I recently purchased a 1858 New Model Army. The barrel sn 103970 (Oct 1864) matches the serial under left grip. OWA cartouche on left grip is suspiciously crisp and below the grip screw. Can't check the serial on trigger guard because a previous owner went medieval on the screw head. During their attempt to get it apart they broke the trigger spring and hand spring and then drove the cylinder pin past the loading lever screw. The bore is suspiciously crisp with spotty surface rust patches. If you point the muzzle down the action works and locks up tight.
So my question is that Are P,V,T and D, legitimate inspector marks? Would the cylinder have no serial number, and PV stamped on the back with T stamped on the side?
1858 New Model Army
Re: 1858 New Model Army
Hi Cmould, and welcome to the RSA forums. Sorry for the late reply, but your query was in the wrong place. It should have been posted in the antique handgun section.
You're correct that your pistol was made in Oct of 1864. By that time some pistols were put into stores, that is, left in the box and shelved until needed. That could explain the excellent condition of more of the pistol. By the end of 1864, the Ordence Department was shelving all New Model Armies made by Remington.
After the war, years after the war, the gov. sold some of these guns to surplus dealers,other countries, and back to Remington to be converted into cartridge revolvers.
Remington never put the serial number on cylinders, unless it had bee =n hand fitted to the particular pistol. I have no knowledge of the letters P, V, D or T. We suspect that an upper case W on the rear of a cylinder is an in-house, Remington inspector.
During the Civil War, it was not unusual for Remingotn to have 10% of a group fail inspection. Those gun often went to the civilian market, or if it was just a bad part, the part was replaced and resubmitted for inspection.
Pistols inspected for a gov. contract had sub-inspectors check the major parts, and
then they stamped their last name initial on the part. once all the parts were inspected and marked, the inspector gave the pistol a final inspection and then stamped his cartouche on the lower left grip. OWA was O. W. Ainsworth. No one kept tract of the sub-inspectors so the identities of them is unknown.
Good luck getting replacement parts, and let us know how the restoration goes,
Daniel
You're correct that your pistol was made in Oct of 1864. By that time some pistols were put into stores, that is, left in the box and shelved until needed. That could explain the excellent condition of more of the pistol. By the end of 1864, the Ordence Department was shelving all New Model Armies made by Remington.
After the war, years after the war, the gov. sold some of these guns to surplus dealers,other countries, and back to Remington to be converted into cartridge revolvers.
Remington never put the serial number on cylinders, unless it had bee =n hand fitted to the particular pistol. I have no knowledge of the letters P, V, D or T. We suspect that an upper case W on the rear of a cylinder is an in-house, Remington inspector.
During the Civil War, it was not unusual for Remingotn to have 10% of a group fail inspection. Those gun often went to the civilian market, or if it was just a bad part, the part was replaced and resubmitted for inspection.
Pistols inspected for a gov. contract had sub-inspectors check the major parts, and
then they stamped their last name initial on the part. once all the parts were inspected and marked, the inspector gave the pistol a final inspection and then stamped his cartouche on the lower left grip. OWA was O. W. Ainsworth. No one kept tract of the sub-inspectors so the identities of them is unknown.
Good luck getting replacement parts, and let us know how the restoration goes,
Daniel