Remington 1858 New Model Army info

[JGeary]

I have a .44 caliber cap and ball revolver. The top of the octagonal barrel has stamped in it "PATENTED SEPT14 1858" beneath that it says _(too faint to read)"REMINGTON & SONS ILION NEWYORK U.S.A." and beneath that it says 'NEW MODEL.' The octagonal barrel is 6 5/8" from the outside of the frame to the muzzle and almost 8" from the threaded end inside the frame to the muzzle. It has ivory grips with a bas relief american eagle in a shield with the words e pluribus unum on the left grip. I cannot find a serial number. On the bottom of the barrel about 11/16" from the frame, with the grip to the left and the muzzle to the right, is the capital letter D with a capital letter A a little less than 3/8" to the right of the D. A capital letter R is stamped on the frame under the left grip about 1/2" from the butt near the front of the grip. The capital letter A is stamped in about the same position on the frame inside the right grip. It is a single action, 6 shot revolver. It is in what appears to be the original leather holster, except that the flap was cut off long ago. Can anyone help me date the revolver or tell me more about it?

[drummer]

I just bought one of these too. You have, it appears, a civilian percussion .44 new model army. Do the frame and parts have small letters stamped on them? Those would be government inspector marks and denote government issue. The serial number should be under the bbl. Mine has the number under the bbl, but not under the grip panels. I believe the sn should be under the grips too. These guns were sold to the gvt., used in the war, then returned and cleaned by the gvt. and reissued to states, militia, etc. It's common to see mixed number, or numbers buffed off during this process. It still makes your gun an authentic CW revolver though. value range, would be in the $1300 area with old ivory grips and holster. Maybe more with the right buyer.
kensantanello@comcast.net

[Guest]

There is not a serial number anywhere. There isn't even anything that looks as if there used to be a number that was buffed off. I've looked and two gun shops have looked with powerful magnifiers and we can't find anything. The small letters are probably government inspectors' marks.

[Jaap Verduijn]

Probably one of the Springfield Arsenal refurbished 1858's with a genuine, but unnumbered replacement barrel. Such refurbishment took place I believe about ten years after the CW. Those barrels are absolutely the real thing, but they were never numbered.

[JGeary]

The refurbished barrel theory is the best explanation I've heard.