Rolling Block Shotgun

[slang]

I recently inherited a Rolling Block 16 guage shotgun. I'm attempting to restore it. It's in fairly bad shape, had to have a gunsmith take it down for me all the screws were frozen and had to be drilled out. I believe the serial number of the weapon is 16. This is the number stamped on the underside of the barrel, inside the butt plate, and on the trigger guard. Can anyone tell me about this weapon i.e. date of manufacture, number made etc.?

[Jay Huber]

I don't have a serial number listing of these guns or the quantity made. They were made from 1867 to 1897 and there are two models. The first one has a shotgun butt plate and is 16 bore and takes a 16 B shell which works out to a 20 ga. paper shell. The early guns were made from bored out Civil War barrels. You can tell these by removing the forearm and looking for a sight dovetail cut into the bottom of the barrel.
The second model was made from left over No 1 Rolling block Contract Military rifles and has a curved military butt plate and many are true 20Ga. bores instead of 16ga.
Most all have steel barrels and a few had Damascus. 16 could be the serial number although I have never seen on similarly marked. Jay Huber RSA