Remington Split-Breech Carbine

About the Remington Split-Breech Carbine

The Remington Split-Breech Carbine is a single-shot, breech-loading metallic-cartridge carbine produced by E. Remington & Sons of Ilion, New York. Designed around patents by Leonard Geiger and Joseph Rider, it is the first member of Remington's long line of split-breech and rolling-block actioned arms. The action uses a thumb-operated breechblock that is rotated rearward and downward to expose the chamber, which is then loaded with a single .46 rimfire metallic cartridge; closing the breechblock and cocking the external hammer prepares the carbine to fire. Approximately 5,000 small-frame (Type I) carbines in .46 rimfire were delivered to the United States government under Civil War contracts in 1865, making it the last pattern of military carbine delivered to the U.S. government during the American Civil War. The design featured a 20-inch round barrel, a short tapered forend with a two-piece walnut stock, a case-hardened frame, and a saddle ring for cavalry use. Most were issued too late to see combat and spent years in arsenal storage before a portion were issued to state militias. The split-breech action was soon refined into the famous Remington Rolling Block.

The Split-Breech Carbine was the direct ancestor of the Remington Rolling Block, one of the most successful single-shot military rifles of the 19th century. Although it arrived too late to fight in the Civil War, the lessons learned from its split-breech action led Joseph Rider to perfect the rolling block, which Remington went on to sell to armies across the world.

Remington Split-Breech Carbine specifications

Often called the 'Old Model Carbine' or Split-Breech Carbine Type I. Small-frame Type I carbines were chambered in .46 rimfire; a larger-frame Type II was chambered for the .56-50 Spencer cartridge. The carbines were produced under contract partly through facilities associated with Samuel Norris of the Savage Revolving Fire-Arms Company.