Remington Model 1858 New Navy
Remington Arms · Revolver · Out Of Production · 1863
Also known as: Remington New Model Navy, Remington Navy Revolver, Remington .36 Navy, 1858 New Navy, Remington New Model Navy 1858
Overview
The Remington Model 1858 New Navy is a six-shot single-action percussion revolver built by E. Remington & Sons on Fordyce Beals's 1858 patent, representing the .36 caliber naval counterpart to the larger .44 New Model Army. Adopted by the United States Navy and carried alongside the Army pattern through the American Civil War, the New Navy uses the same defining solid one-piece frame with an integral top strap above the cylinder - a feature that made the Remington noticeably stronger and more rigid than the open-top Colt 1851 and 1861 Navy revolvers it competed against. Operation is strictly single-action: the hammer is thumb-cocked for each shot, indexing the 6-shot cylinder to align a fresh chamber with the barrel. Each chamber is charged from the front using the hinged loading lever to seat a powder charge and a .375-inch round ball, with a percussion cap pressed onto a nipple at the rear of each chamber. Safety notches cut into the rear of the cylinder between the chambers let the hammer rest safely between loaded chambers, allowing all six rounds to be carried charged. Like its Army sibling, the New Navy's cylinder can be removed in seconds by lowering the loading lever and withdrawing the base pin, letting a shooter swap a spent cylinder for a pre-loaded spare - a field reload the contemporary Colts could not match. Chambered in .36 caliber, the Navy version was built on a slightly smaller frame than the .44 Army and carried a 7.375-inch octagonal barrel against the Army's eight inches, giving a handier, lighter sidearm favored by naval officers and civilians who preferred the .36 ball's flatter recoil. Constructed with a blued steel frame and octagonal barrel, a brass trigger guard, and two-piece walnut grips, the New Navy was produced in Ilion, New York, until the percussion line was discontinued in 1875, after which many examples were factory-converted to fire metallic cartridges.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 1130 g (39.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 330 mm (12.99") |
| Barrel Length | 187 mm (7.36") |
| Height | 140 mm (5.51") |
| Width | 45 mm (1.77") |
| Action Type | Revolving |
| Firing Mechanism | Percussion |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 6 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 305 m/s (1001 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 275 J (203 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 45 m (49 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 70 m (77 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 5 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .36 Caliber Round Ball · primary — also known as .36 Navy, .36 percussion, .36 cap and ball, .375 round ball
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: 6 Shot Revolving Cylinder, Loaded From Muzzle With Loading Lever, Percussion Caps On Rear Nipples
- Safety mechanisms: Hammer Safety Notches Between Chambers
- Features: Solid Frame Top Strap, Octagonal Barrel, Removable Cylinder, Percussion Cap Ignition, Loading Lever, Walnut Grips, Brass Trigger Guard, Smaller Navy Frame, Open Sights Blade Front Grooved Top Strap Rear
Variants
- Remington-Beals Navy - First Pattern 1860 1862
- Remington Model 1861 Navy (Old Model Navy) - Second Pattern 1862 1863
- Remington New Model Navy Conversion (.38 Rimfire/.38 Colt) - Metallic Cartridge Conversion
Base model
Service history
Operators
- United States Navy · adopted 1862 · as Remington Navy Revolver
- United States Army (Union) · adopted 1862
- Confederate States forces (captured)
- American civilian market · adopted 1863
Conflicts
- American Civil War (1861-1865)
- American Indian Wars (1865-1890)
- Wild West frontier era (1865-1895)
Production
Estimated total produced: 28,000 · Production years: 1863-1875
The .36 New Model Navy was produced in far smaller numbers than the .44 New Model Army; across the Beals Navy, 1861 Navy, and New Model Navy patterns roughly 25,000-30,000 .36 caliber Remington revolvers were made. Many were later factory-converted to .38 rimfire and .38 Colt metallic cartridges.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Fordyce Beals
Discontinued: 1875
Notes
The .36 caliber Navy and .44 caliber Army shared the same lockwork and solid-frame architecture, differing chiefly in frame size and barrel length. The 1858 designation is a retroactive collector's label drawn from the Beals patent date; Remington marketed the third-pattern gun as the New Model Navy from 1863. Earlier patterns were the Remington-Beals Navy (1860-1862) and the Model 1861 Navy ("Old Model Navy"). Reproduction makers (Pietta, Uberti, Cimarron) commonly list a 6.5 or 7.5 inch barrel; the original New Model Navy barrel was 7.375 inches.
Background
While the .44 Army Remington got most of the Civil War contracts and the post-war frontier fame, the lighter .36 Navy was the choice of sailors, officers, and civilians who valued its smoother recoil and balance. Its solid top-strap frame made it markedly stronger than the open-top Colt 1851 Navy it competed against, and the same ten-second cylinder swap that made the Army Remington famous applied equally to the Navy pattern.