Remington Model 1861 Army

History

The Remington Model 1861 Army Revolver is almost as common as the Colt Model 1860 New Army Revolver and is another favorite of American Civil War weapons. In fact, many officers and soldiers prefer it over the standardized Colt line of Remington models, with a solid frame housing above the rotating cylinder, which actually protects the shooting action and reduces jamming when used in the field Opportunity. The Remington's closed cylinder also makes the gun appear stronger and stiffer when fired, which in some ways explains the better accuracy when firing.

It is important to note that the U.S. government purchased more Remington-made firearms than Colt products during the war, and Remingtons benefited from the pressing need for modern, effective guns on both sides during the war. The conflict was a godsend for all military-related businesses at the time, especially gun and ammunition manufacturers.

About 620,000 Americans would be killed in the conflict between the North and South armies - the bloodiest conflict in America's short history, and both Colt and Remington's guns would have killed them own share of casualties.

The Remington Model 1861 was commissioned by the U.S. government in June 1862 and deliveries began in December of that year. The gun ended up in two different production forms proposed by Remington - simply called the "Old Army Model" and the "New Army Model", which essentially formed the basis of the Remington revolver. The design of the former is an original product, while the latter is derived from wartime experience. On the new Army models, a safety notch was machined into the rear of the barrel and a new loading lever arm was introduced. A shorter hammer was also developed to meet military requirements, making the Model 1861 more versatile to accommodate the different hand shapes encountered in the Union Army.

These changes make the already solid Model 1861 an excellent weapon to go head-to-head with the Colt in the revolver market.

Both the Old Army and New Army revolver versions feature an 8-inch barrel with a .44 caliber cartridge from a six-shot cylinder and are produced at the Remington Armory in Ilion and Utica in upstate NY. The barrel is said to be octagonal, about eight inches long, and the overall length of the gun is about fourteen inches. Weighing just over 2 pounds, the bullet weighs 138 grains with a 38 grain charge. Externally, it was similar to many revolvers available at the time, with a curved elongated pistol grip, a ring-protected trigger, exposed hammer spikes, and a structural "mesh" tapering forward along the bottom of the barrel ". There's a noticeable gap in front of the cylinder that sets the Remington's design apart from the competition. The pistol grip consists of wooden furniture and a single screw that connects the two wooden sides to the metal frame of the gun.

The cylinder has smooth sides, and behind the muzzle is a fixed front sight lug. The muzzle velocity of the Remington Model 1861 has been rated at almost 725 feet per second.

Production of the Remington Model 1861 Old Army was around 12,000 units, while the military-focused New Army Model 1861 peaked at 135,000 units, producing about 1,000 units per week during the American Civil War when demand was highest . Overall, the series' acclaim as a reliable and effective firearm - not only at the time, but even in today's collectible market - makes it as popular today as it was when it first started.

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