Need help with my first New Model Army

[Ryden]

Hi!

I just purchased a New Model Army and I would like som newbie advice on how to clean it and to find out the date of manufacture.

It's serial 37474 and it looks like it's been stored away for a looong time.
It's all over thick brown rust with light pitting.

All serials match up.
Barrel stamped C, frame L, Trigger guard C, Loading lever M.
Cylinder has saftey notches and has no markings.
There is a faint outline of a kartouche on left grip, but the content is illegible.

Rifling looks good but its hard to tell since the barrel is the same condition as the rest of the gun.

I intend to shoot this revolver, are there any weak spots that I should pay extra attention to before trying it out?

I would like to clean it thoroughly, how is it best cleaned?
I will not try to restore it to mint condition or anything, but I would like to remove as much accumulated crud and rust as possible without damaging it.

If I disassemble it, are there any snags putting it all back together or ist it just disassembly in reverse?


More pictures here:
http://sv.tinypic.com/useralbum.php?ua= ... fWtg%3D%3D

BR/Anders

[Battis]

According to Flaydermans, the New Model Army in .44 caliber was produced from 1863-1875, with a total quantity of approx. 122,000.
Before cleaning and stripping the gun, have you ever worked on a replica of that revolver? You can buy them fairly inexpensively and learn how to work on them before working on an original. Breaking a replica part is no big deal, as it would be with an original. They can be tricky.

[Ryden]

The problem is that I live in Sweden, a replica here is considered a firearm whereas the original weapon is considered an antique and hence does not need a permit.
Permits for one handed firearms are very restricted here and it's much easier to get a permit for a Beretta than for a black powder revolver.
I have permits for my hunting rifles etc. but I haven't got the time or the interest for the year of competetive pistol shooting required to get a permit for a target .22, then I have to spend another year shooting black powder firearms to get a permit for a replica. The permits have to be renewed every five years.

I guess it can't be any more complicated than my shotguns so I'll just go ahead and dissassemble it, I've at least managed to take my FM MAG apart and reassemble it in the dark in my army days so an old revolver shouldn't be to difficult.

I was told that steel wool and oil should take care of the rust but leave any remaining bluing so I'll try that and see what happens.
/A

[Battis]

I take pics as I disassemble the gun. With the Remington, the mainspring can be tricky to remove and install. The nipples might be frozen in the cylinder - I use break-free oil and heat, and a good nipple wrench. I use very fine steelwool on the rusty internal parts but not on the outside. Take pics and notes and have fun.

[Ryden]

No problem taking it apart, only brain buster was the hammer that had to be lowered first to remove the hand and then taken out from the top.
The cylinder stop spring was broken and a replacement spring had been fitted in addition to the original combination spring.
Don't know how old that fix is, but it's clearly hand made with a file so it could be old.

The mechanism was caked with old grease and dirt, soaked all metal in WD40 and went to work with a toothbrush, it's now more old gun grey than reddish brown.
There are still small lumps on the metal that dissolves into rust powder when you scrape them. What is the best way to remove these rust deposits?

Is there somewhay to find out more info from the serial number, I'd like to know when and where it was made. The only info I can find is for serials younger than 1922.

There is no visible cracks in the frame or cylinder.
When I testfire my other single shot BP arms I load them with twice the powder and two balls and then fire from a safe distance.
How do you test a revolver?
/A

[Ryden]

I've just been reading some other threads here and I've gota aquestion on my front sight.
It's the german silver cone, does that mean that this is a transition model?
The New Model should have a steel front sight.
Interesting...

[Battis]

I don't know how to trace a Remington serial number before 1922. I would say they were all made in New York.
A far as test shooting an antique gun - I always use an undersized ball and small powder load. For my .36 revolvers that take a .380 or possibly a .390 ball, I use a .375. In a .44 I'd probably use a .451 (I don't own an antique .44). I also use FFG powder instead of FFFG.
I am in no way an expert, but this works for me - I haven't done any damage to my guns.

[Ryden]

Well, using undersized balls and small load is a good way to keep stresses down, but to besure a gun is safe to shoot you have to proof it like they did in the old days (and still do for all I know).
And I hope you pad your load with corn meal or something when loading thin!
An air cavity in the load is an efficient way of removing fingers and eyes...

[Ryden]

A quick Google found it for me, interesting..
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusio ... 9bce90342/

[Battis]

I like to keep the stresses down - way down - on an old gun. Proofing a brand new barrel/gun is not the same as proofing a 150 yr old one. Cornmeal is used as a filler for accuracy, not as padding. Yes, you want the ball to compress the powder - that's a given. You can do that with a light load. You could proof the gun as it was done long ago, but you might only get to shoot it that one time. Good luck.

[Ryden]

Corn meal's main use is to fill up any voids beneath the bullet, that may give better accuracy but the main thing is to keep the powder from detonating.
This phenomenon can also happen to modern cartridges when you have a light load in a large shell.
The powder burn too fast and the preassure builds faster than the bullet moves, which causes an explosion.

I'll never shoot an old gun that haven't been tested with a heavy load.
Things can go to hell in a handbasket PDQ even with a light load.
If I where to shoot it in an event governed by the Swedish Black Powder Society, the gun needs to have a security certificate which includes checking the frame and cylinder for microscopic cracks by testing with magnetic powder or penetrating liquid.

You should never fire an untried gun, light loads or not, mainly because your hand costs more than the gun.

[Mike Strietbeck]

Remington New Model Army revolver serial number 37474 was manufactured approximately September 1863 at the E. Remington & Sons Armory in Ilion, New York, U.S.A.

MIke Strietbeck

[Ryden]

Thank you Mike!
Is there any way of knowing where it ended up in the army?

Do you think the german silver cone sight is original? Did they use OMA parts so far up in the serial range, or has it been replaced at some time?

[Ryden]

Well, I don't live in the US so I cant really choose a particular brand of nipples. I'm lucky just finding any nipples.
Just what thread is it I'm looking for?

Edit:
Note for the archives, Long Colt nipple .225X32