This Remington No 1 Rolling Block rifle was made in the late 1800s under contract for the Egyptian military. They were ordered by Egypt in 1868 to be chambered in their own caliber of .43 Egyptian (11.38x49mmR). Due to delays in payment deliveries were slow and a large number were sent to France during the Franco-Prussian war. The contract was finally completed in 1876. This rifle is known as the M1868 for the year of contract and also as the M1869 for year of first delivery.

This rifle is in fair to good condition. The wood shows dings and scratches with some chipping along the cleaning rod channel. The finish has wear and the texture indicates there has been substantial drying out of the wood.

The metal shows almost complete finish loss. While there is some patina there are numerous rust stain spots especially along the barrel and on the block. The barrel bands and sling mount show active surface rust. The rear sight shows rust and staining. The bore is remarkably clean with only minor pitting. Rifling is only barely visible under certain light indicating substantial wear.

The rifle is missing the butt plate, middle barrel band sling mount, and rear sight leaf adjuster.

This rifle is marked with Arabic on top rear of barrel with a number translating to 3504 (either a serial, unit, or possibly rack number). The crescent mark for Egypt on the left side of the block has mostly worn away. The marks for Remington have completely worn off the rear tang.

Mechanically the block and trigger function as they should but this has not been test fired by us.

This rifle includes the cleaning rod which has rust staining.

This Remington No 1 Rolling Block Egyptian Contract rifle would make an excellent candidate for restoration or would look great as a display piece.

DISCLAIMER ON FIRING

While this rifle functions mechanically as it should it has not been test fired by us. A consultation with a reputable gunsmith is recommended before attempting to fire. Extreme caution should always be taken with antique firearms.

Arabic letters and numbers – Top rear of barrel

Crescent (mostly worn away) – Left side block