Rolling block project rifle

velocette

New member
December of last year, I traded with a family member for a rifle from my grandfathers collection. It is a Whitney 2nd model rolling block, circa 1888. (Yes, the son of Ely Whitney of cotton gin and Colt Walker fame.) I spent the last 8 months working on it. It's barrel has been re-lined in .32/20 WCF as the original bore was badly corroded. The stock and foregrip have been re-finished and the action has been cleaned. All of the metal parts have been cleaned but not refinished or modified. Then a reproduction Malcolm 6x scope was fitted, just as it would have been in that era.
With cast bullets and 777 powder, it gives me 1 3/4" groups at 100 yards with minimal recoil & noise. Another relic taken out of the closet and back to the firing range.









 
Last edited:
very cool... I have a Remington #1 that was customized long ago that I redid in 32-40 fast twist & put a Unertl scope on that, & have a Navy arms Rolling Block with a long range tang sight in 40-65, & 3 Martinis in 30-30, 45-70 & 50-70...

love those old single shots in reloadable cartridges... if I were building one today I do it in a similar chambering as yours, since this last shortage I've been concentrating on more efficient cartridges

love your project... even cooler that it came out of your grandpa's collection...
 
Top