Original Item: Only One Available. This is a fantastic example of a Remington New Model Army Percussion Revolver, undoubtedly the best that we have ever had the pleasure of offering. It looks to almost be "unissued", showing no signs of use, just wear from age and storage. It is unlikely we will see another like this anytime soon, if ever. It features most of the original finish, with crisp markings, and is just a great example.

Like all New Models, it is a .44 caliber percussion, 6 shot single action revolver, with an 8-inch octagon barrel. These were often called the Model 1858 due to the patent dates, but production of this revision started in 1863, and the "New Model Army" is the correct designation from Remington. The top of the octagonal barrel still shows the original markings, which are still crisp and clear:

This revolver has matching serial number 59730 appearing on the underside of the barrel and on the frame under the grip, while the cylinder is marked with shortened number 97 30. There is even 730 written faintly in pencil on the inside of BOTH grip scales! That makes this a very rarely seen "ALL MATCHING" example, with no major parts swapped out over the years, and it is the best we have ever seen! Unlike Colt, Remington did not always number every component of their guns, and the cylinder serial number was on the back, where it would be worn off quickly by powder burn, so finding a matching marked cylinder is a real rarity!

Overall condition is excellent, still retaining the original bluing throughout the revolver, even on the grip and cylinder areas, where it is usually quickly lost due to wear from firing. There are some areas of light wear, such as from the cylinder stop and handling, but it is really a great example, showing just a bit of oxidation peppering. We have left this intact to avoid marring the finish. The single letter P and J inspection marks are still crisp, and we see no evidence that the revolver was ever majorly cleaned or restored. The revolver has a lovely set of walnut grips, which look to be original with no sign of having been replaced. They have a fantastic barely used look, with just some wear around the bottom edge and a small chunk missing on the toe of one side. There is also a crisp boxed G.P. cartouche on the left side, for civilian inspector George Palmer.

The front of the barrel has the original steel "pinched" front sight intact, not replaced as many were, and the finish is completely retained. The bore on this example can really only be described in one way: MINT. It is mirror bright with no signs of use, and we very much doubt that it was ever fired after proving at the factory. The action functions great, with accurate indexing, a solid cylinder lockup, and crisp dry fire. We did not notice any of the finicky behavior we usually see with revolvers of this age, and shows very little and there is very little slop in the mechanics. It is a bit stiff, which is the only real "issue" that we noted, which is to be expected on a revolver that saw so little use. The cap nipples are still in great shape, with all 6 clear and looking almost new.

To make this offering even better, it came to us with a fantastic custom black leatherette covered wood case, which measures approximately 15" x 6 5/8" x 2 1/4". It has different compartments inside, lined with lovely burgundy velvet, intended for various accessories one might use with the pistol. The case comes with many such accessories, including a very nice bullet mold with inlets for round and tipped bullets, a lovely hunting themed brass powder flask, and a small container of spent percussion caps. There is even still one freshly molded conical bullet in the mold, along with two others, and even a re-wrapped carton for "cartridges", which were preloaded inside paper sleeves. The case is lovely, and fits the revolver perfectly.

Research shows that this revolver was manufactured in mid-late 1863, making this a true Civil War gun and perfect for any collection. Production had begun around serial number 15,000 in 1863. According to the research published in Remington Army & Navy Revolvers 1861-1868 by Donald L. Ware, Remington revolvers through serial #149,000 were accepted prior to the end of the Civil War. Guns below serial #123,000 were accepted prior to the end of 1864.

In magnificent condition with a great barely used look, this revolver will make a fantastic addition to any U.S. Civil War collection. With the custom case and accessories, this would be perfect as the centerpiece for any percussion revolver collection. Ready to display!

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: mid 1863
Caliber: .44cal
Ammunition Type: Cap and Ball
Barrel Length: 8 inches
Overall Length: 14 inches
Action: Single
Feed System: 6 Shot Revolver

History of Remington New Model Army Revolver:

Remington, like Colt, was in the business of arms making long prior to the Civil War. They had been producing handguns since 1857 when they introduced the Remington Beals Pocket Revolver. With the outbreak of the Civil War all of the company's energy became devoted to the military production of longarms and hand guns. The martial hand guns produced during the Civil War period included the Remington-Beals Army and Navy Model revolvers, the Remington Models 1861 Army and Navy Revolvers, (a.k.a. as the "Old Model Army" and "Old Model Navy") and the Remington New Model 1863 Army and Navy revolvers.

The Remington New Model 1863 Army Revolver represents Remington's highest production martial pistol. Approximately 126,000 were manufactured from 1863 to 1875. After Colt, it was the Northern government's most purchased and issued pistol. Serial numbers of the New Model Army continued from the Model 1861 Army. Reference sources estimate this change from between serial number 15000 (Flayderman) to 22000 (Reilly). This is probably due to a long transitional period in which there was a gradual change over of the design features between the two models. The earliest production models utilized the 1861 frames and had a somewhat longer grip. The stamping "New Model" on the barrel of the early models can also be noted to have been stamped with a separate die. Nearly 110, 000 New Models were purchased by the government during the Civil War, at prices between $10.82 and $15.50 each. These prices were lower than Colt's and by mid-1863, Colt was eliminated from the government contract business. The State of New Jersey also purchased several thousand for Civil War issue.

The New Model 1863 Army was the last of Remington's .44 caliber percussion revolvers. Remington Armies were used from the beginning to the end of the Civil War in all fields. They were considered to be among the finest martial handguns of the day. The Remington New Model 1863 Navy and its forbear, the Remington-Beals Navy, also saw action during the war.