1861 REMINGTON OLD MODEL NAVY

1861 Remington Old Model Navy

Remington started producing large frame revolvers in the late 1850s.  The Beals Army and Navy were well received.  Many thousands of Beals Navies were purchased on the open market by the US Military early in the war.  The 1861 army and Navy incorporated some new features.  The cylinder pin was modified so it would ne moved forward without lowering the loading lever.  This was quickly found to be a problem.  In field use it was observed that the pin slid forward while firing the pistol.  It could slide forward far enough so the cylinder could fall out.  Many of these 1861 model pistols were sent back to the factory and had a screw installed that would prevent the pin to slide forward with the loading lever up.

This example is probably part of the order of 5000 of these Navy pistols  with deliveries from June to December 1862.  It has inspector initials on the barrel and cylinder.  It also has a visible cartouche on the left wood grip.  The metal is a smooth grey patina with scattered areas of pitting.  The barrel address is clear and readable.  The action is good.  The cylinder has safety notches.  The Remington design with the top strap is stronger than the Colt design.  This example during service had the top strap break.   There is a visible break in the top strap.  This pistol has what looks to be a contemporary repair to the top strap.  Two strips of metal have been attached to the top strap with three rivets each.  The repair has aged patina that matches the rest of the metal.  The brass triggerguard has some decoration.