Remington Hepburn No. 3 Sporting Rifle

.32-40 RH

Serial number 7737

SOLD  - $2495

The Hepburn is a lever activated falling block single-shot rifle designed by Louis Lobdell Hepburn. Available in a variety of calibers from .22 Win. centerfire to .50-90 Sharps.  Octagonal or round barrels 26", 28" or 30" length.  Blued case-hardened, with walnut stock.  Available with a variety of optional features that affect value considerably.  Approximately 10,100 were manufactured between 1883 and 1907.  The highest know serial number is 10057.  It is generally believed that serial numbers above about 9000 are post 1898.  This helps in dating this rifle to around 1896 or 1897.

The 32-40 Remington Hepburn cartridge was introduced in 1872 for the Remington #1 Rolling Block and also used in the #3 Hepburn rifle after 1883.  

The top of the barrel is marked:  REMINGTON’S ARMS CO. ILION, N.Y.  The bottom of the barrel is marked with:

13045              at the receiver (?)

32.40R            forward of 13045

7737                rear of the forend screw stud

32.40               2” forward of the forend

This style of barrel marking was introduced on July 8, 1888 and used from 1889 until 1904.

The number 7737 is also marked on the rear of the lower tang and the rear of the forend.

The left side of the upper tang is marked with 6884.  This is the only number on the receiver. 

The lower left side of the receiver is marked:  HEPBURN’S PAT. / OCT. 7^th 1879.

The butt stock is the plainest offered by Remington.  All Hepburn’s had pistol grip stocks and were checkered except the military muskets.  The front of the butt stock and the back of the butt plate are marked with 9084 and are not original to the rifle.  The butt stock has a few minor drying cracks but nothing effecting integrity.  One at the butt plate on the right side and one in the upper right wrist.  The later production rifles did have Winchester forends as does this rifle.  The forend schnabel tip has a black ebony inlay. 

The muzzle showed damage and erosion to the edge of the rifling.  Refaced the muzzle cutting it back about 1/16”.  The barrel is 30 1/16” long and tapers from 1.073” wide at the receiver and .910” at the muzzle.  The bore has 6 lands and grooves with a 16” twist.  The bore diameter is .309” and the groove is .315”.  The barrel has a rear barrel sight dovetail that has been filled with a blank.  There is some light pitting and frost of the bore.  The most significant is in the first few inches forward of the chamber and about half way to the muzzle.  

The tang sights staff is marked on the left side with 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 1, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 2.  The eye cup is .860” in diameter and the aperture .075”.  Fabricated a missing rectangular piece that acts as a guide between the staff rails and the eye piece binding mechanism.

The front sight is a plain globe with a tapered post with an ivory bead.  The globe is .555” long and .530” in diameter. 

Replaced a replaced firing pin spring with one that is stronger and fits better. 

The rifle weighs 10 lb. 0 oz.

Overall length of 45 11/16”

Length of pull of 14 3/8”

Sight radius is 33”

Trigger pull is about 4 1/2 to 5 lbs.

 Other markings

136                  back of the eye cup

5-point star      mid-point top left of the trigger assembly