Original Item: Only One Available. This is a fantastic example of a Remington New Model Army Percussion Revolver, named on the right grip scale to Lt. G. E. BUSS, complete with its original leather flap holster. The revolver has a lovely patina from age and use, but still retains a good deal of the original blued finish. The holster is the correct "cavalry draw" style, for wearing butt forward on the right hip. Really a great set with fantastic research potential!

Lt. GEORGE E. BUSS was born in 1830, and enlisted May 1st 1861 as 1st Sergeant in F Company of the New York Volunteer 14th Infantry Regiment. He was mustered out at the end of his 2 year enlistment term in 1863, but Buss decided to re-enlist for a 3 year term in the Cavalry. He was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant February 19th, 1864 and then promoted to 1st Lieutenant on April 22nd 1865m where after he served with 21st Cavalry (New York). The war concluded before the end of his enlistment term, so he was sent to Fort Collins, in what was then the Colorado Territory. He was mustered out of the service on June 23rd. 1866, and took up residence in Colorado. For more information please see this lovely article at the Northern Colorado History website: George Buss. There is a ton of research material linked there as well.

We are told that the holster with this pistol is the original one issued to Buss, and there is actually strong evidence to support this. The rear of the holster is marked E. GAYLORD / CHICOPEE / MASS., for U.S. Government leather good supplier Emerson Gaylord. While prior to the war Gaylord had supplied leather goods to many Southern states, once the war broke out, Gaylord took all of the goods intended for those contracts and instead sent them to Governor's Island, New York and Massachusetts. When Buss was outfitted, Gaylord was one of the major suppliers to the New York Cavalry, and this is exactly the maker you would expect on someone who joined the 21st New York Cavalry.

As for the revolver, like all "New Model" Army examples, it is a .44 caliber percussion, 6 shot single action revolver, with an 8-inch octagon barrel. These were often called the Model 1858 due to the patent dates, but production of this revision started in 1863, and the "New Model Army" is the correct designation from Remington. The top of the octagonal barrel still shows the original markings clearly:

Overall condition is very good, with the original blued finish still present in many areas, something that we rarely see! The rest shows a worn finish, with some areas of oxidation and light pitting on the right side of the barrel, most likely due to contact with the holster. It has a very nice set of walnut grips, which look to be original, with no sign of having been replaced. There is even a legible "boxed" cartouche on the left grip scale, with the stylized initials B H inside, almost certainly for Benjamin Hannis, a known inspector of Allen & Wheelock, Colt, Remington, Savage and Starr Revolvers during the Civil War. The right grip scale has the previously mentioned Lt. G. E. Buss marking. The bottom of both grip scales have some material removed in the center, so that the bottom of the grip frame could be used as a lanyard attachment point.

The front sight is still intact, not replaced like many were, though it does show some oxidation from the holster. The revolver does function and cycle, however the cylinder lock does not properly protrude enough, so the cylinder can rotate freely even when hammer is fully cocked. The spring for the cylinder lock may be broken, or there may be wear to the tumbler. The bore unfortunately is quite oxidized and fouled, looking to have not been cleaned after the last time it was used. There is some rifling visible, but most of the surface is dark. The cap nipples are all present with some exterior wear, and are unfortunately clogged.

This revolver has matching serial number 62029 appearing on the underside of the barrel and on the frame under the grip. The cylinder is unmarked, but definitely appears to be original to the revolver. The cylinder arbor pin looks to be an arsenal fabricated replacement. Unlike Colt, Remington did not always number every component of their guns, and the cylinder serial number was on the back, where it would be worn off quickly by powder burn.

Research shows that this revolver was manufactured in early 1864, making this a true Civil War gun and perfect for any collection. Production had begun around serial number 15,000 in 1863. According to the research published in Remington Army & Navy Revolvers 1861-1868 by Donald L. Ware, Remington revolvers through serial #149,000 were accepted prior to the end of the Civil War. Guns below serial #123,000 were accepted prior to the end of 1864.

A fantastic named U.S. Cavalry Revolver and Holster set, with loads of research potential! This would make a great addition to any U.S. Civil War Collection. Ready to display!

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: early 1864
Caliber: .44cal
Ammunition Type: Cap and Ball
Barrel Length: 8 inches
Overall Length: 14 inches
Action: Single
Feed System: 6 Shot Revolver

History of Remington New Model Army Revolver:

Remington, like Colt, was in business of arms making long prior to the Civil War. They had been producing handguns since 1857 when they introduced the Remington Beals Pocket Revolver. With the outbreak of the Civil War all of the company's energy became devoted to the military production of longarms and hand guns. The martial hand guns produced during the Civil War period included the Remington-Beals Army and Navy Model revolvers, the Remington Models 1861 Army and Navy Revolvers, (a.k.a. as the "Old Model Army" and "Old Model Navy") and the Remington New Model 1863 Army and Navy revolvers.

The Remington New Model 1863 Army Revolver represents Remington's highest production martial pistol. Approximately 126,000 were manufactured from 1863 to 1875. After Colt, it was the Northern government's most purchased and issued pistol. Serial numbers of the New Model Army continued from the Model 1861 Army. Reference sources estimate this change from between serial number 15000 (Flayderman) to 22000 (Reilly). This is probably due to a long transitional period in which there was a gradual change over of the design features between the two models. The earliest production models utilized the 1861 frames and had a somewhat longer grip. The stamping "New Model" on the barrel of the early models can also be noted to have been stamped with a separate die. Nearly 110, 000 New Models were purchased by the government during the Civil War, at prices between $10.82 and $15.50 each. These prices were lower than Colt's and by mid-1863, Colt was eliminated from the government contract business. The State of New Jersey also purchased several thousand for Civil War issue.

The New Model 1863 Army was the last of Remington's .44 caliber percussion revolvers. Remington Armies were used from the beginning to the end of the Civil War in all fields. They were considered to be among the finest martial handguns of the day. The Remington New Model 1863 Navy and it's forbear, the Remington-Beals Navy, also saw action during the war.

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