A rolling-block action is a single-shot firearm action where the sealing of the breech is done with a specially shaped breechblock able to rotate on a pin. Rolling-block action The breechblock is shaped like a section of a circle. The breechblock is locked into place by the hammer, therefore preventing the cartridge from moving backward at the moment of firing. By cocking the hammer, the breechblock can be rotated freely to reload the breech of the weapon.
The first rifle based on this design was introduced at the Paris Exposition in 1867 and the United States Navy placed an order for 12,000 rifles. Within a year it had become the standard military rifle of several nations, including Sweden, Norway, and Denmark.
Many earlier percussion rifles and muskets were converted to rolling-block designs in the interim before the development of more modern bolt-action designs.
The Remington M1867, Springfield Model 1870, and Springfield Model 1871 rifles also used the rolling-block action.
Remington built estimated 1.5 million firearms with rolling-block action, encompassing rifles, carbines, shotguns and pistols.
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