Danish Remington M1867

About the Danish Remington M1867

The Danish Remington M1867 is a single-shot, breech-loading service rifle adopted by Denmark in 1867 as its first metallic-cartridge infantry arm. Built on E. Remington & Sons' rugged rolling-block action, the breech is sealed by a pivoting block locked behind the hammer, giving a strong, simple mechanism that was quick to operate. Denmark chose a smaller 11.7mm (11.7x42R) rimfire chambering than the 12.17mm used by Norway and Sweden, making the Danish rifle noticeably lighter and slimmer. The first rifles were delivered by Remington in Ilion, New York, after which production was carried out under license at the Copenhagen Arsenal (Geværfabrik Kjøbenhavn).

Denmark adopted the rolling block in the aftermath of the 1864 Second Schleswig War, eager to replace its muzzle-loaders with a modern breech-loader. Many M1867 rifles bear Copenhagen Arsenal markings and date stamps, and the durable action kept the rifles in Danish reserve and fortress inventories long after the Krag-Jorgensen replaced them in front-line service.

Danish Remington M1867 specifications

Denmark's initial 1867 contract was for 20,000 rifles, but Remington's slow delivery let the Danes secure a manufacturing license; the first roughly 30,000 rifles used Remington-made actions before full production moved to Copenhagen. Most rifles were later rebarreled and converted to the 11.35x51R smokeless centerfire cartridge in the M1867/96 (M1867/97) program and relegated to fortress, coastal artillery, and reserve use, with many retained into the 1940s.