Remington Model 1858

Remington New Model
Remington New Model Army Revolver made c. 1863 - 1875.
Type	Revolver
Place of origin	United States
Service history
Used by	United States  Confederate States  United Kingdom  Australia  Russian Empire  Second Mexican Empire  Mexico  Empire of Japan  France Native Americans
Wars	American Civil War American Indian Wars Franco-Prussian War
Production history
Designer	Fordyce Beals
Designed	1858
Manufacturer	Remington Arms
Produced	1862 to 1875
Number built	Over 230,000
Variants	10
Specifications
Weight	2 lb, 13 oz (1.27 kg)
Length	13.25 in (337 mm)
Barrel length	8 in (203 mm)
Cartridge	Powder & ball or Paper cartridge with conical bullet Metallic cartridge for conversion
Caliber	.31, .36, and .44 percussion, .32 rimfire (converted), .38 centerfire (converted), .38 rimfire (converted), .46 rimfire (converted)
Action	Single and Double action
Muzzle velocity	550–1286 ft/s
Effective firing range	sighted in at 75 yards
Feed system	6 round cylinder (5 round pocket)
Sights	Fixed Post, Notched Top Strap

The Remington-Beals Model Revolvers along with subsequent models and variations were percussion revolvers manufactured by Eliphalet Remington & Sons in .31 (Pocket) .36 (Navy) or .44 (Army) caliber, used during the American Civil War, and was the beginning of a successful line of medium and large frame pistols. It is commonly, though inaccurately, referred to as the Model 1858 due to the patent markings on its cylinder, "PATENTED SEPT. 14, 1858/E. REMINGTON & SONS, ILION, NEW YORK, U.S.A./NEW MODEL."; although wide scale production did not start until 1861.^[1]

The Remington revolver was a secondary, supplemental issue firearm for the Union Army until the Colt factory fire of 1864. Due to the fire the Colt 1860 Army was not available for some time, subsequently large numbers of the Remington revolver were ordered by the U.S. government. It was more expensive, by "50 cents" (a difference of more than US$12 in 2013 dollars), than the Colt, but those who could afford it remarked on its durability and ability to quickly reload by switching to another pre-loaded cylinder.

It saw use in the American West, both in its original percussion configuration and as a metallic cartridge conversion, as well as around the world.

Overview

Remington New Model Army Revolver, early model with mortised frontsight

The Remington is a single-action, six-shot, percussion revolver produced by E. Remington & Sons, Ilion, N.Y., based on the Fordyce Beals patent of September 14, 1858 (Patent 21,478).^[2] The Remington Army revolver is large-framed, in .44 caliber, with an 8 inch barrel length. The Remington Navy revolver is slightly smaller framed than the Army, and in .36 caliber with an 7.375 inch [Beals Navy 7.5 inch] barrel length. There were three progressive models made; the Remington-Beals Army & Navy (1860–1862), the 1861 Army & Navy (1862–1863), and the New Model Army & Navy (1863–1875).^[3] The three models are nearly identical in size and appearance. Subtle but noticeable differences in hammers, loading levers, and cylinders help identify each model. The 1861 Remington actually transitioned into New Model appearance by late 1862, slowly transforming throughout 1862, due to continual improvement suggestions from the U. S. Ordnance Department.^[3][4]

Remington percussion revolvers are very accurate and capable of considerable power with muzzle velocities in the range of 550 to 1286+ feet-per-second, depending upon the charge loaded by the shooter. Combustible cartridge velocities averaged from 700 to 900 feet per second (270 m/s), depending on powder quality, charge and conical bullet weight. Combustibles were usually loaded with a special high performance sporting grade black powder, using the minimum charge required for a specified impact level, usually determined by pine penetration tests. The special powder and minimal charge reduced black powder fouling, allowing revolvers to be fired as much as possible before cleaning was necessary.^[5][6]

Design

New Model Army Fully disassembled

Original Remington New Model Navy, 36 caliber

The Remington revolver owes its durability to the “topstrap”, solid-frame design. The design is stronger and less prone to frame stretching than the Colt revolvers of the same era. The internal lockwork of the Remington is somewhat simpler in construction. While the Colt employs separate screws for the hand and trigger, those components share the same through-frame screw in the Remington design.^[7]

Another innovative feature (first appearing in the 1863 Model production series) was "safety slots" milled between chambers on the cylinder. The milled slot positively secured the hammer between chambers for safe carry by preventing accidental cylinder rotation.^[7] Most 19th-century revolver designs lacked such safety features. Early Whitney revolvers, for example, were similar to the Remington but lacked the safety slots. It was possible to lower the Whitney hammer between cylinder chambers for safe carry, but without the Remington milled slot the Whitney cylinder could possibly slip and rotate, allowing the hammer to strike a loaded, capped chamber and cause an accidental discharge.

The Remington revolver permitted easy cylinder removal, allowing a quick reload with a spare pre-loaded cylinder (an advantage over other revolver designs of the time.) It is, however, unlikely that this was common practice during the period. Spare cylinders were not provided by the Army.

Metallic cartridge conversions

Remington Conversion cal .46 RF

Remington Conversion, Rollin White Patent

In 1868, Remington began offering five shot metallic cartridge conversions of the revolver in .46 rimfire. Remington paid a royalty fee to Smith & Wesson, owners of the Rollin White patent (#12,648, April 3, 1855) on bored-through revolver cylinders for metallic cartridge use. The Remington Army cartridge-conversions were the first large-caliber cartridge revolvers available, beating even Smith & Wesson's .44 American to market by nearly two years.

Due to the large volume of these pistols, individual gunsmiths also produced cartridge conversions (from cap and ball versions) in a variety of calibers such as .44-40 and .45 Colt.^[1][8]

Modern reproduction with conversion cylinder

Buffalo Bill Cody pistol

William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody used an ivory-handled New Model Army .44, serial number 73,293, from 1863 until 1906, when he gave it to his ranch foreman with a handwritten note which said that, "It never failed me."^[7]

In June 2012, the pistol came up for sale at auction and sold for a reported sum of US$239,000.^[9] The Heritage Auctions company represented the pistol as "The Most Important William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody Gun Extant".^[10] Accompanying the sale of the pistol were personal artifacts of Cody's including seventeen handwritten letters.^[9]

Model series

The various pistols in this series with pertinent data.^[11]

Modern use

A New Model Army replica. The cylinder has been removed from the frame.

The Remington-Beals design lives on today in the form of replicas from Italian manufacturers Uberti, Pietta, and Euroarms in both modern steel and non-historical brass frames. The Euroarms and Uberti New Model Army replicas are nearly identical to the originals. These replicas are very popular in civil war reenacting and Cowboy Action Shooting, either as cartridge conversions or shooting black powder or modern substitutes, just as the original Remington cartridge conversions were popular on the actual Western frontier of the 1860s and 1870s. Several companies produce drop-in "conversion" cylinders for replicas, enabling the firing of low-pressure modern cartridges without altering the revolver's frame. The percussion cylinder can be used interchangeably. Due to the value and delicacy of the original revolvers, and the loose tolerances created by decades of wear, replicas are recommended for modern shooting purposes.^[13]

See also

• Colt 1851 Navy Revolver
• Colt Army Model 1860
• Remington Model 1875
• Ruger Old Army

References

Remington Firearms and Cartridges
Rifles	Bolt-action JuniorTarget 521TL Remington-Keene rifle M1903 Springfield rifle Pattern 1914 Enfield M1917 Enfield Model 5 Model 6 Model 7 Model 30 Model 34 M40 Model 341 Model 504 Model 511 Model 512 Model 513 Model 521 Model 580 Model 581 Model 582 Model 600 Model 660 Model 673 Model 700 Model 710 Model 720 Model 721 Model 722 Model 725 Model 770 Model 788 Model 798 Model 799 M24 Sniper Weapon System M2010 Enhanced Sniper Rifle Modular Sniper Rifle Pump-action Model Six Model 14 Model 121 Model 141 Model 572 Model 572 Fieldmaster Model 760 Model 7600 Model 7615 Semi-automatic Nylon 66 Model Four Model 8 Model 24 Model 241 Model 522 Model 552 Model 597 Model 740 Model 742 Model 7400 Model 750 R5 Remington Gas System Model R-15 Model R-25 RSASS Automatic Adaptive Combat Rifle Single shot Rolling Block
Shotguns	Pump-action Model 10 and 29 Model 17 Model 31 Model 870 Model 887 Semi-automatic Model 11 Model 11-48 Model 58 Model 878 Model 1100 Model 11-87 Model SP-10 SPR 453 Break-action SPR 100 SPR 310
Handguns	Semi-automatic 1911 R1 Model 51 R51 RM380 Revolver Model 1858 Model 1875 Model 1890 Derringer Model 95 Rider Single Shot Pistol Zig-Zag Derringer Other XP-100
Cartridges	.17 Remington Fireball .17 Remington 5mm Remington Magnum Rimfire .22 BR .22 Remington Jet .221 Remington Fireball .222 Remington .222 Remington Magnum .223 Remington .22-250 Remington 6mm BR 6mm Remington .25 Remington .257 Roberts .25-06 Remington .260 Remington 6.5mm Remington Magnum 7mm BR Remington 7mm-08 Remington .280 Remington 7mm Remington Magnum 7mm Remington Short Action Ultra Magnum .30 Remington .30 Remington AR .300 Remington Short Action Ultra Magnum .300 Remington Ultra Magnum .32 Remington 8mm Remington Magnum .338 Remington Ultra Magnum 7 mm Remington Ultra Magnum .35 Remington .35 Whelen .350 Remington Magnum .375 Remington Ultra Magnum .416 Remington Magnum .44 Remington Magnum