GENERALLY: The Danes elected to license the Remington design for manufacture in Denmark at the Copenhagen arsenal, which they did in fairly large quantity. The Danish model first utilized a rimfire cartridge and that stayed in service well into the smokeless era. However, with the adoption of the 8mm M1889 Krag-Jorgensen the need to update or abandon the Remington became acute. In 1896 they were withdrawn from infantry service, converted to centerfire cartridge and issued to coast and fortress artillerymen. At that time a new much longer rear ladder sight was also fitted to the rifles. After World War II a large quantity were sold surplus back to the US where these type first entered civilian hands, being misleadingly sold in large quantity as .45-70 Rolling blocks!
PHOTO: The rifle shown is a M1867/96 Danish Remington Rolling Block, having been converted to centerfire and having the extrodinarily long backsight leaf .
DISTINGUISHING CHARECTERISTICS: Have we mentioned
the long backsight leaf? At 3 1/4 inches it's quite long :). Left receiver
flat is stamped with a Crown over the royal cypher over the marks M-1867.
The right receiver wall is generally bare and the upper tang is marked
Kjobenhavns Toihuus 18xx (Copenhagen Arsenal date of manufacture).
Centerfire converted rifles chamber a cartridge near to the US Govt. .45-70,
the 11.7x51R, a bit shorter and a bit larger. A .45-70 will function but
will expand at the base and may overcrimp at the neck, not safe conditions.
The rimfire cartridge was somewhat shorter but usable in the converted
rifles. In fact, after conversion, the rifle could fire either rimfire
or centerfire ammunition. See bottom picture, below, for more details.
This beautiful Danish M1867/96 has had it's buttstock replaced.
(photo courtesy of Jim in New Zealand
@ bp_express@paradise.net.nz (BP Express))
The very long rear sight is evidence of the 1896 conversion, when these
rifles
were withdrawn from front line infantry use and issued to coastal artillary
units.
Unit marking disk. On this example the disk is unmarked.
As mentioned in the general text above, the Danish model
first utilized a rimfire cartridge which stayed in service well into the
smokeless era. This created a potential compatibility problem, rimfire
cartridges won't fire in a certral fire rifle, and center-fire cartridges
won't operate in a rimfire rifle. WELL ...... if you look carefully
above, you will see that the breech block of the Danish Remington Rolling
Block has TWO firing pin holes, one for center fire and one at the bottom
of the breech block face for rimfire. The firing pin is fairly easily
reversible, for use of the rifle with whatever (rimfire or central fire)
ammunition is available.
MORE
M1867/96 Danish Rolling Block detail pics
Page built June 8, 1997
Revised February 1, 1999
Added pics & text January 6, 2001