Page 53 - FAT 105 4.17 MOODLE

• The breechblock can now be manipu- The rolling-block action was one of the most
lated to the rear, rotating around its pivot successful action types of the 19th century and
pin, unlocking the breech and revealing found heavy use in both military and civilian
the chamber. applications. Remington Arms Company, LLC
was the first to use the rolling-block action with
• Cartridges are fed into the chamber by
their model 1865 pistol, which saw use with
hand until they are nearly seated.
the U.S. Navy. Remington’s M1867 solidified
the company’s future, producing nearly 1.5 mil-
• The breechblock can now be rotated
lion rolling-block firearms for over 70 years.
forward, securing the cartridge in the
Remington had so much success with the roll-
chamber.
ing-block design that the rolling-block action is
• The trigger is pressed, releasing the ham- often referred to as the “Remington action.”
mer. Before the hammer strikes the firing
The rolling-block design is considered out-of-
pin, it enters a slot in the breechblock.
date by modern military standards. The design
At the same time, a step on the hammer
is strictly a single-shot action and was so popu-
wedges itself under the breechblock, fully
lar because of its strength and simplicity: the ac-
locking the chamber. The hammer will
tion requires very few moving parts, which are
continue to fall, firing the round.
very robust and not susceptible to malfunctions
from dirt and debris.
• The hammer is manipulated once again,
freeing the breechblock and allowing the Drawbacks to the rolling-block design include
chamber to unlock. its inability to fire repeatedly and the weak
point around the pivot pin. Although the roll-
• The breechblock is manipulated to the
ing-block action was extremely popular during
rear once again, rotating around its pivot
its time, the advent of the bolt-action and its
pin and activating the extractor/ejec-
ability to fire multiple rounds before reloading
tor. The empty case is expelled from the
made the rolling-block obsolete. The rolling-
breech.
block action still sees use today as a collector's
and enthusiast's item and is still manufactured
• The action is now open, the chamber is
in small numbers as a reproduction piece.
exposed and the firearm is ready to be
loaded once again.

Figure 23: Rolling-block rifle.

49