Army and Weapons | Deadly Remington Model 1858 | Eliphalet Remington & Sons produced a percussion 0.36 - (Marine) or 0.44 - (Army) caliber handgun during the American Civil War of 1861 and later. Known as the Remington New Model, was used by Union soldiers, and the great advantages over the standard issue Colt Army Model 1860. It was expensive and those who could afford it, noted for its durability and ability to quickly reload by switching to a different pre-loaded cylinder. It also saw use in the American West, both in the original set and percussion as a metallic cartridge conversion.
The Remington is a single-action six-shot percussion revolver produced by E. Remington & Sons, Ilion, NY, on the basis of Fordyce Beals patent of September 14, 1858 (Patent 21,478). The Remington Army revolver large frame, in .44 caliber, with an 8 inch barrel length. The Remington Navy revolver was slightly smaller frame than the army, and the 0.36 caliber with a 7.375-inch [Beals Navy 7.5 inch] barrel length. There were three progressive models, the Remington-Beals Army & Navy (1860-1862), the 1861 Army & Navy (1862-1863), and the New Model Army & Navy (1863-1875). The three models are almost identical in size and appearance. Subtle but noticeable differences in the hammer, loading lever, cylinder, and help identify each model. The 1861 Remington actually moved to New Model by end of 1862, transforming slowly throughout 1862, as a result of continuous improvement suggestions from the U.S. Ordnance Department.
By the time of the Civil War, most percussion revolvers fired with commercially made combustible cartridges, made from a powder envelope (usually paper cartridge) glued to the base of a conical bullet. The treated envelope self-consumed upon firing. To load a combustible cartridge cases had a first envelope in every room and solid loading lever, the process continues until all six chambers were loaded. After all six chambers were loaded, placing a percussion cap on each of the six nipples on the back of the cylinder prepared the gun for firing. The six chambers of a revolver cylinder can also be charged a room at a time, by dropping into a powder charge of a bottle, followed by seats or a round ball or conical bullet in every room, with the loading lever . To prevent chain firing (also known as "cross-firing") of the black powder loading and black powder fouling, fat (such as tallow) reduction was often placed in each room on the top of the charged projectile. Combustible cartridge bullets were already pre-lubricated with beeswax, so lubrication step was unnecessary. The final step was to load and capping the combustible cartridge loading method described previously.
The combustible cartridge loading method gun loading accelerated greatly simplifies management of ammunition, and were loading the method used by the U.S. Ordnance Department just before the Civil War.
Remington percussion revolvers are very accurate, and capable of substantial power with muzzle velocities in the range of 550 to 1000 + meters per second, depending on the cargo loaded by the shooter. Combustible cartridge speeds average 700 to 900 meters per second (270 m / s), depending on powder quality, cost and weight conical bullet. Combustibles were usually loaded with a special high-performance sports quality black powder, using the minimum cost necessary for a given impact level, usually determined by pine penetration testing. The special powder and low cost less black powder fouling, allowing guns to be fired as much as possible before cleaning was necessary.
Remington percussion revolvers are very accurate, and capable of substantial power with muzzle velocities in the range of 550 to 1000 + meters per second, depending on the cargo loaded by the shooter. Combustible cartridge speeds average 700 to 900 meters per second (270 m / s), depending on powder quality, cost and weight conical bullet. Combustibles were usually loaded with a special high-performance sports quality black powder, using the minimum cost necessary for a given impact level, usually determined by pine penetration testing. The special powder and low cost less black powder fouling, allowing guns to be fired as much as possible before cleaning was necessary.
In 1868, Remington began offering cartridge conversions of the revolver in .46 Rimfire. Remington royalties paid a fee to Smith & Wesson, Rollin White patent owners of the (# 12648, April 3, 1855) on bored-through revolver cylinders for metal pattern. The Remington Army cartridge conversions were the first large caliber revolver cartridges available, saving even Smith & Wesson .44 U.S. market by nearly two years.
Remington percussion revolvers have appeared in notable movie scenes in films like Pale Rider, Gone with the Wind and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, including previous episodes of Bonanza. Easily identified by the octagonal barrel, top strap frame, brass trigger guard and distinctive loading lever web, streamlined Remington is easily recognized in the film and television scenes.
The new model owes its durability to its innovative "top strap", sturdy frame that completely surrounds the cylinder. The design is stronger and less sensitive to wear than the Colt revolvers from the same period. The internal lock work of Remington is simpler in construction. While the Colt employs separate screws for the trigger hand and, by the same parts in the Remington bolt-frame design.
The Remington-Beals revolver cylinder easily removed which allowed a quick reload with an additional pre-loaded cylinder, an advantage over other pistol designs of the time. The cylinder swap procedure consisted of setting the hammer at half-cock, unlock and lowering the loading lever halfway, move the cylinder out to the stop pin, remove the cylinder from the right side of the frame, and installing the spare cylinder of the right. A slight rotation of the top of the cylinder to the right side of the frame or remove the cylinder during the installation helps to slip past the cylinder ratchet or hand. Centering the cylinder in the frame and slide the cylinder pin back to a sitting position, the cylinder. Returning loading lever arm locked position readies the gun for firing. The cylinder swap takes 12 seconds or even less, depending on the skill and practice.
For safety reasons the modern shooters use this technique the percussion caps apply to the replacement cylinder only after it is installed in the turret, in case of accidental falls.
Another innovative aspect (first published at the end of the 1862 production model 1861 series) was milled safety slots between the chambers on the cylinder. Some 19th century revolver design lacked such safety features. Early Whitney revolvers, for example, were comparable to the Remington, but missed the safety slots between cylinder chambers. It was possible to hammer Whitney between the cylinder chambers for the safe transportation costs. However, without the Remington milled slot, the Whitney cylinder may slip and running, allowing the hammer to a loaded chamber covered strike, causing an accidental discharge. The Remington milled slot positively assured of the hammer between chambers for the safe transport by preventing accidental cylinder rotation.
A prized possession of the Remington Arms Company is an original New Model Army with ivory handle once worn by William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody. The historical revolver is on display with simple hand written note from Cody's, "It's never failed me." Cody carried the percussion revolver in its original form until well into the cartridge era, and never converted to cartridge use.
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Remington percussion revolvers have appeared in notable movie scenes in films like Pale Rider, Gone with the Wind and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, including previous episodes of Bonanza. Easily identified by the octagonal barrel, top strap frame, brass trigger guard and distinctive loading lever web, streamlined Remington is easily recognized in the film and television scenes.
The new model owes its durability to its innovative "top strap", sturdy frame that completely surrounds the cylinder. The design is stronger and less sensitive to wear than the Colt revolvers from the same period. The internal lock work of Remington is simpler in construction. While the Colt employs separate screws for the trigger hand and, by the same parts in the Remington bolt-frame design.
The Remington-Beals revolver cylinder easily removed which allowed a quick reload with an additional pre-loaded cylinder, an advantage over other pistol designs of the time. The cylinder swap procedure consisted of setting the hammer at half-cock, unlock and lowering the loading lever halfway, move the cylinder out to the stop pin, remove the cylinder from the right side of the frame, and installing the spare cylinder of the right. A slight rotation of the top of the cylinder to the right side of the frame or remove the cylinder during the installation helps to slip past the cylinder ratchet or hand. Centering the cylinder in the frame and slide the cylinder pin back to a sitting position, the cylinder. Returning loading lever arm locked position readies the gun for firing. The cylinder swap takes 12 seconds or even less, depending on the skill and practice.
For safety reasons the modern shooters use this technique the percussion caps apply to the replacement cylinder only after it is installed in the turret, in case of accidental falls.
Another innovative aspect (first published at the end of the 1862 production model 1861 series) was milled safety slots between the chambers on the cylinder. Some 19th century revolver design lacked such safety features. Early Whitney revolvers, for example, were comparable to the Remington, but missed the safety slots between cylinder chambers. It was possible to hammer Whitney between the cylinder chambers for the safe transportation costs. However, without the Remington milled slot, the Whitney cylinder may slip and running, allowing the hammer to a loaded chamber covered strike, causing an accidental discharge. The Remington milled slot positively assured of the hammer between chambers for the safe transport by preventing accidental cylinder rotation.
A prized possession of the Remington Arms Company is an original New Model Army with ivory handle once worn by William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody. The historical revolver is on display with simple hand written note from Cody's, "It's never failed me." Cody carried the percussion revolver in its original form until well into the cartridge era, and never converted to cartridge use.
