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I'm helping a dear friend sell off her late father's estate. She brought over this really cool old gun. To me it seems to be a Remington 44cal New Model Army, but in truth I don't know much about Remington revolvers. Is this real or a repo made to look old? Please see pictures. The thing that concerns me is how the bluing on the barrel seems to be brighter than the rest of the gun. Any thoughts and information would be greatly appreciated.
Original Remington Army Revolver?
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Original Remington Army Revolver?
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Re: Original Remington Army Revolver?
Additional pictures showing patent information and markings.
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Re: Original Remington Army Revolver?
More pictures showing markings on the frame and cylinder.
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Re: Original Remington Army Revolver?
One final picture showing the cylinder star and numbers that match the serial number under the barrel.
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Re: Original Remington Army Revolver?
Hello,
From you pictures I would say you have a genuine Remington New Model Army, one of approximately 122,000 accepted by the government during the Civil War. The serial number places the manufacturing date as August 1863. The various letters stamped on the major parts are Ordnance Department inspection marks. A two or three letter cartouche was probably stamped on the left grip indicating the revolver was accepted by the Ordnance Department. The cartouche may have been worn off throughout the life of the revolver.
In collecting circles this revolver is what is called a Transition Revolver because it has a cone front sight and a two-line barrel address. Remington made three 44-caliber revolvers during the War those being the Beals, the Elliot or Old Model and the New Model. The cone front sight is a carryover from the Beals and Old Model Revolvers. The later New Model Revolvers had a pinched front sight. The first New Model Revolvers had a two-line barrel address like yours. Later ones had the same two-line address with the words New Model stamped between the barrel address and the frame. The final barrel address has three lines, the original two-line address with the words New Model under the original two-line address. Although the transition revolvers are much rarer than the later ones there is no premium for a transition revolver.
Remington did not normally stamp the serial number on the back of the cylinder. A number on the cylinder indicates there was some hand fitting required to get the revolver to function properly and was used to be able to reassemble the revolver with the proper cylinder after the bluing process.
The bluing on the New Model Revolvers is notoriously spotty. I have seen revolvers with minimum wear on which the bluing was flaking off so I would not worry about that. There is a serial number stamped on the frame under the left grip. If that number matches the one on the barrel it means the barrel has not been changed.
I hope this helps,
Bill
From you pictures I would say you have a genuine Remington New Model Army, one of approximately 122,000 accepted by the government during the Civil War. The serial number places the manufacturing date as August 1863. The various letters stamped on the major parts are Ordnance Department inspection marks. A two or three letter cartouche was probably stamped on the left grip indicating the revolver was accepted by the Ordnance Department. The cartouche may have been worn off throughout the life of the revolver.
In collecting circles this revolver is what is called a Transition Revolver because it has a cone front sight and a two-line barrel address. Remington made three 44-caliber revolvers during the War those being the Beals, the Elliot or Old Model and the New Model. The cone front sight is a carryover from the Beals and Old Model Revolvers. The later New Model Revolvers had a pinched front sight. The first New Model Revolvers had a two-line barrel address like yours. Later ones had the same two-line address with the words New Model stamped between the barrel address and the frame. The final barrel address has three lines, the original two-line address with the words New Model under the original two-line address. Although the transition revolvers are much rarer than the later ones there is no premium for a transition revolver.
Remington did not normally stamp the serial number on the back of the cylinder. A number on the cylinder indicates there was some hand fitting required to get the revolver to function properly and was used to be able to reassemble the revolver with the proper cylinder after the bluing process.
The bluing on the New Model Revolvers is notoriously spotty. I have seen revolvers with minimum wear on which the bluing was flaking off so I would not worry about that. There is a serial number stamped on the frame under the left grip. If that number matches the one on the barrel it means the barrel has not been changed.
I hope this helps,
Bill
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Re: Original Remington Army Revolver?
Thank you! That helps explain a lot!
Here is a close up of the left hand grip that I failed to include in my original post. I will carefully remove the grips later this evening to see if the frame is serialized to the barrel.
Here is a close up of the left hand grip that I failed to include in my original post. I will carefully remove the grips later this evening to see if the frame is serialized to the barrel.
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Re: Original Remington Army Revolver?
Hello, and thanks for the information on the New Army .44 Percussion; I have attached the following picture of a similar gun that I just inherited from my Dad. He was plowing a field in the 1960's and unearthed this gun. The only visible marking on it (I haven't removed the grips, etc.) is a " W " on the left side of the frame below the hammer. My Dad's notes say 1865 but not sure how that was determined. Please offer any suggestions as to obtaining more information. Thanks.
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Re: Original Remington Army Revolver?
Hi,
New Model Army Revolvers were made throughout the Civil War. The only way to date them is from the serial number, which is located on the underside of the barrel, the grip frame under the left grip and on the trigger guard tab. Sometimes the trigger guard tab has only a partial serial number.
Your revolver seems to be the standard New Model Army with the exception that the cylinder pin is a replacement or has been modified and the latch post which secures the loading lever is missing.
Bill
New Model Army Revolvers were made throughout the Civil War. The only way to date them is from the serial number, which is located on the underside of the barrel, the grip frame under the left grip and on the trigger guard tab. Sometimes the trigger guard tab has only a partial serial number.
Your revolver seems to be the standard New Model Army with the exception that the cylinder pin is a replacement or has been modified and the latch post which secures the loading lever is missing.
Bill
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Re: Original Remington Army Revolver?
Thanks, Bill.
Yes the latch is missing. No telling how long the gun was buried in the field. I am curious as to why the cylinder seems to be much more pitted than the rest of the gun; was it made from a different material ? The only marking on the gun I have found so far is the " W " on the left side. I need to remove the grips and see if by chance a serial number remains. Thanks for the info.
Yes the latch is missing. No telling how long the gun was buried in the field. I am curious as to why the cylinder seems to be much more pitted than the rest of the gun; was it made from a different material ? The only marking on the gun I have found so far is the " W " on the left side. I need to remove the grips and see if by chance a serial number remains. Thanks for the info.