Original Item: Only One Available. The first Cartridge Single Action Colts and Remington revolvers came out in 1873 and 1875. Prior to that there were many different "cartridge systems" utilized by many different makers. However Civil War percussion Revolvers were everywhere on the market and Gunsmiths converted many of these Civil War Revolvers to the new Breech loading systems, many using factory supplied parts. Most of these early conversions were to rimfire, which required less modification.

This is just such a weapon, originally made during the Civil War Era, and then converted to take metallic cartridges. In sound solid condition these conversions tend to be rather rare as the window of demand was very limited and by 1873 and 1875 the new "Cowboy" guns were on open sale. The truth is many Desperadoes and law abiding citizens embarked ion there trek to the West Coast carrying a converted revolver like this.

This is a very nice example of a Remington New Model Pocket Revolver, most likely made after the U.S. Civil War, which was later factory converted to take .32 rimfire. This model was introduced by Remington in 1863 to take advantage of the lucrative "pocket revolver" market. Many Union officers liked to keep smaller caliber pocket revolvers as backup for when their larger revolvers ran dry. The model was quite successful, with the Ilion factory producing 25,000 revolvers between 1863 and 1873.

The design is typical compared to other makers, 5 shot single action with a 3 1/2 inch octagonal barrel. It has "spur trigger", and a cylinder arbor pin that pulls forward, allowing the cylinder to be removed easily, which aided in early cartridge conversions. The gun displays an overall worn steel patina, probably faded from the original bluing, and does not show any signs of having been refinished at any time. This revolver has matching serial number 17907 appearing on the underside of the barrel and on the frame under the grip. The top of the octagonal barrel still shows the original markings clearly:

PATENTED SEPT. 14. 1858. MARCH 17 1863
E. REMINGTON & SONS. ILION. NEW YORK. U.S.A.
NEW MODEL

The revolver is now in .32 Rimfire caliber, having started life as a .31 Caliber PERCUSSION "muzzle loading" Weapon. It was then converted to a "Breech Loader", which looks to have been converted at the Remington factory itself. The company began these conversions in 1868, and also began producing "kits" that were sold to gunsmiths so they could to there own conversions. As the cylinder could easily be removed, the first conversions, called "Type I", were simply new cylinders for the revolvers. These had a removable backplate that allowed rimfire ammunition to be used, and did not even require modifications to the hammer or barrel to work. The cylinder and backing plate on this revolver are matching marked, with 4803 stamped onto the back of both.

Overall condition is very good, with a lovely patina of age, showing overall wear and light oxidation, but no major peppering or rust. Overall this has the look of a well cared for revolver. It has a very nice set of wooden grips, which show light wear from service. The right scale does look to have a repaired stress crack, along the middle, however both still look to have a good amount of the original "piano varnish" finish usually applied to pocket revolver grips.

The revolver functions well, with good indexing and a strong dry fire, however the cylinder lockup does show a lot of play. While the cylinder cannot be rotated to another chamber, it can be moved enough to cause misalignment of the chamber and the forcing cone. The bore is in very good condition, showing a mostly bright finish with strong lands and grooves. There is some oxidation in areas, but for a revolver from the black powder era, this is definitely a great bore.

This very nice converted revolver will make a fine addition to any U.S. Military or "Old West" collection. Ready to research and display!

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: circa 1868
Caliber: .32cal
Ammunition Type: Rimfire cartridge
Barrel Length: 3 1/2 inches
Overall Length: 7 3/4 inches
Action: Single
Feed System: 5 Shot Revolver

NOTE: International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.

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.

These antique guns are not sold in "live" condition, and are not tested for the the ability to feed or load any type of cartridge. They are sold as collector's items or as "wall hangers" not for use, and we make no guarantees regarding functionality aside from what is stated in the description. Any attempt at restoring an antique gun to be operational is strongly discouraged and is done so at the risk of the customer. By purchasing an antique gun from IMA you thereby release IMA, its employees and corporate officers from any and all liability associated with use of our Antique guns.

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.