Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters No. 5 Rolling Block Upgrade

I have been looking at some No.5 Rolling Blocks in 7x57 mauser and have been wondering if anyone has rebarrelled them to any other smokeless cartridges. Comments, Suggestions?

Since no others have replied; The Rolling Block was cheap to
build, and took little training to operate. It is not the best
action to put a lot of money into. I have four of them and limit
them to lower pressure eounds. One problem is that there is enough "spring" in the action to bend the case head when fired.
A punctured primer can (allegedly) push the hammer back and
unbreech the action. There have been #5's modified for some
quite powerful cartridges, some have failed behind the pins.
Having said that I have a #4 relined to 22 mag which is the
perfect rifle for a woods loafer.
Good luck!

As a cartridge, the 7x57 doesn't have any flies on it, in the opinion of the many, many people who seek one out, or convert to one, and use often.

Mr. Single Shot, Frank De Haas, recommended the Remington 1902 Smokeless #1 (what most military 7x57 rifles/carbines were based on, 1901-1917) for any smokeless cartridge he listed for the other, weaker actions, like the .30-30, .444, and the .45-70 - plus the .250 Savage, .257 Bob, .300 Savage, .30-40, .303 British, 8x57JR, .35 Rem, and the 9.3x74R.

.

While Remington offered their smokeless rollers in some warmish military cartridges, I don't think armies of the time were as concerned about the eyesight of their conscripts as much as you might be concerned about your own eyesight. These arms were mostly sold to poor countries or those countries desperate for any smokeless arm in time of war. No army cares how case stretch affects case life -- as long as it doesn't rupture every time. These old 7x57 rollers fly apart now and then when using modern SAAMI ammo.

Select a mild chambering for your project. I'd stay well below 40,000 psi (true pressure, not CUP). The original .30-40-220 loads (2000 fps) can be duplicated at pressures down near 35,000 with modern powders. Lone Star (a maker of relicas) offers the .33 WCF. The old .35 WCF might be viable. A wildcat might be your best bet: select the performance you desire and then select a case big enough (not always feasible, though) to keep the pressures down .

I'd echo your warning about the strength of the military Remington RBs.

Back in the 1960s and 1970s, Navy Arms offered kit to build 444 Marlins and 45-70s on those actions and I remember seeing the remains of 1 that came apart with a 444 Marlin factory load. Remember that most of the Remington RBs in 7x57 went south of the border and often exhibit a history of so-so maintenance in a humid environment. I've owned a few of them, I think that the RB is a neat action, but the potential for a life changing injury has kept me from ever shooting 1.

I have read articles about 1902s being sporterized and rebarreled in 257 Roberts, but I think that I'll pass. I specifically recall seeing pictures of a RB in 257 Roberts with a detachable stock for backpack hunting that looked like a pretty neat rig, but not for me. Don't mean to dampen your initiative, but after having blown up 1 rifle, a 7x57 FN 24/30 Mauser, I'ver come to appreciate a strong action that is well designed to handle escaping gas and brass fragments.

Jeff

I bought a Remington #5 Rolling Black (7X57) in 1957 for $7.95 (if I remember correctly) plus postage. It was my first centerifre rifle. In the late 1970's Numrich Arms (now Gun Parts Store) offered a barrel and extractor in 45-70. I wished then that I has ordered and installed one. Now, I'm glad I did not. The value is now considerably more! Fun to shoot, but not very accurate.

I remember the "Sportsmans Den" as on the inside back cover of TRUE magazine, where you could buy Swedish sniper rifles for $40 with the Ajack scopes.

Jeff

Jeff - we are both showing our age! I remember TRUE magazine from the '50's. I think it was published by Fawcett Publications and Lucian Cary was its' gun editor. Pretty good magazine, but a little spicy for a 14 year old (of that generation).

Ranger44, I have been thinking in those very terms(about keeping the pressure below 40,000 psi) and I have considered using a 45x2.875" case to some warm 35 Whelen ballistics, but the 9.3x 74R would be a lot less bother. What about the 3" 450/400 NE factory load?

The factories are permitted to load the 9.3x74R to 49,000 psi. If you want low-end Whelen ballistics, I'd suggest trimming the 9.3x74R by a few mm and necking down for .358 bullets or up for .375 bullets.

In modern steels and with care in manufacture, the rolling block can be made to take 47,000 psi on the smaller cases. Pedersoli has offered theirs in .30-40, and the European rating for this cartridge is 47,000 psi. Again, I've read too many reports of originals letting go with factory ammo to want to take any chances with the action.

The .400 Jeffery is rated (in Europe) at 41,000 psi, but it is a fat case, and this will raise the thrust on the breech even at the lower pressure.

I did read, here: http://www.bpcr.net/site_docs-resul...oof_rules_and_allowable_limits_09-04.htm
that Pedersoli has different ratings for different cartridges. This seems a little strange to me, that if the action can take a 30/30 at 40611 psi, why can't it take a 45/70 at the same pressure? Less steel in tha action?
R.

www.simpsonltd.com has quite a few rolling block rifles
and shotguns for sale.

Perhaps a little less steel in the action, but there are a lot more square inches in a 45-70 than in a 30-30, so the total pressure (pounds per square inch, multiplied by square inches) that the action has to withstand is greater.

--Bob

I took a look at Randy Garrett's website and he states that his 45-70+p ammo is loaded to 35,000 psi. I also noticed some photographs of animals taken with different rifles, and some of them were Shilo and Pedersoli Sharps. It makes me wonder, why not a modern Roller made from modern heat treated chromoly steel?

Pedersoli has sold a rolling block sporting rifle format in 30-30 that might be a strong, modern, action to build on. There are currently (03/23/09) a couple of them on GB.

Jeff

The problem with the rolling block is not modern steel or more steel around a cartridge, it is the architecture of the action itself. I suggest that you keep rolling blocks either in black powder cartridges or at least modest smokeless rounds.

If you have ever seen a rolling block in "auto extraction" mode, you would think long and hard about a high pressure round.


ss

i have a remington 1902 patent action that was in 7x57 originally. i had it rebarreled to 50 ak. never had a problem with it but i never loaded it up to see how high i could go.

If you do load it up to see how high you can go, let us know how it all comes out.

My guess it that it would go about 100 ft in the air.
Good Luck!