Remington Model 1858

The Remington-Beals Model Revolvers along with subsequent models and variations was a percussion revolver manufactured by Eliphalet Remington & Sons in .31 (Pocket) .36 (Navy) or .44 (Army) caliber, used during the American Civil War, and was the beginning of a successful line of medium and large frame percussion revolvers. It is commonly referred to as the Model 1858 due to the patent markings on its cylinder, "PATENTED SEPT. 14, 1858/E. REMINGTON & SONS, ILION, NEW YORK, U.S.A./NEW MODEL." although wide scale production did not start until 1861.

The Remington revolver was a secondary, supplemental issue firearm for the Union Army until the Colt factory fire of 1864. Due to the fire, the preferred Colt 1860 Army was not available for some time, and large numbers of the Remington revolver were ordered by the U.S. government as a substitute. It was more expensive, by 50 cents, than the Army Colt, but those who could afford it remarked on its durability and ability to quickly reload by switching to another pre-loaded cylinder.

It saw use in the American West, both in its original percussion configuration and as a metallic cartridge conversion, as well as around the world.

Overview
The Remington was a single-action, six-shot, percussion revolver produced by E. Remington & Sons, Ilion, N.Y., based on the Fordyce Beals patent of September 14, 1858 (Patent 21,478). The Remington Army revolver was large-framed, in .44 caliber, with an 8 inch barrel length. The Remington Navy revolver was slightly smaller framed than the Army, and in .36 caliber with an 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 nearly identical in size and appearance. Subtle but noticeable differences in hammers, loading levers, and cylinders help identify each model. The 1861 Remington actually transitioned into New Model appearance by late 1862, slowly transforming throughout 1862, due to continual improvement suggestions from the U. S. Ordnance Department.

By the time of the Civil War, most percussion revolvers were fired with commercially made combustible cartridges, constructed of 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, a cartridge was dropped envelope first into each chamber and seated firmly with the loading lever, the process continuing until all six chambers were loaded. After all six chambers were loaded, placing a percussion cap on each of the six nipples at the rear of the cylinder readied the revolver for firing. The six chambers of a revolver cylinder could also be loaded one chamber at a time, by dropping in a powder charge from a powder flask, followed by seating either a round ball or conical bullet in each chamber, using the loading lever. To help prevent chain firing (also known as "cross-firing") of the black powder charge and to reduce black powder fouling, grease (such as tallow) was often put into each chamber on top of the loaded projectile. Combustible cartridge bullets were already pre-greased with beeswax, so the greasing step was unnecessary. The final loading step was capping as in the combustible cartridge loading method described earlier.

The combustible cartridge loading method sped up revolver loading considerably, simplified ammunition management, and became the loading method specified by the U.S. Ordnance Department just prior to the Civil War.

Remington percussion revolvers are very accurate, and capable of considerable power with muzzle velocities in the range of 550 to 1286+ feet-per-second, depending upon the charge loaded by the shooter. Combustible cartridge velocities averaged from 700 to 900 ft/s, depending on powder quality, charge and conical bullet weight. Combustibles were usually loaded with a special high performance sporting grade black powder, using the minimum charge required for a specified impact level, usually determined by pine penetration tests. The special powder and minimal charge reduced black powder fouling, allowing revolvers to be fired as much as possible before cleaning was necessary.

Cartridge conversions
In 1868, Remington began offering cartridge conversions of the revolver in .46 rimfire. Remington paid a royalty fee to Smith & Wesson, owners of the Rollin White patent (#12,648, April 3, 1855) on bored-through revolver cylinders for metallic cartridge use. The Remington Army cartridge-conversions were the first large-caliber cartridge revolvers available, beating even Smith & Wesson's .44 American to market by nearly two years.

Due to the large volume of these pistols individual gunsmiths produced cartridge conversions (from cap and ball versions) in a variety of calibers such as .44-40 and .45 Colt.

Design


The Remington revolver owes its durability to the “top-strap”, solid frame design. The design is stronger and less prone to frame stretching than the Colt revolvers of the same era. The internal lock-work of the Remington is somewhat simpler in construction. While the Colt employs separate screws for the hand and trigger, those components share the same through-frame screw in the Remington design.

The Remington-Beals revolver permitted easy cylinder removal, allowing a quick reload with a spare pre-loaded cylinder (an advantage over other revolver designs of the time.) The cylinder swap consisted of placing the hammer at half-cock, unlatching and lowering the loading lever halfway, sliding the cylinder pin forward to the stop, removing the cylinder from the frame's right side, and installing the spare cylinder from the right side. A slight rotation of the top of the cylinder towards the right side of the frame during cylinder removal or installation aids in slipping the cylinder ratchet past or under the hand. Centering the cylinder in the frame and sliding the cylinder pin back to seated position secures the cylinder. Returning the loading lever arm to latched position readies the revolver for firing. The cylinder swap takes 12 seconds, or even less, depending on practice and skill.

For safety reasons, modern shooters using this technique should not have the percussion caps applied to the replacement cylinder until after it is installed in the revolver, in case it is accidentally dropped. The best solution is to avoid it by using properly fitting caps, grease or lube, cones in good condition, and perhaps employing “cap guards,” short pieces of tubing that snug down over the sides of the cap and hold it in place, as well as seal it against moisture. Replacing the cap with safer firing pins also help. Securing the cylinder in a pocket or saddlebag is also important, as a small bump can ignite all the unsecured chambers. The Remington's small-diameter cylinder pin is vulnerable to black powder fouling buildup, which can make it hard to rotate the cylinder. This problem is aggravated by the way modern black powder is manufactured to make it more stable, which significantly increases the fouling residue. Revolvers of the Colt pattern are less prone to cylinder binding even with modern black powder, because the cylinder pin is larger in diameter and is scored with spiral grooves which capture the majority of the fouling.

Another innovative feature (first appearing in late 1862 in the 1861 Model production series) was "safety slots" milled between chambers on the cylinder. Most 19th-century revolver designs lacked such safety features. Early Whitney revolvers, for example, were similar to the Remington but lacked the safety slots. It was possible to lower the Whitney hammer between cylinder chambers for safe carry, but without the Remington milled slot the Whitney cylinder could possibly slip and rotate, allowing the hammer to strike a loaded, capped chamber and cause an accidental discharge. The Remington milled slot positively secured the hammer between chambers for safe carry by preventing accidental cylinder rotation.

A prized possession of the Remington Arms Company is an original New Model Army with ivory grips once carried by William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody. This historic revolver is on display with Cody's simple handwritten note, "It never failed me." Cody carried the revolver in its original percussion form well into the cartridge era, and never converted it to cartridge use. 

Modern use
The Remington-Beals design lives on today in the form of replicas from Italian manufacturers Uberti, Pietta, and Euroarms in both modern steel and non-historical brass frames. The Euroarms and Uberti New Model Army replicas are nearly identical to the originals, as most parts will interchange and can be used for repairs. The Pietta New Model Army has a slightly enlarged grip area for more comfortable use by the larger hands of 21st-century users. The Uberti and Pietta replicas are very popular in Cowboy Action shooting, either as cartridge conversions or shooting black powder or modern substitutes, just as the original Remington cartridge conversions were popular on the actual Western frontier of the 1860's and 1870's.

Several companies produce drop-in "conversion" cylinders for both Uberti and Pietta replicas, enabling the firing of low-pressure modern cartridges without altering the revolver's frame. The percussion cylinder can be used interchangeably. One maker of conversion cylinders is R&D Gun Shop (now Howell Old West Conversions) offering cylinders that shoot .45 Colt or .38 Special cartridges in replica .44 or .36 1858 Remington revolvers. The new cylinder drops in with no change to the revolver and only minor cylinder fitting required. R&D has also converted replicas to fire smokeless powder safely. Kirst Konverter produces converters of a different design, with a safety chamber called the Kirst Safety Cylinder. It has only 5 loading chambers, but is designed to index to six separate positions. This feature accommodates Cowboy Action shooters, who are permitted to load only five rounds in competition and must start with the hammer down on an unloaded chamber.

Media
Remington percussion revolvers and conversions have appeared in notable movie scenes in films such as The Big Trail, Pale Rider, Gone with the Wind, and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, as well as early episodes of Bonanza. Easily identified by its octagonal barrel, top-strap frame, brass trigger guard and distinctive loading-lever web, the streamlined Remington is easy to spot in movie and television scenes.