Original Item: Only One Available. Arguably one of the finest made, and most attractive firearms to have emerged from the American Civil War was the Remington Model 1863 Rifle, Also known as the "Zouave Rifle”. The .58-caliber muzzle loading 1863 Remington was referred to as "Harpers Ferry Pattern" in official Army documents from the period. Although over 12,000 were manufactured, it is unknown what regiments were issued the arms, most likely due to the innocuous nomenclature often used with the arms, and being classed similar to the Model 1841 “Mississippi” Rifle. The Remington is profusely marked, and all the markings on the metalwork are still crisp. Lock plate features a Federal eagle with a U.S. surcharge underneath. To the right of the the eagle is stamped:

REMINGTON’S
ILION, N.Y.

On the tang of the lock plate is stamped the date 1863, which matches the date stamped on the top of the barrel. The top of barrel breech is also marked with V over P over an Eagle's Head, the standard barrel proofs of the time. The left side of the breech of the barrel is marked with STEEL and initials R.K.A., for Remick K. Arnold, who worked as an armory sub-inspector 1862-1877. On the left side of stock opposite the lock are two cartouches stamped into the wood, with both being quite faded. The upper one looks to start with an A and end with a B, which we have not been able to identify. The lower one looks to read BH, for Benjamin Hannis, another armory sub-inspector who inspected a variety of contract revolvers from Allen & Wheelock, Savage and Colt, from 1861-1863, as well as Remington rifles.

The Rifle is in its original .58 caliber, and the bore is in excellent condition, with little sign of use. The finish is bright, the lands are crisp, and we can even still see the original cutting marks in the grooves. If it did see use it must have been very well cared for. The lock is in very good condition and functions, though it does not hold at half cock. There is a brass cap nipple in place, which looks to be a period replacement.

This particular specimen is in very good condition for its age, showing signs of moderate wear and use while in service, followed by many years of careful maintenance. The barrel still retains the original blued finish very well, with some wear and past peppering closer to the cap nipple cone bolster, an area that does look to have had the finish touched up at some point. The lock plate and right side of the cap bolster are in very nice condition, with just a bit of evidence of past oxidation staining. The brass hardware is a lovely mustard color, showing light wear and no signs of cleaning, just a great patina of age.

Stock has some minor dings, dents, and scrapes, as expected, but we did not see any cracks or major repairs. There is some erosion of the wood behind the cap nipple cone bolster, very common with percussion guns due to the corrosive primer and powder. The stock does look to have been cleaned during the past 150+ years, however it does not detract from the piece, and the grain on the wood is lovely.

The rear sight is complete with all three leaves, which still move as they should. The ramrod looks to be a period replacement, with no threads on the end, and very crude construction. The lower sling swivel is present, however the upper has broken off at the base. The patchbox door opens and closes, as it should. There is an inlet for a spare original percussion cone, and in this case one is actually included!

This really is a great example of this rare and desirable Civil War percussion rifle with an excellent bore, with a great lightly used patina. Ready to display and cherish!

Specifications:-

Year of Manufacture: 1863
Caliber: .58" - Seven Groove Rifling
Cartridge Type: Minié Ball and Powder
Barrel Length: 33 Inches
Overall Length: 49 Inches
Action type: Side Action Lock
Feed System: Muzzle Loaded

Eliphalet Remington II was born in Suffield, Connecticut on October 28, 1793. His father, Eliphalet Remington, moved his family from Connecticut to the Mohawk River Valley in 1800, where he cleared enough land for a small farm, built a two-room cabin that was later replaced by a larger home, and, along with others who had also moved to the region from Connecticut, established the town of Litchfield. Eliphalet Remington Sr. also owned an iron forge. Here he both fabricated and repaired tools, equipment, and hardware, and Lite, as Eliphalet II was nicknamed, worked alongside him and learned the trade as well.

The younger Remington had the opportunity to examine various long arms that were owned by local residents, and in 1816, he decided that he was capable of manufacturing a good rifle barrel. This he proceeded to do, and he took the finished product to a local gunsmith for boring and rifling. Lite then fitted a lock, stock, and furniture, and upon completion, he found that it shot well. After showing his new gun to area residents, he soon had a large number of orders for gun barrels. These were octagonal in shape, and as with his initial effort, boring and rifling was done by a gunsmith in nearby Utica.

The completion of the Erie Canal in 1825 and the establishment of railroads soon thereafter provided an economic boost to the region. Remington's rifle barrel works expanded as well. By 1828, he had established his own forge in Ilion, and he soon came to dominate the local trade, producing over 8,000 barrels per year for gunsmiths who would do final rifling and fitting. In 1844, Remington's oldest son, Philo, joined him in his business. This was reflected in the firm's name, which became E. Remington and Son.

By the mid-1850s, his two other sons, Samuel and Eliphalet III, had also joined the company, and the name changed yet again. In addition to gun barrels, E. Remington and Sons also manufactured plows, mowing machines, cotton gins, and firefighting equipment. In later years, their product line expanded to include bicycles, sewing machines, and typewriters. Remington's involvement in the manufacture of completed firearms came in 1848, when the company received a contract for the completion of 1,000 Jenks breechloading carbines for the U.S. Navy. In addition, Remington took over a defaulted contract from another manufacturer for the production of 5,000 U.S. Model 1841 "Mississippi" rifles.

The business expanded through the 1850s, and handgun production began in 1857 with the introduction of the Remington-Beals pocket revolver. The coming of the Civil War naturally brought about a dramatic increase in the demand for firearms, and Remington's production also increased to keep pace. During this period, the company manufactured both .36 and .44 caliber revolvers, as well as Model 1863 Percussion Contract Rifle, popularly known as the "Zouave" rifle.

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IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to all US States and most nations around the world.

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Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to almost any deliverable address across the globe. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.