Remington 7mm Rolling Block- Good Buy?

[.455_Hunter]

Greetings!

A LGS has a VG+/Excellent Remington Rolling Block in 7mm Mauser. The condition is very nice, much better than most of these on the market. The bore is slightly frosted, but no worse and definitely superior to most other guns of the era. It really is a beautiful gun, and includes the bayonet. Asking price is $900.

As these shootable with modern 7mm Mauser (like Rem, Win, Fed, S&B, PPU)? For some reason, I recall that there maybe a slight head space issue or something? Does that really hurt anything for casual plinking?

Thanks!

Hunter

 

[barnbwt]

Wow, I paid a bit over 500 for mine, though it's not in super great shape (lightly sporterized & dark metal/bore). I suppose if you really want a RB that may be fair, but it's a lot of money for a single shot shooter.

As far as ammo, PPU supposedly loads down a little bit (at least, the PPU I shot through mine didn't stick or act funny in a way that would suggest it was straining the action), but there's lots of ammo out there that's a bit too hot for these. For some reason, there were two versions of 7mm Mauser out there (one was "Spanish Mauser" if I recall), and if you get the longer of the two, your head space for factory 7mm is about .01" out of whack --enough to cause separation and kaboom with a few reloads, and enough to make factory new ammo somewhat worrisome, too. The real problem in my/all the guns is the neck is super wide, so the case neck gets stretched out farther than needed, and reloading will rapidly crack it. Not a safety issue, but kills brass life of expensive brass.

Try to get some pictures up, I'd love to see one of these in good condition and complete . Also find out what kind of extractor it has, if any (will tell you the model year)

TCB

 

[jonnyc]

7x57 Mauser is 7x57 Mauser, there is only one 'version'. The variables that might affect chamber fit are manufacturer/manufacturing variations of both chambers and ammunition.

And FWIW, I would call $900 a bit high, unless it's really nice and you really want it.

 

[HOOfan_1]

7x57 Mauser is 7x57 Mauser, there is only one 'version'. The variables that might affect chamber fit are manufacturer/manufacturing variations of both chambers and ammunition.

And FWIW, I would call $900 a bit high, unless it's really nice and you really want it.

There is a 7x57R mauser actually...

 

[jonnyc]

Well, that's technically a different cartridge........not interchangeable at all.

 

[rule303]

Hard to say on the price. There just aren't enough nice ones that come up for sale to gauge it accurately. Most 7mm rolling blocks were beat to heck and then used for another couple decades. As long as the headspace is within spec, it should be fine with any standard pressure commercial ammo. Most of it is pretty lightly loaded anyhow.

 

[Swampman]

Outside of museum pieces, I've never seen a 7mm RRB in the condition you describe. Most have been "Bubba'ed" and then used almost to death. I'm not an expert, but the price doesn't sound that excessive to me.
I'd definitely check the headspace before shooting it. Even rifles with grossly excessive headspace can often be used safely, but they're likely to require handloaded ammunition of lower pressure, plus cases sized to fit that particular chamber/action. If you plan on using factory ammunition, check the headspace before you put any money down.

 

[Johnm1]

There is an issue that needs considration regarding headspace see below quote from a thread on the Remington Society forum. Not that an answer in a forum should be trusted as 'absolute' I did a bunch of research after I bought mine I have decided to fireform cases and neck size only. As this is the only 7mm I own there isnt a chance of mixing up loaded rounds I have also read, again on forums, that some people just shoot modern factory ammo wih no ill effects. I choose to err on the safe side as this will be a "low round count" rifle. See below quote and link and decide for yourself what you believe is the safest choice. Google the issue for more information (I normally hate it when people say that. But im working on a handheld device and dont have all of the links from my research.)


http://www.remingtonsociety.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=4500

"When the 7mm Mauser cartridge and the chambers for them were standardized they came up with a measurement for the "new" case ever so slightly shorter from the bottom of the base to the start of the shoulder than the cartridge that had been around since 1892. This was done in the 1920's I believe. What this does is create a head space problem with new brass in the old chamber"

 

[Johnm1]

By the way, I paid less than $300 for mine a year ago. And it is in great shape. Though missing the cleaning/clearing rod and does not have the bayonet. That may have been an exceptional buy though.

 

[Jim Watson]

The "explanation" on the Remington Society board does not hold up.
It is widely thought that the 7mm Rolling block has longer chamber headspace than present ammo is made for. But if they (Who?) changed the cartridge headspace in the 1920s, how come we do not see similar warnings about Spanish Mausers?

 

[barnbwt]

Forget headspace for a moment (mine has no headspace issue, and is a 1902), what's the deal with the neck/throat being so darn wide? I can drop a 308 bullet down the neck of the fired 7mm brass! Pretty sure that'll limit my ability to reload a good bit

TCB

 

[scramasax]

Bought one that came up out of the blue two weeks ago. It is in good shape no cleaning rod or bayonet. Fired cases are not malformed or stretched, they run fine though the press. It cost me $350.00 person to person. Maybe I got lucky?

 

[.455_Hunter]

Well, I looked at it again

It's definitely a 1902 model, with the rotating extractor pivoting on the breach block pin. The case coloring on the receiver is gorgeous, and the bore is closer to shiny than frosted.

The shop did not have a GO/NO GO gauge set for 7x57mm, so I can't check that without additional issues.

What to do, what to do...

 

[bhk]

Gee, the one my Dad bought me cost 20 bucks and was in great shape. But then that was over 50 years ago! It sure was a fun gun. Right after I received it I ordered several hundred rounds of surplus ammo that came to me right through the good old U. S. Post Office. Times have changed. Thanks for the memories.

 

[damienph]

7mm Rolling Block

Mine is a 1902 that I bought in the early '90s for $150. Pretty good shape except missing the cleaning rod. I have fired factory 7x57 ammunition out of it with no problems. However the cases do stretch in mine after the very first firing. The shoulder moves forward a little, so instead of fully resizing the case, I only resize the neck so that the shoulder isn't pushed back. I usually get four firings out of mine before I discard them; I have never had one fail (except a few split necks) but don't want to risk a head separation.

My bore and chamber might be a little oversized but I certainly cannot insert a .308" bullet in the neck of a fired case.

After reading a bunch of stuff on the internet which may or may not be true, I no longer fire factory loaded ammunition in mine and load mine fairly mild.

I've never seriously fired it on a bench for accuracy but it is certainly capable of minute of dirt clod offhand and has taken one nice whitetail doe at about 75 yards.