Remington Model No. 5 1902 Uruguayan Contract Saddle Ring Carbine, Blue & Case Colored 20 ½ -- Single Shot Rolling Block Rifle, MFD 1901-17 C&R

Sold For: $1,271.00
LSB#: 160720JF10

Make: Remington

Model: No. 5 Model 1902 Saddle Ring Carbine

Serial Number: 521

Year of Manufacture: 1901-1917 (Per Flayderman’s, the Model 1897 Military Rifle and its variants were made between 1897-1917, but the patent date makes it no earlier than 1901. )

Caliber: 7x57mm Spanish Mauser

Action Type: Single Shot Rolling Block

T Markings: The top of the barrel in front of the handguard is marked “CAL. 7M.M.”. The upper tang is marked “REMINGTON ARMS CO. / ILION, N.Y. U.S.A. / PATENTED OCTR. 22ND 1901”. The left sides of the upper and lower tangs are marked “1276” (this is a batch number). The right side of the lower tang and the top of the buttstock under the upper tang are marked “521” (this is the serial number. There are two marks at the back of the wrist between the lower tang and the sling swivel: the first looks like a “0” and the rear mark is an “H”. The right rear of the stock is marked with a large “13” over a round cartouche with “EJERCITO / URUGUAYO” around the border and a “1157 / A” unit marking in the center.

Barrel Length: The barrel is 20 ½” in length.

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a tall blade dovetailed into a rectangular base on the barrel that forms an inverted “V” when viewed from the rear. The rear sight is a combination sliding elevator/ladder sight. With the ladder folded down, the rear sight is a large “V” notch at the front (top) of the ladder. The left side of the ladder is marked “2 3 4 5 6” for use with the slider as an elevator. When the ladder is raised, there is smaller “V” notch on the top edge of the slider. The ladder is marked from “7” to “13” for use with the slider.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are three pieces, consisting of a buttstock, a nearly full length forend and a half-length handguard. The handguard is cut-out for the rear sight, which protrudes up through the handguard. There is a barrel band around the forend at the front of the handguard. There is a sling swivel inlet into the right side of the buttstock and another on the right side of the barrel band. The handguard has a steel nosecap. The stocks are smooth walnut with a straight grip and a carbine style steel buttplate. The stocks have been refinished with a satin finish. There is oil staining around the receiver, barrel band and handguard nosecap. The buttstock is slighty shy of the metal at the lower rear corners of the receiver with slight gaps between the metal and wood at the upper rear corners of the receiver. There is a short crack at the back edge of the lower tang. There are several dings scattered over the stocks that are dark with oil staining. There are also two drag lines on the left side of the wrist, another behind the lower tang, two dings on the left side of the forend and several tiny marks on the right side of the forend and handguard. The LOP measures 13 ¼” from the front of the trigger to the back of the butt plate, which has been stripped of its original finish. The buttplate shows tiny sings scattered over its surface. The buttplate is in about Good condition. The stocks rate in about Very Good to Fine condition as re-finished.

Type of Finish: The barrel, hammer, breechblock, barrel band and nosecap are blued. The receiver is case colored. The trigger guard is “In The White”.

Finish Originality: The finish on the barrel band and handguard nosecap is original. We think the barrel was re-finished. The receiver and trigger guard were wire-wheeled very lightly, with some of the color is still visible on the receiver. All finish has been removed from the trigger guard. .

Bore Condition: The bore bright, tending to gray in the front half. The pronounced rifling shows light to moderate wear. There is extremely light erosion in the grooves near the muzzle.

Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 50% of its current metal finish. There are two spots of pinprick surface erosion and a scrape through the finish on the right side of the barrel in front of the barrel band. There are two small dings in the underside of the barrel and a few light handling marks on its top and right sides. the barrel band and forend nosecap show spots of surface loss and thinning. The button and its pins show spots of thinning and there are marks through the finish on the sides of the hammer and breechblock. There is no finish remaining on the trigger guard and upper tang, with faint color remaining on the receiver, mostly on its right side. The checkering on the hammer and rolling block is sharp. The screw heads are sharp and the markings are clear except for the last digit in the patent date, which looks more like a “7” than a “1”. Overall, this rifle rates in about Very Good condition as re-finished.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The hammer has a half-cock safety and the action employs a rotating ejector. We have not fired this rifle.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: The sling bar and saddle ring are present on the left side of the receiver.

Our Assessment: This rifle is a Remington No. 5 Model 1902 Saddle Ring Carbine chambered in 7x57mm Spanish Mauser. The M1902 is a variation of the M1897 rifle, which has a rotating ejector instead of an extractor. The M1887 rifles and carbines were made for various governments, most notably Mexico and those of South America, and chambered in 7mm, 8mm Level and .30 U.S. This rifle was made for the Uruguay Army and has a prominent cartouche marked on the right side of its buttstock with unit markings. The rifle is in about Very Good condition as re-finished. The bore is bright, tending to gray in the front half, with light to moderate wear in its pronounced rifling and extremely light erosion in the grooves near the muzzle. This is a very nice rifle to add to your Rolling Block collection – most of the M1897 and M1902 Military Rifles sold to Mexico and to Central and South American countries received rather harsh care. This has been cleaned-up a little, but remnants of its case coloring remain on the receiver and with its prominent buttstock cartouche, this rifle will display very nicely, especially from its right side.