[lardog]

Excellent info. Thanks a bunch. If I find the one I'm after I'll post a picture for you.

[ehull]

The early Remington Light Baby Carbines were available with 18 or 20 inch barrels, blued or nickel plated, and in calibers .44 RF and 44 WCF. After the Remington bankruptcy, it appears the company settled on offering only the 20 inch version in 44 WCF after 1888. The early carbines have a tang marking "E.REMINGTON & SONS" while post-bankruptcy carbines are marked "REMINGTON ARMS COMPANY." Most of the early carbines were sold to Uruguay, with factory number 3 being documented in Uruguay.

[huntor55]

I am not sure what you are calling a light carbine, but i have a remington #4 rolling block, S# 140032. It is a 32 rimfire, bbl length is 18 " full octagon and over all length of 32 " The metal is in good condition and the wood is poor, as it has a small piece missing at the tang.
The over all appearance is about the same size as a Stevens Favorite. I have some of the original ammunition which came in shorts and long rifles, I have both sizes. It shoots fine, but i have not checked accuracy.

[ehull]

The "Light Baby Carbine" is made on the Model 1-1/2 frame, so it is heftier than the No. 4.

[fmx_freak]

Hi, I'm wondering if this a remington light baby carbine...

[ehull]

Your carbine appears to be a standard military carbine, using the military sized frame (called No. 1 in sporting arms). The buttstock also appears to be from a later smokeless era rifle. Suggest you check the chambering; a .44 cartridge (as in the Light baby Carbine) would have a very short chamber as compared to the .43 Spanish cartridge.

[roller]

Yes , that carbine is a no.1 , a typical military carbine , not a baby RRB . as you well say , on babies the buttplate is of the sporting type , and may I add , also the hammer is of the sporting type.
I know the "babies" very well , since I am originally from Uruguay , arguably a RRB paradise, and i have a very original baby with patina on the outside and an immaculate bore . ( $250 at a flea market )

[ehull]

Hello "roller" and welcome to this website. I wrote an article on the Light Baby carbine, and it's connection with Uruguay, a couple of years ago.
What are the Remington company markings on the tang of your carbine? What are the factory numbers stamped on the left side of the tangs (under the buttstock)? A friend bought two "Baby" carbines in Uruguay and brought them back to the USA a few years ago--one was numbered "3" which would indicate that the "Baby" carbine factory numbers started at "1." The other one was also numbered low, 3 digits. It appears the very first "Baby" carbines were among the 1860 shipped to Uruguay in 1886.

[roller]

Right now i am in the USA , and my "baby" is in Uruguay , next time i fly down there i will get you all the information .
A friend of mine is trying to restore an awfully abused baby , and of course he drools when he sees mine . ( i will also try to get info on that one )
Being the no.5 actions a dime a dozen , building rifles based on those actions is a popular pastime .
An old gunsmith , great friend of mine , went to the extreme of building a no.5 pistol in 257 roberts ,
My affair with RRB 's began not precisely with a RRB but with a no.6 boys rifle at a very young age.
The gun was sadly stolen , but i remember using 9mm flobert cartridges in it , now i believe it was a rechambered 32 RF.

[jimdgreat1]

I have a 1 1/2 sporting RB that has the normal patent markings on the left side of the action. No Remington on the tang and no tang sight screw holes. It did not come with the original barrel. The breech block face clearly shows the outline of the original cartridge base. Which would be a 44-40 center fire diameter. I am pretty sure this was not originally a baby carbine but thought I would ask. Were baby carbines only military issue? This gun is a sporting model with original wood. Looking for a barrel to put it back to original.

[ehull]

To my knowledge all of the Light Baby Carbines had the patent markings on the top tang. Most also have a sling bar and ring, though sling swivels were an option. They were sold to whomever wished to have a light, short gun--sporter or military.

[roller]

Howdy , ehull ! better late than never !

I was down south in Uruguay and remembered to remove the buttstock on both babies ( my friend gave me his , so now i have 2 )
the numbers are stamped on the left side of the tangs
the good one upper tang 500 lower tang 500 also
not so good one , upper tang 373 lower tang 443 93 ( could be a repair ? )

Roller

[ehull]

Those numbers are consistent with the low numbers on a couple of other Uruguay carbines I have handled. Thx.