Gun Digest 2011. Dan Shideler

      Without question, this is one military rolling block with a set of markings that few collectors would have thought ever existed – one stamped with crisp, prominent Sanskrit letters identifying it as the former Cambodian military or police property. The appearance of this Remington carbine is another indicator that French in fluence was still very prevalent throughout Southeast Asia in the nineteenth century. Such an early Remington military carbine with a Type 2 action in any rimfire chambering is considered a rare find. Note the concave axis of the rimfire breech bloc, and the six o’clock position of the firing pin. Externally, the barrel sides of the chamber are completely round, something reminiscent of the Whitney rolling block, but the barrel displays no markings. The closeup of the seven-bladed Chakra stamped over the receiver ring shows it to be deep and everlasting:a number “3” next to two similar consonants with a “T”-like pronunciation. The square-like cartouche at the end, which appears to be an Arabic “L” or a “C,” may also be an obliterated royal inspector’s stamp or yet another Sanskrit mark. The sling swivel channel on the lower butt stock behind these markings has the texture of hard rubber or an ebony-like filler. (Author’s collection.)

      The tang markings on this well-used example are the earliest found on the New Model Rifle Remington rolling block action, ending with the date April 17 1866. The left side of the frame displays a cryptic “B “ stamping adjacent to the extractor screw. This carbine is equipped with the standard 100- to 500-yard carbine rear sight. Its nearly black, oil-soaked stocks, with assorted gouges and dings, are evidence of hard use. Mechanically sturdy, the action is tight, appearing well-maintained, but the bore rates only fair.

      In conversing with several military rolling block specialists and collectors, I found that none has observed a military rolling block having Cambodian or Sanskrit markings or even knew they existed. Removal of the butt stock reveals two matching sets of the alphanumerics D8 2162, stamped on the upper and lower left flats of this carbine, which could be coded serial or casting numbers. The author is still not certain if this is one of the 21,117 Remington rolling block carbines in various calibers purchased by France in the period of 1870-71. The full round barrel is common to the Transformation Conversion Rifle. >Another possibility exists that a .58 caliber Rifle musket barrel could have been Modified and installed on the action.

      The mere presence of this carbine, coupled with such an exotic and enigmatic set of markings, is ipso facto assurance that the collector of military rolling block firearms can expect no foreseeable end of variety in the near future. This Cambodian example once again proves that this now highly specialized field of collecting is chock full of ample, unlimited potential.

      THE EL SALVADOR MODEL 1902: A RARE ROLLING BLOCK RESPONSIBLE FOR A NICKNAME

      Mexico and El Salvador are so far the only Latin American nations of the smokeless powder era to have their national crests roll stamped over the receiver ring, including the only known variant having the words “MODELO 1902” marked at the bottom. They are seldom encountered in any quantity due to smaller production numbers. Those that are found are often in very rough, well-used condition.

      The 1901 El Salvador contract, which actually commenced delivery the following year, is undoubtedly responsible for creation of the popular and widely used term “Model 1902.” Essentially a deja vu of Mexico’s “special order” of three years earlier, the Republic of El Salvador was the first quantity purchaser of this new, “improved” Model 1897. Unlike Mexico’s earlier contract of 14,000-plus Rifles and carbines, El Salvador’s New Model Small Bore Military Rifles were equipped with the Albert Day-patent, automatic rotary extractor of October 22, 1901. In addition to the national crest, the Salvadoran Model 1902 was equipped with a very unique hand guard that has a longitudinally grooved inlet extending from the front of the receiver ring to the middle barrel band. Those who may discover one of these in very good or better condition, together with an unblemished national crest, should consider themselves very fortunate, as the bulk of surviving examples display excessive wear. This variation is also an important addition to any collection of post-1900-era military rolling block rifles.

      For the record, it is worth mentioning that the Remington Museum archive room at Ilion, New York, has fortunately retained a single sample of the Model 1902 Salvadoran contract in near new condition, the only one known to the author in such condition. Though production numbers of the El Salvador contract Model 1902 were less than half the total of the larger quantities of the Mexican contract of Model 1897 rifles, the reason so few have appeared on the surplus market is due to many having been discarded by the Salvadoran government sometime after 1934. During this time, a large, anti-government revolt was in progress which saw some 10,000 to 30,000 peasants and revolutionaries massacred in an event known as the La Matanza. Many of the anti-government factions used obsolete military rifles and machetes during their struggle, and it was reported that thousands of their weapons were dumped in the Gulf of Fonseca following the government’s victory. No doubt many rolling block Rifles were among them.

      The receiver ring on these rifles has an elaborate roll stamped crest marked, “Republica del Salvador-Modelo 1902” with “CAL. 7mm S.M.” (Spanish Mauser) marked ahead of the upper hand guard. Butt stocks may also be found with an assortment of rack numbers as well.

      All in all, this variation should be classified as a special order affair in its entirety. Surviving Salvadoran defense records show that the first deliveries of the 5,550 rifle contract (but no carbines) began in the spring of 1902. In reality, this may perhaps make El Salvador the first customers of the so-called Model 1902 Remington rolling block featuring the improved automatic rotary extractor. The other half of the story is that the very presence of this marking may be the reason why all of the new rolling block rifles with this feature were responsible for the unofficial title of Model 1902. It should also be noted that some Model 1902 Remington rolling block rifles displaying those special features of the Salvadoran Model, such as the grooved upper hand guard minus the national crest, in many cases represent an “overrun” variation totaling somewhere in the range of an estimated 800 to 1,000 pieces. Furthermore, an unknown number were purchased by El Salvador in 1903 without the crest and were perhaps significantly lower in cost due to the absence of the marking. Such unmarked rifles do occasionally appear and are of interest to the collector. However, distinguishing an overrun