Swedish/Danish Rolling Blocks

Remingtion brought out their rolling block rifle commercially in 1865 and by 1867 it was adopted by Sweden, Norway and Denmark in both rimfire and centrefire versions. The model 1867 is fairly typical for this time period, with a barrel of 37 3/8 inches, the rifle is long even with the compact rolling block action and not an ideal length for hunting. A good number of these rifles were brought into Canada around 2014 and they are fairly common, both in the original military configuration and sporterized versions (shortened barrels). This rifle is chambered in the centrefire 12.7x 44R cartridge which is comparable to the 577 Snider and 50-70, both of which were contemporary rounds. The typical load for the 12.7 x 44R round is a 425 gr bullet at 1200 – 1300 fps. The bore of my rifle measures 0.512″ and I load 0.512″ diameter bullets. When you look in the literature, the nominal bullet diameter is 0.497″, although when blackpowder is used, soft lead bullets will “bump” up to larger diameters and undersized bullets will continue to chamber even with blackpowder fouling. However with smokeless powders like Trail Boss and Accurate 5744, using bullets that are at or slightly (0.001″) over bore diameter is the best way to prevent gas-cutting/leading and you do not need to rely on the bullet “bumping up”. Those who cast their own bullets can readily produce 0.512″ bullets and for those who do not, Great Plains bullets from Hornady (Higginson Powders carry them) are the right diameter but are lighter at 385 gr (HP, hollow base). The swaged, hollow base Great Plains bullets will expand to seal oversize bores even at modest powder charges. In addition, we can supply a 0.512″, 425 gr bullet for those who need them. This bullet has a solid base, a rounded nose with a small meplat. It is not the fully round nose design of the original bullet but it closely approximates it. Regardless of the bullet you use, the main point is that there are multiple sources that can be accessed.

While the bullet situation is easy to resolve, brass is another matter. Although the 12.7 x 44R and 50-70 are similar in the body dimensions the rim of the 50-70 will not typically function in the Rolling Block. Cases can be formed from the .348 Win or the simpler option is to use Bertram brass in this calibre. Fortunately 50-70 dies can be used to reload the 12.7 x 44R and these are a fraction of the cost of custom dies. However the shorter length of the 12.7 x 44R (1.72″) versus 1.75″ for the 50-70 means that you may not be able to crimp the bullet with the 50-70 dies. It will depend on the dies but if this happens it is a simple matter to have a machine shop machine off 3 to 5 thou (0.003 – 0.005″) off of the bottom of the seating die to get a crimp.

Shooting the 12.7 x 44R is fun and while it does not have the nostalia of a Martini-Henry or a Snider, there is a certain amount of satisfaction in getting a heritage gun shooting again. Recoil is moderate in the unconverted military rifles but in sporterized/lighter rifles it can be a lot more vigorous. Depending on the load the velocity will be in the 1200 – 1400 fps range, so with a 425 gr bullet, the cartridge packs a real punch, which makes it a potent short-range hunting round. Whether it is for plinking or hunting the 12.7 x 44R cartridge and the Rolling Block will provide lots of enjoyment.