!!!!!SOLD!!!!! Extremely Rare Antique Mexican Government Arsenal 1/2 Scale Remington Military Rolling Block Rifle !!!!!SOLD!!!!!

!!!!!SOLD!!!!!  This is an extremely rare, & only one known 1/2 scale Remington rolling block rifle made in the Mexican Government Arsenal in Mexico City circa 1881.  20 1/8″ long overall with a 13 15/16″ round rifled barrel of .176 caliber.  This exact rifle pictured in Art Brown’s book Miniatures of Mexico on pages 275 – 278, 282 – 286, & 289 when it was offered for sale by Tom P. Weston in Mexico City, Mexico, Guns Magazine’s April 1979 issue, Merrill Lindsey’s book “Miniature Arms” published in 1970, on page 97 when it was in the Berger Collection, and again in Art Brown’s book “Miniatures of Mexico” on page 287 when it was in the Joel Morrow collection.  It was also previously in the Joseph Kramer & Kennith Whichard collections.  It was probably Tom Weston in Mexico who sold this rifle to Berger.

Blued barrel, sights, & barrel bands..  The frame, rolling block, hammer, trigger, & buttplate are case colored.  The barrel features a bayonet lug for a sword bayonet on the right side near the muzzle, and the bayonet with scabbard are shown in the Guns Magazine article and Lindsey’s book, but alas, the bayonet & scabbard have been separated from the rifle at some time in the past and thus are not included.  Nicely figured two piece stock & forearm with a gloss finish.  The wood grain is how I identified the rifle to the magazine & two books.  Four step graduated rear sight which also pivots up to make a long range ladder sight.  The rifle has a center fire firing pin.  The hammer with both half & full cock, and a crisp action.  Sling swivels are located on the bottom of the middle barrel band and the rear bottom of the buttstock.  The hammer spur and rolling block spur are both finely checkered.  There is a beautiful steel cleaning/extractor rod in the channel under the barrel with a serrated jagged end with a slot for patches.  The barrel & sights show about 95% remaining original blue.  The front band spring shows 98% blue, the middle band spring shows 75% blue, & the rear band spring shows 60% blue.  The bands themselves have turned a nice patina gray.  The frame, buttplate, & trigger show traces of the original case colors, more so on the rolling block & hammer sides, the remainder turning a gray patina.  The rifled barrel bore is dark & shows pitting.  There is a chamber cut at the breech, but for what cartridge I do not know.  The Mexican Arsenal routinely made custom 1/2 scale miniature cartridges for their miniature rifles, often headstamped with the names of retired Mexican General Officers.  If I had to guess, it would be chambered for a miniature 1/2 scale .45-70, or possibly .43 Spanish cartridge.  The buttstock & fore stock show numerous small dents & bruises, and both show about 95% of the original varnish finish.  I have disassembled the stock & forearm from the barreled action, and removed the buttplate to clean, Renaissance wax the metal & wood, & look for markings.  There are no visible markings that I could find.  There is also the slight possibility that this was a Tom Weston copy of one of the Mexican Arsenal miniature rifles, but in my opinion & experience, I’ve never seen a Weston with this quality of fit, finish, & attention to detail, especially on hidden things like the barrel & tang channels, and the recoil lug on the bottom of the barrel.   The workmanship, fit, & finish on this rifle are exceptionally well done by an obvious master craftsman, & even more impressive when the stocks are removed to view the hidden parts!  A really great miniature rifle in any case, with a provenance to four of the greatest miniature collections ever assembled.  I will include a copy each of Lindsey’s & Brown’s books with the rifle.  !!!!!SOLD!!!!!