U.S. Interior Department Remington-Keene Indian Police Rifle #419
.45-70. 24" round barrel with full length tubular magazine under barrel. SN: 419. Manufactured in 1880. Blued finish, smooth walnut stock and forend, carbine butt. Bolt action, tubular feed repeating rifle with exposed hammer. Adjustable ladder rear sight, front sight blade on carbine style barrel band. Standard three-line Remington address and patent markings on top rear of bolt. Top of chamber marked with an "{ARROW}" motif indicating Indian Police along with "WWK/P" inspection. William W Kimball was a civilian armory employee who primarily inspected US Navy contract arms for the government during this period, including the Navy Rifle version of the Remington-Keene, Remington Model 1879 Navy Rifles and Hotchkiss 2nd Model Navy Rifles. The left barrel flat and receiver are also marked with the sub-inspection "HN" mark of Henry Nettleton, whose script cartouche was also applied to the wrists of these guns, although it is often worn away. It is barely visible on this gun and extremely weak. Left side of receiver correctly marked in individual dies "U.S.I.D. 419", for "U.S. Interior Department" and gun #419. The U.S. Interior Department administered the Bureau of Indian Affairs during this period, which controlled all aspects of Native American life, particularly on reservation land. In 1878 the Bureau of Indian Affairs established the Tribal Police to enforce the law on reservation land, hoping for better results than those obtained by using the military to enforce the law, as the army often operated as oppressors rather than lawmen. In 1880 the U.S. Department of the Interior contracted with Remington Arms to deliver 650 Model 1875 Revolvers and 600 Remington-Keene Frontier Rifles in .45-70 for the use of the Tribal Police. These are extremely rare firearms in their own right, but due to the fact that they saw heavy use, often in harsh conditions, their survival rate is rather low and extant examples tend to be well-worn and heavily used.
Provenance:The Collection of Larry Ness
Condition:
Good to very good. Well worn and heavily used as it typical of these guns, this one retains some traces of blue on the receiver and along the edges of the barrel and on the magazine tube. The balance of the metal is mostly a moderately oxidized brownish gray color with scattered surface roughness and some light pitting, as well as seem lightly scattered impact marks on the metal. Markings all remain quite legible, with the exception of the Nettleton cartouche which very weak. Mechanically functional, good bore with strong rifling, is moderately oxidized with scattered pitting. Stock with heavy wear, showing numerous bumps, dings and mars scattered on the wood. A stylized, intertwined "TB" is carved into the reverse butt in a style that suggests a ranch brand.
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