Rolling Block help needed

[Vic303]

I need ANY info y'all can provide regarding this old Rolling Block rifle. It is clearly patterened off of, or modified from the Remington RB. Markings are as follows:
Tang: A. Francotte a Liege
Left side receiver: Star over capital L
Right side receiver: 24
Receiver top: Crossed Cannons
Top barrel between rear sight & rear band: Republica Oriental
Left side barrel at chamber area: Oval with an E over a C(?) G, over another star. Also there are two more proofs in this same area that I cannot make out. One is in a small oval, and the other may be another 'Star over L' proof but I cannot see it clearly.
Bayonet lug: Oval with crown over what looks like AEI. Not sure on that as it is quite small.
I seem to recall measuring the barrel out one time, at 29" approx.

The cleaning rod is present. It appears all original, and there is a faint white-paint #27 on the left side of the buttstock.

There are no caliber markings I can see on it. Apologies for the poor picture quality. I have a hard time making the Macro feature work.

Pics:

 

[Jim Watson]

Francotte is a well established gunmaker in Liege, Belgium, still in business.
The proof marks are standard Belgian for the period (The main one is ELG - star, guess the L got worn to look like a C.)

Republica Oriental is short for Republica Oriental del Uruguay, the South American country commonly known just as Uruguay.

Some discussion of the 1870 Francotte built Rolling Block for Uruguay at
http://www.militaryrifles.com/Uruguay/UruguayNagantRem.htm

 

[Vic303]

Oh man! That's it exactly! Cool & thanks Jim! But 11.15x58R??? Ugh...and I had entertained a dim hope of it being a more common cartridge...

 

[Jim Watson]

Well, it is not exactly unshootable, what with the interest in BPCR these days, but it isn't cheap. Buffalo Arms has ammo ($52 per 20), loading dies, bullet moulds, and brass for .43 Spanish.
Look under .43 Spanish, not 11.15mm at

www.buffaloarms.com

 

[Vic303]

Jim, just an update to note that I did a basic clean & oil on it today and was astonished to find the bore was in remarkably good shape considering it is a BPCR. Here is a bore shot:


Also spotted a previously unseen cartouche stamped on the right side of the buttstock. It is mostly illegible, but there appears to be a sword central, and probably A Liege on the bottom of the cartouche.

 

[Hud]

Vic303,
I am a member of a few other forums and just registered on this one because I was searching for information on RB's and saw your post.
I also have a Mod. 1870 Uruguayan rolling block ( SN.114 on rt. side of receiver & left side of buttstock) made by A. Francotte EXACTLY like yours that Dad bought over 40 years ago and has been a wall hanger ever since.
With the increased interest in BP & cowbboy action shooting, I was hoping to get the ol' smoke pole fired up. In fact, my son (also an avid shooter) & I had gone out today to our local smith to have it chamber cast & bore sluged, but unfortunately he got his license suspended by the ATF for paperwork oversights, crossing T's & dotting I's, and this guy is a retired 20 year CHP Officer & vice cop.
Anyway, congrats on your's and hopefully we can get them smokin' again.

Regards,
Hud

 

[Vic303]

Cool! Hud, can you post a pic to share? I checked out Bufflao Arms, the link mentioned earlier in this thread, and they do indeed have .43 Spanish available for these rifles. It ain't cheap though! $52/20. But maybe one day I will spring for a box and see if she shoots! If you do get yours shooting, please post again here so I can read all about it!


Also if youwould, please search the buttstock for a circular stamp (black on brown on my rifle) and see if you can make it out more clearly. It appears to be either a sword or the Perron centered (it's a lighthouse) and some writing , possibly "A Liege" which would fit with it being a Francotte.
--Vic

 

[Hud]

Vic, thanks for the fast reply.
Here are some pics. Not real good, but the best the camera could do(blame it on the camera).
The mark on the RH side buttstock is the Francotte cartouche.
The upper semicircle is " A. Francotte". The lower semicircle is "A Liege".
The center may be a lighthouse as you suggest. Maybe someone has a more difinitive answer to that question.
Forgive the background, but I am of Scottish heritage and had to sneak in the tartan.
Regards,
Hud

 

[Vic303]

Hud, good pics! Better than mine... I can see now that the cartouche is the Perron (stone tower) mark in the center. It's also present on the left side barrel below the encircled ELG* mark. One of the additional reference pages that was linked by Jim has an explanation of many of the proofmarks on these old warhorses!
http://www.militaryrifles.com/Argentina/EduardoPics.htm

Enjoy!

(I noted that your rifle has a pair of initials (J.E.?) on the right side of the hammer. Not sure if mine does or not...)

 

[BEARMAN]

www.leeprecision.com has dies for .43 spanish for $31 and ight now www.buffaloarms.com has .43 spanish brass for $29/20, which is not too bad.

 

[Hud]

Bearman,
Thanks for the info.
I am already a reloader of modern rifle calibers & that is xactly what I was looking for.
A 3 die set in the RCBS Specialty Catalogue for that caliber is about $146.00.
I'll check into the Lee. It beats reforming .44-77 Sharps!

Vic, you got any buffalo in Tx?
Hank Williams Jr. ain't got nothin' on us! (He's a 1000 yd.BP silhouette shooter).

Hud

 

[Vic303]

Buffs? Not a lot for hunting except on some of the big game ranches. But we have Nilgai & some of the ranches have Water buffs. I don't know of any TX ranches that have Cape buff though...Not cheap to hunt those ranches--ya better win the lotto first! But .43 Span might make a nice sub-100yd Elk round....Hmm...