POTD: U.S. Remington Split Breech – The Forgotten Transition Gun
Sam.S 03.13.25
Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! This Remington Type II Split Breech Rolling Block carbine represents a fascinating transitional design in American firearms development. Manufactured by Savage Revolving Arms Co. in Middletown, Connecticut on contract for Remington, these robust .50 caliber rimfire carbines were Remington’s first longarms designed specifically for metallic cartridges. While 15,000 units were ordered in 1864, production challenges meant the first 1,000 weren’t delivered until September 1865 – too late to see service in the Civil War. The final batches were completed by May 1866. With the war over and the U.S. military downsizing, Remington cleverly repurchased these carbines from the government and sold them to France, where they saw action in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71. What makes this carbine particularly interesting is its position as the immediate predecessor to the far more famous Remington No. 1 Rolling Block design that would become one of the most widely used military arms of the late 19th century. The Split Breech features a more robust action, barrel and stock than later rolling block variants. Distinctive features include the pinched blade front sight paired with a notch and folding leaf rear sight system. The left side of the wrist retains faint remnants of an inspection cartouche, linking it to its brief U.S. military ownership. These Split Breech carbines are extremely rare in the collecting community, with most examples having been sent overseas. Those that survived combat in Europe rarely made their way back to American shores, making this carbine a seldom-seen piece of Remington’s developmental history.
“U.S. Remington Type II Split Breech Rolling Block Carbine.” Rock Island Auction Company, https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/4090/252/us-remington-type-ii-split-breech-rolling-block-carbine. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.
