Remington New Model Navy Revolver

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Remington New Model Navy Revolver – These percussion revolvers are virtually identical to the Remington New Model Army Revolver, although they are slightly smaller and .36 caliber, as opposed to the Army, which was .44 caliber, with a slightly longer barrel. Like the Army, the Navy revolver has a six chambered cylinder. There were approximately 28,000 of these pistols produced by Remington, from 1863 until 1878. The heavy octagonal barrel is 7 3/8” in length; the grips are two-piece walnut. The serial number of this pistol is 28,856; the numbers for the mid-war, New Model Navy, commenced at 28,000, in sequence with the M1861 Remington Navy. The top of the barrel is marked as follows:

“PATENTED SEPT. 14, 1858

REMINGTON & SONS, ILION NEW YORK U.S.A.

NEW MODEL”

This well-designed pistol, like the Remington Army revolver, was a strong competitor for the Colt Navy and Army Revolvers.

Condition: This revolver remains in overall very good condition; the pistol’s mechanics are in excellent condition, with the revolver fully functional. The bore retains rifling; only traces of original bluing remain, with the bulk of the revolver exhibiting a pleasing, gun-metal gray-brown appearance. The grips remain in good condition. There are some period use nicks on both sides of the revolver, more of which are near the cylinder pin. Accompanying this pistol is an original, .36 cal.. pistol, bullet mold, marked and manufactured by the Manhattan Firearms Company.

 “Remington Revolvers in the Civil War” – Article from the American Rifleman (NRA) – September, 2017

Remington “New Model” Revolvers

The last of the Remington wartime revolver deliveries—and the largest—were for the “New Model” revolvers. The “New Model” .44s delivered to the Army were equipped with 8” barrels, while the Navy’s .36s had 73⁄8” barrels. The top barrel flat on “New Model” revolvers is stamped in three lines:

“PATENTED SEPT. 14, 1858/ E. REMINGTON & SONS, ILION, NEW YORK, U.S.A./ NEW MODEL.” The revolvers have a blued finish with a casehardened hammer. The serial number is located on the bottom of the barrel flat and under the left stock panel. Those revolvers were equipped with safety notches on the cylinder.

With the “New Model,” Remington went back to requiring the lowering of the loading lever to remove the cylinder. Between 1863 and the end of the production in 1875, an estimated 132,000 .44-cal. “New Model” revolvers were manufactured along with 22,000 .36s.

The Ordnance Department in 1863 took deliveries of 31,003 caliber .44 “New Model” revolvers, 58,003 in 1864 and 20,000 in 1865, for a total of more than 109,000 “New Model” revolvers. The Army did not take delivery of any of the .36-cal. revolvers of that model.

The largest contract for those revolvers occurred on Nov. 21, 1863, when the Army contracted with E. Remington & Sons for 64,900 caliber .44 revolvers with all appendages except bullet molds at a price of $12 each. That contract was $2 less than the price charged by Colt for its revolvers. The Remingtons were the main revolvers purchased by the Ordnance Department in 1864.

After the delivery in November 1863, no further wartime contracts were given to Colt. The last wartime contract for revolvers was given to Remington for 20,000 revolvers at an increased price of $15.50 each, which were received in 1865.

The U.S. Navy’s practice was to purchase only a sufficient quantity of small arms to meet the requirements for a given location. As requests came in from the various locations, the Navy would purchase the needed items. In that manner, about 20 requests were received for revolvers, and “New Model” .36 calibers were supplied for a total of more than 4,200 revolvers. Many of them are found with an anchor stamped on the barrel.

Remington Revolvers in Military Service

The Remingtons placed aboard ship were used in a variety of actions. They were issued to landing parties, nightly picket boats and for other duties in which revolvers were needed. The double-turret monitor U.S.S. Kickapoo was on station as part of the Western Gulf Blockading Squadron in 1865.

On the night of January 13, the ship sent out a picket boat with five sailors armed with Remington revolvers and muskets. During the night, while on picket duty, the sailors deserted and took their small arms with them. Two days later in an attack on Fort Fisher, a naval force of 2,000 sailors and Marines attacked the fort.

The attack was pushed back, but the army assault on the fort was successful in forcing it to surrender. In the attack, the sailors were armed with a variety of small arms, including Remington revolvers. Twenty-five Remingtons were reported lost during the attack. The largest losses of Remingtons were in the landing parties of the Mackinaw and Vanderbilt.

During the war more than 60 naval vessels were issued Remington revolvers. Some of the ships included the Avenger, Champion, Ethan Allen, Gem of the Sea, General Lyon, Iroquois, Marmara, Niphon, Onondaga, Paul Jones, Tennessee, Young Rover. One other ship that issued Remington revolvers was the U.S. Naval Academy practice ship, the sloop U.S.S. Macedonian. In November 1863, 30 Remington revolvers and 98 Sharps & Hankins carbines were sent to the ship for use by the Naval Academy cadets.

Many Union cavalry regiments formed in the early part of the war were armed with only revolvers and sabers. One such unit was the 17th Pennsylvania Cavalry formed in the fall of 1862. Its men were armed with Remington .36-cal. revolvers and a few Colt .36s and .44s. Just prior to Gettysburg, the 17th received a quantity of carbines to go with its revolvers.

At Gettysburg, the 17th was part of Buford’s Cavalry on the first day, which held back the Confederate infantry until the arrival of Union infantry. About a month prior to Gettysburg, the sabers and revolvers were extensively used in the cavalry action at Brandy Station.

In the charges and counter attacks, the Union cavalry fought Jeb Stuart’s Confederate cavalry to a draw. In that engagement the 2nd New York, 3rd West Virginia and the 17th Pennsylvania cavalries were partially armed with Remington revolvers.

Confederate Col. John S. Mosby and his men were able to obtain a quantity of Remington revolvers compliments of the Union cavalry. In one such action on Dec. 6, 1864, 51 men of the 21st New York Cavalry were reconnoitering “Mosby’s Confederacy.” On their return to camp, Mosby ambushed the patrol.

The Union troopers were trapped in a narrow wooded road where only their revolvers could be used with any degree of success. The cavalrymen of the 21st New York, being outnumbered, quickly retreated. They suffered 29 casualties, of which 24 were captured. Mosby, in that engagement, acquired a quantity of Remington revolvers, Burnside ­carbines and Union horses.

By the spring of 1865 the U.S. Army of the Potomac Cavalry Corps was armed with 3,200 “New Model” Remington .44-cal. revolvers out of a total of about 8,300 revolvers. The majority of its revolvers were Colts, but there were a few Starrs.

During the war, more than 80 Union cavalry regiments were partially armed with Remingtons. Some of the cavalry regiments armed with Remingtons were 2nd and 8th Illinois, 4th and 7th Iowa, 1st Vermont, 4th U.S. Regulars, 1st D.C., 6th Missouri, 11th and 22nd Penn­sylvania, and 1st and 3rd Wisconsin.

During the war years, E. Remington & Sons sold to the Army 12,251 caliber .36 revolvers and 115,557 caliber .44s. In addition the Army also took delivery of a quantity of rifles, rifle muskets and carbines from Remington. The Navy deliveries of Remington .36-cal. revolvers came to 5,960. E. Remington & Sons had, indeed, made its contribution in the defense of the country.