Item Description
Original Item: Only One Available. New Model Army Revolver in .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 started in 1861, and the "New Model Army" is the correct designation from Remington. bearing traces of the original barrel markings:
PATENTED SEPT. 14, 1858
E. REMINGTON & SONS, ILION, NEW YORK, U.S.A.
NEW MODEL
Overall condition is good with original finish and some pitting around the grip area. The frame does show wear and some denting from age, indicating that this revolver was most likely in service after the war ended. Still bears original walnut grips, with the ghost of a government cartouche on the right grip scale. Revolver has a tight cylinder lock, strong smooth action, good bore and overall nice condition.
There are some inspection and assembly marks on the revolver, though many are worn. The cap nipples appear solid, but do show wear from use. There is also assembly number 7 on the barrel, trigger guard, and frame.
Serial number on underside of the barrel reads 63539 (somewhat blurred) as well as a very clear matching number 63539 on the grip frame, the serial number range places the date of manufacture at around the middle of 1864, making this a true Civil War gun and perfect for any collection.
Also included is an original leather flap holster, probably just post Civil War, with a double buckle body strap mounting to the rear. Made of very supple brown
leather it is amazing it has survived so well being about 150 years of age.
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 forbearer, the Remington-Beals Navy, also saw action during the war. Those models will be further pictured and discussed in Parts Two and Three of this series of postings.