Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots New old single shot

I pretty much own and shoot just old 1800's single shot rifles. And especially like Marlin Ballard, and Remington single shots from before 1899. I also have a real affection for the old cartridges, and .32-20 WCF is one I love in rifles or handguns. So not long ago I spotted a Remington Rolling Block in .32-20 at auction. The specs said it was a Model 1 1/2, but having quite a few I knew the auction description was wrong, and it was actually a #1 Rolling Block Sporting Rifle in the little cartridge.
So I figured maybe it might slip through cheap, or affordable, so I placed a bid and forgot about it. The auction ended yesterday, and I checked my email for an outbid notice, or "you won" notice, but saw neither? I went to the site and it said I won! So paid them the low winning bid price, and hopefully it will be here in a week or so maybe.
It's got a nice MVA tang sight, and original German silver blade up front. I'll swap the front to a globe sight so I can stretch the legs on this little cartridge out to our 500 yd. targets.

Whoa! I hope to hear more details after you take possession Vall. Gotta love the small caliber ones too! (I have a sloooowly progressing project in the works: a Ballard #2 cast receiver, centerfire breech block numbered to it, with a .32 S&W Long barrel. Barrel is prepped and waiting on a TJ's liner.)

Mighty fine score, Sir.

Enjoy!

ya,

GWB

Beautiful rifle! Nice lines . Don’t make ‘em like that no more. Over 9 lbs?

Very nice, be a fun little rifle!

Nice looking rifle there! Who woulda thunk you could stretch the little 32-20 to 500 yards?
Good score!
Rick

Guessing it might be a little less than 9 lbs., based on others I own with similar actions, and barrel lengths. Barrel diameter, and bore size will also determine weight. Probably a lot lighter than most of my other old Marlin Ballard and Remington singleshot rifles. I've got a lot them that go up in the 13-115 lb. total weight range.

This one weighs 12 lbs. with a full round barrel that's 34" long in .40-65:

Cool😎

Beauty!

I'm mostly a Marlin Ballard rifle guy, but I do also like Remington singleshots almost as much!

Very, Very nice rifle......

I have a Remington 33 in 22 RF that was my grandfathers....got it in late 60's after he died. Was made in 1933 best I can tell and believe it was the first bolt 22 RF that Remington made.

Winnie, I have 2 33's one open sight and one peep sight. They are fairly clean but not much blueing. My Dad had a Model 34 Remington and it still in the family.

Vixen, mine has great bluing and walnut....been taken good care of over the years. The metal butt plate has lost its bluing, but that does not distract from it much. Shot it just the other day with CCI 22 shorts...was hitting soda can at 50 yards. As a kid growing up would use it to squirrel hunt on land I live on now. I remember sitting in a hickory grove picking off like a dozen one morning...think I was like 12 yrs old. Took them to the house and skinned them for Mom to cook. Oh, to go back in time and do that again....but those days are nothing but a memory now and never to return.

Thanks guy!
Shortly after getting the .32-20 Rolling Block I picked up another very rare and unusual Rolling Block. Kinda crazy how one comes along and soon a 2nd too!
This 2nd came at a local auction house and they only have online bidding. I looked at the sparse pictures 3 times before I decided something was either really wrong, or really unusual! The pictures showed a #1 1/2 Sporting action and buttstock, but with a sling swivel, and the forearm and barrel were military! The auction stated it was a ".43 Spanish" which I knew was wrong as that cartridge is much too large for a #1 1/2 Rolling Block. So I began searching.
There was plenty of days before the auction closing date, and after a lot of searching I discovered a couple identical rifles had sold in the last 4-5 years. Both described as Cadet rifles, but they too were #1 1/2 models, and unlike the typical Cadet rifles based on Rolling Block pistol actions in .50 Navy, or based on the little #4 action in .22, one was said to be .45-70, and the other stated "unknown cartridge".
I also discovered an advertisement from 1903 M. Hartley Co. catalog describing 3 "Cadet Rifles" they had for sale at $9 each. Appeared to be surplus over leftover from poor sales and the one rifle matched this one at auction perfectly in barrel length, cartridge designation, and features. The ad said it was for military schools, and students of 14-21 years old.
Armed with the info I found, I put in a bid and won this rifle for half of my max bid! And since it was only 45 miles away I drove down and saved shipping! The gun weighs 7 lbs. and is like a 3/4 scale military rifle when compared to a full sized Rolling Block. It has the octagon top action, and civilian buttstock and buttplate. And it is indeed a .45-70, which no #1 1/2 rifles were supposedly ever made in! A very interesting little rifle!







The M. Hartley Co. ad. M. Hartley was Marcellus Hartley who owned Remington Firearms Co. after buying it in the 1886 bankruptcy.

Geez, that's cool Vall. Good bore? Any school markings?

A very good bore. No school markings except a rack number stamped 48 in the stock.