A LOOK AT TWO REMINGTONS
AND A COUSIN
THE REMINGTON BEALS
AN ARMY AND TWO NAVIES- PART 2

 

THE REMINGTON NEW MODEL 1863 NAVY
.36 CAL. SINGLE ACTION REVOLVER

 

     As stated in Part 1, Remington, like Colt, was in 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 long arms 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. Of these 6 models, I have but 3. They are the Remington-Beals Navy and the New Model 1863 Army and Navy revolvers.  Their pictures and descriptions follow:

 

Three Remingtons

From Top To Bottom

Remington New Model 1863 Single Action .44 Caliber Percussion Army Revolver (1863-1875)
Remington New Model 1863 Single Action .36 Caliber Percussion Navy Revolver (1863-1875)
Remington-Beals Single Action .36 Caliber Navy Model Revolver (1862-1863)

 

 

     Only about 22,000 of the Remington New Model 1863 Navy Revolver were manufactured from 1863 to 1875. Serial numbers of the New Model Navy continued from the Model 1861 Navy.  Reference sources estimate that the New Model Navy serial numbers started at about 23,000+/- and ranged to nearly 45,000 in 1888 with the change over from percussion to cartridge revolvers occurring in 1875.  In the last two years of the Civil War, the Navy purchased 4,344 with 3,000 of them being ordered in 1863 alone.  Additionally, the Army purchased just over 1,500.  It is felt that federal, state and individual purchases for military usage accounted for nearly all of the 1863 Remington New Model Navies made during the Civil War years.

 

 

Right And Left Side Views of The New Model 1863 Single Action .36 Caliber Percussion Navy Revolver

 

     As with the Army Model,  the New Model 1863 Navy was a stiff competitor to the Colt Navy. This was an outstanding arm for it's day and between it and the Remington - Beals .36 caliber percussion revolver, Remington Navies were in evidence and use from the beginning to the end of the Civil War. The Remington-Beals Navy model will be pictured and discussed in Part Three of this series of postings.

 

 

Right Side View of The New Model 1863 Navy, With Loading Lever Dropped Cylinder Arbor Pin and Cylinder Removed

 

     This single action arm is caliber .36 with 5 groove rifling.  It is 13-7/8" overall and weighs 2 pounds, 10 ounces. The blued  barrel is 7-3/8" long. It is marked, on the top flat, "PATENTED SEPT. 14. 1858 / E. REMINGTON & SONS. ILION. NEWYORK. U.S.A. / NEW-MODEL" in 3 lines. The serial number, "36712" is stamped on the bottom flat near the rear. It is only visible when the loading lever is lowered. The front sight, threaded into the barrel, is a pinched cylindrical iron blade 1/4'' long and 1/4" high. It is positioned 5/16" back from the muzzle. Early production models may be found with German silver or brass cone sights. Rear sighting is done through the 2-3/8" "V" groove along the length of the top strap. The loading lever catch, which screws into the barrel, 1-3/8" back from the muzzle, is rounded at the front and notched at the rear to hold the spring loaded catch at the front of the loading lever.

 

BARREL ADDRESS
  "PATENTED SEPT. 14. 1858
      E. REMINGTON & SONS. ILION. NEWYORK. U.S.A
NEW-MODEL"
Note: Like on the New Model Army, "NEWYORK" is stamped as one word

 

SERIAL NUMBER STAMPING
"36712"

 

 

     The blued, one piece solid frame is unmarked.. The only stamping on this arm other than the barrel address and the serial number is a "B" stamped to the left rear of the brass trigger guard. The barrel threads are exposed on all specimens. The front of the frame is inlet to receive the wings or finger lugs of the  4-1/16" long cylinder arbor. The grip straps are blued. The oval brass trigger guard is not plated.  The two-piece, oil-finished black walnut wood grips are unmarked. The rear of the frame is shorter than the Army Model, are as the integral grip straps. The hammer spur is also shorter and at a lesser angle than the Model 1861 and Beals Navy revolvers.  The hammer is (or was) case-hardened in mottled colors.

 

TRIGGER GUARD INSPECTOR MARKS
 "B" on Trigger Guard

 

BOTTOM VIEW OF CYLINDER ARBOR PIN

 

TOP VIEW OF CYLINDER ARBOR PIN

 

     The cylinder pin arbor can only be withdrawn when the 4-1/16'' (from arbor notch to end catch) loading lever is lowered. In normal position, the loading lever prevents the accidental withdrawal of the cylinder arbor. The arbor on this arm can be withdrawn it it's entirety when the loading lever is lowered.

 

 

     The  six-shot blued cylinder is 2" long overall. It is 1-7/8" from the cylinder front to the top of the shoulders between the nipple wells.  Each shoulder has intermediate safety rests milled into them. The stop slots are rectangular. The cylinder diameter is 1-7/16".

 

BACK OF CYLINDER

 

FRONT OF CYLINDER

 

 

     The next posting, Part 3 of 3, of this Remington series will feature the Remington-Beals Single Action .36 Caliber Navy Model Revolver (1862-1863)

 

     Reference credits go to Robert M. Reilly's "U.S. SMALL ARMS 1816 - 1865" and to Norm Flayderman's "FLAYDERMAN'S GUIDE TO ANTIQUE AMERICAN FIREARMS... AND THEIR VALUES".

 

    Reed Radcliffe, my son and webmaster, provides the know how to put these words and pictures on our web page. At the same time he also adds other updated information as to shows and special events.  Please come back for Part 3 of 3, which will be posted next week.

 

     Thanks for visiting. Please come back.

 

Dave Radcliffe