Dating my 1858 new model navy serial#1498...
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Mike Strietbeck
Re: Dating my 1858 new model navy serial#1498...
Can you post a photo showing the assembled revolver, both sides please.
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Mike Strietbeck
Re: Dating my 1858 new model navy serial#1498...
You are correct in placing your revolver outside the serial number range for the New Model Navy. While it is a .38 cal capping plate conversion, and a New Model, it is a New Model Police revolver. From Roy Marcot's book "Remington, America's Oldest Gunmaker" comes the following information.
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After the Civil War, rather than give up, as some arms manufacturers did, Remington brought out a series of percussion revolvers intended to attract the civilian trade. Exactly when they were introduced is uncertain, but they were listed in newspaper advertisements in late 1865.
Among them were Remington’s New Model Single-Action Belt Revolver and the New Model Double-Action Belt Revolver--a six-shot, .36 caliber pistol with a 6½” barrel. While it is believed that both variations shared a common serial number range, upwards of 2,500 of each were made over a ten-year period. The New Model Belt Revolvers were slightly smaller than New Model Navy Revolvers, made popular in the Civil War. Some double-action New Model Belt Revolvers were made with fluted cylinders, rather than the plain round cylinders of most other Remington revolvers. The Ilion factory also produced a somewhat smaller, single-action, .36 caliber New Model Police Revolver 5-shot, smooth cylinder, in various barrel lengths from 3½” to 6½”, and supplied in either blued or nickeled finish. In the decade that followed, at least 17,000 were manufactured.
Since Federal protections of Rollin White’s patent for cartridge conversion cylinders extended to 1869, Remington officials could not legally convert their percussion revolvers to fire rimfire or centerfire cartridges without fear of patent infringement. While the exact details are not known at this time, Remington waited until the White patent expired, and then set about converting many hundreds and later thousands of their percussion pocket, belt, police and large-frame revolvers to cartridge. The New Model Police conversion was chambered to fire .38 caliber long rimfire.
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Without having hard firm fact's on the production records, your revolver would date to ca. 1870 - 1876.
Hope this helps,
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After the Civil War, rather than give up, as some arms manufacturers did, Remington brought out a series of percussion revolvers intended to attract the civilian trade. Exactly when they were introduced is uncertain, but they were listed in newspaper advertisements in late 1865.
Among them were Remington’s New Model Single-Action Belt Revolver and the New Model Double-Action Belt Revolver--a six-shot, .36 caliber pistol with a 6½” barrel. While it is believed that both variations shared a common serial number range, upwards of 2,500 of each were made over a ten-year period. The New Model Belt Revolvers were slightly smaller than New Model Navy Revolvers, made popular in the Civil War. Some double-action New Model Belt Revolvers were made with fluted cylinders, rather than the plain round cylinders of most other Remington revolvers. The Ilion factory also produced a somewhat smaller, single-action, .36 caliber New Model Police Revolver 5-shot, smooth cylinder, in various barrel lengths from 3½” to 6½”, and supplied in either blued or nickeled finish. In the decade that followed, at least 17,000 were manufactured.
Since Federal protections of Rollin White’s patent for cartridge conversion cylinders extended to 1869, Remington officials could not legally convert their percussion revolvers to fire rimfire or centerfire cartridges without fear of patent infringement. While the exact details are not known at this time, Remington waited until the White patent expired, and then set about converting many hundreds and later thousands of their percussion pocket, belt, police and large-frame revolvers to cartridge. The New Model Police conversion was chambered to fire .38 caliber long rimfire.
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Without having hard firm fact's on the production records, your revolver would date to ca. 1870 - 1876.
Hope this helps,