Remington desired military contracts and-since the Army wasn't interested in the rifle-overtures were forthcoming to the U.S. Naval Bureau of Ordnance for consideration of Remington-Keene. The U.S. Navy closely monitored the Army's 1878 Magazine Gun Board, so it was familiar with the rifles. Shortly after the Army Board's selection of the Hotchkiss, the Navy began procurement of some 2,500 Hotchkiss rifles as well. Despite its decision to purchase a significant quantity of the Hotchkiss arms, the Navy also elected to acquire a relatively small number of two other bolt-action, magazine-fed repeating rifles for evaluation and limited issue. One was a design of James P. Lee that featured a detachable box magazine-the other was the Remington-Keene. The Hotchkiss rifle's tubular magazine was located in the buttstock. There was some concern at the time regarding the safety of tubular magazines since the cartridges were in contact with each other while in the magazine. It was feared that this arrangement might have a propensity to cause accidental discharges of cartridges in the magazine should the rifle be jarred and the tip of a bullet strike the primer of the cartridge in front of it. By obtaining examples of all three rifles, the Navy could evaluate the relative merits of each gun's magazine system. As events transpired, the Navy determined that any problem with cartridges with lead roundnose bullets in tubular magazines causing accidental discharges was more perceived than real.

In early 1880, the U.S. Navy ordered 250 Remington-Keene "Navy" rifles. This variant weighed approximately 9 lbs. and was about 48" in length with a 29¼" barrel secured by two bands. The magazine held nine .45-70-405 cartridges. The rear sight was a folding leaf adjustable for elevation, and it was reportedly the same sight used by Remington on the "rolling block" rifles during this period. Likewise, the bayonet used with the Remington-Keene U.S. Navy was the same triangular blade socket bayonet Remington made for its military-pattern rolling blocks. This bayonet was not interchangeable with the standard Model 1873 Trapdoor Springfield bayonet. Other components, including much of the furniture (barrel bands, etc.), were the same as made for the rolling blocks as well. Remington's use of existing parts was logical, especially given the small size of the Navy contract. Remington-Keene Navy rifles were shipped from the Remington factory to the Navy for inspection prior to issue. Lt. William W. Kimball was the officer in charge of inspecting the Remington-Keenes, and on April 16, 1880, he reported to Commodore William N. Jeffers, chief of the Bureau of Ordnance, that the first 150 rifles had been inspected and were ready for issue. The remaining 100 rifles followed shortly thereafter. There are some references to the Remington-Keene Navy rifle as the "Model of 1880," presumably due to the year it was procured by the Navy. This designation, however, doesn't appear in any period documents pertaining to this subject and likely wasn't the "official" designation. The Remington-Keene Navy rifles had a "U.S." and anchor marking stamped on the left side of the barrel with a "P" (proof) and "W.W.K." (William W. Kimball) marking stamped on the right side. There were no inspection or proofmarks applied to the stock.

In an 1880 Secretary of the Navy's Report, Commodore Jeffers made the following references to the Remington-Keene and other magazine rifles: "The Hotchkiss repeating rifle has also been introduced, and these together with the Remington-Keene and the Lee guns, are considered sufficient for all experimental purposes in settling the relative value of the several (magazine) systems ... (the Hotchkiss along with) the 250 Remington-Keene and 300 Lee guns are sufficient to arm all the ships in commission with repeating rifles and to test the relative value of the three systems, viz magazines in the butt, beneath the barrel, and detachable." In addition to the 250 Remington-Keene Navy rifles, in July 1880 the government purchased 600 Remington-Keene "Frontier Model" 24"-barreled carbines. Their origin is a bit uncertain, as some sources state that these carbines were originally ordered by the Navy but were abandoned in favor of the Remington-Keene rifle.

This scenario is rather unlikely and is not supported by any known authoritative documentation. Records show these guns were shipped from the Remington factory to the U.S. Interior Department between July and August 1880 at a per unit cost of $17.50 and were purchased to arm the "Indian Police" at a number of reservations in the American West. In 1881, the U.S. Army convened yet another "Trials Board" to evaluate magazine rifles. Remington submitted two Remington-Keene "Frontier Rifles" (with eight-round magazine capacities), one with a magazine cut-off and one without.

Continue Reading....

Go to Page One