The rolling block action was the strongest of its day...it had to be, in order to withstand the transition from black powder cartridges to those with smokeless powder, which burns at much higher pressures. Few firearms designed in the era of black powder were able to remain viable into the new smokeless powder reality, but the rolling block did just that.

The rolling block action is simplicity itself:

• Cock back the hammer
• Roll back the breechblock utilizing the handy thumb tab
• Insert your bullet into the breech
• Close the breechblock by rolling it forward
• Aim
• Pull the trigger

Congratulations! You have just shot someone! I hope they deserved it.

Disassembly of a rolling block rifle's action is nearly as easy as loading and firing it:

• Cock the hammer
• Remove the pivot pin retainer cross piece and screw
• Gently tap out the breechblock pivot pin (the one that's closest to the barrel)
• Pull out the breechblock
• While holding the hammer, pull the trigger and gently ease the hammer forward, into the area vacated by the breechblock
• Remove the hammer pivot pin
• Remove the hammer

Your rolling block's action has been disassembled! Not a whole lot of parts, are there? Please don't lose any of them.