REMINGTON-KEENE CARBINE .45-70 GOVERNMENT BOLT ACTION RIFLE
SOLD FOR: $5,652.50
Remington-Keene Carbine .45-70 Government 20″ Tubular Magazine Bolt Action Rifle
Make: Remington
Model: Remington-Keene Carbine
Serial Number: None
Year of Manufacture: 1880-1888
Caliber: .45-70 Govt.
Action Type: Tubular Magazine Bolt Action Rifle
Barrel Length: 20″
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade dovetailed into a barrel band at the front of the barrel. The rear sight is a two-position flip-up ladder sight. There are three different “U” notches for sighting.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stock is one-piece walnut with a straight grip, a straight comb, and a metal buttplate with a hinged door for storage. There is a tiny hairline crack on the top of the wrist at the rear of the tang. There are a few scattered dings, compressions, and little nicks, some of the most noticeable marks are on the left side of the stock at about the action. There are a few scattered scuffs and oil marks. There are some light handling marks. The LOP measures approximately 13″ from the front of the trigger to the rear of the smooth metal buttplate. The metal buttplate has areas of scabbing, finish loss, and patina. The stock rates in about Very Good-Fine overall condition.
Type of Finish: Blue
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is semi-bright and the rifling is mostly sharp. There are a few areas of minor surface erosion but no heavy pitting.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 85% of its metal finish. There are some areas of erosion scattered over the barrel and magazine tube. There are some scattered small spots of oxidation on the blued components. The nosecap, bolt, and lifter have some scattered spots of dark discoloration from previous oxidation and some spots of light erosion. There is some thinning on the edges. There is standard operational wear. The screw heads are lightly worn with strong serviceable slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle rates in about Very Good condition.
Mechanics: On this rifle the hammer cocks automatically and does not need to be manually cocked. The action functions correctly. We have not fired this rifle. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None
Our Assessment: This a Remington-Keene Sporting carbine, Remington’s first production bolt action. At the time of its invention, the lever-action and single-shot dominated the market with a few bolt actions entering the fray, but they were single-shot designs. The inventor John W. Keene had been awarded patents for a rifle that would feed from a magazine tube but did not have mass production capabilities. This resulted in a mutually beneficial relationship for him and the Remington company and thus the Remington-Keene rifle was born. The magazine tube was similar to the lever actions of the time and the hammer at the rear of the bolt would let the shooter know if the rifle was cocked similar to a musket or lever action so it was not hard to transition shooters accustomed to their older rifles. The Navy made a purchase for some of the rifles and the U.S. Interior Department purchased some for Indian Tribal police but sales to the Government were not what Remington had hoped and they soon started targeting the sporting market instead of government sales. The production numbers were about 5,000 of all the variants combined. Already a Rare gun, this carbine is one of, if not the Rarest… the BlueBook simply says “Rarity Precludes Accurate Pricing”. This one has survived the years exceptionally well and truly looks great, even the bore is nothing to turn your nose up at. Quite a few of us at the shop will be jealous of the lucky winner, hardly anyone passed by this gun without commenting on just how cool it is. This will certainly make an exceptional addition to a collection of Remingtons and ANTIQUEs.
