GUNS Magazine Remington Part 3

Dec 30, 2023

The Remington New Army/Model 1858 is available in blue, brass frame, antique and stainless-steel finishes.

If variation is an indication of popularity, the Remington 1858 is the most popular percussion revolver available. Both Pietta and Uberti offer a long list of 1858/New Model Army Remington replicas for today's shooters. Let's take a look.

Pietta "Buntline" 12" Remington replicas (below) are available in both blue steel and brass frame versions.

The standard 8″ New Model Army .44 Remington is available in blue, antique finish, stainless steel or with a brass mainframe. Both the blue and stainless are also available with target sights. When it comes to target sights, I definitely prefer those from Pietta with their square notch rear matched up with a post front sight rather than the Uberti wide V-notch rear sight.

More than 150 years after it was first introduced, the Remington has been "modernized" by being offered in stainless steel. Currently the New Model Army stainless steel version can be selected with either standard sights or target sights with the 8″ version, standard sights with a 5 ½" barrel length or the 12″ Buffalo .44 in blue, brass frame, or stainless steel all with adjustable sights. It is my normal procedure with any of the percussion sixguns, whether they be on the Remington or Colt pattern to replace the factory nipples with SliX-Shots from SliXsprings. This will often solve the problems of both misfires and cap jams. The latter is caused by the percussion cap splitting upon firing and falling into the action.

While the 8″ replica Remington shoot very well, the Pietta 12″ Buffalo sixguns are exceptional, rivaling or surpassing thoroughly modern up-to-date cartridge-firing sixguns. These longer-barreled "Buntline" Remington models are available in blued steel, brass framed and stainless steel. I have the first two; however, the last one remains elusive. Both of these have had the factory nipples replaced with stainless steel SliX-Shots.

Targets fired at 20 yards with the Uberti Target Model Remington Stainless Steel.

However, although the newer, much better-quality nipples were in place, I was still getting misfires with one. The Remington New Model Army revolvers have a strain screw in the front of the grip frame just as found on modern Smith & Wesson double-action sixguns. When this screw is backed out, the spring is lightened, and vice versa. Even though the screw was turned in as far as it would go, I was still getting misfires.

Since I was out shooting and nowhere near either my shop or a gun shop, I had to make do. In this case, all I needed was a hammer. I made a shim by flattening two fired .22 cartridge cases and inserted it between the strain screw and the main frame to get a heavier hammer fall. Once these modifications were made, at no time did either of these long-barreled sixguns experience cap jams or misfires. All loads were assembled with .454″ round balls, CCI #11 percussion caps, lubed wads and my home-brewed lube consisting of a 50-50 mixture of beeswax and vegetable oil. In warmer weather I substitute my lube consisting of beeswax and mutton tallow in the same quantity.

With the brass-framed 12″ Remington New Model Army, using 25 grains of Swiss FFFg muzzle velocity was 998 fps with a 5/8″ five-shot group at 20 yards; 30 grains of Swiss FFFg, 1,050 fps and 1 1/8″; 25 grains of Wano FFFg, 859 fps and 1″; 30 grains of Wano FFFg, 919 fps and 1″. Switching to the steel-framed Buffalo Remington, 30 grains of Swiss FFFg topped out at 1063 fps with a 7/8″ group; 30 grains of Elephant Brand FFFg, 884 fps and 1 1/8″; and 30 grains of Wano FFFg yielded 919 fps with a 1 ¼" group. This accuracy would be considered notable performance for a more modern target pistol, at least in my hands. When one realizes we are shooting round balls, over black powder, ignited by a percussion cap, the results are even more astounding.

Both Pietta and Uberti offer stainless steel 1858 Remington models and both manufacturers do an excellent job of fitting and finishing. I have four versions at my disposal, a "matched" pair of 8″ barreled revolvers, one from each manufacturer. The word "matched" is in quotations due to the fact although they look the same, parts are not necessarily interchangeable.

The Remington New Model Army Stainless Steel totally disassembled for cleaning.

Three obvious differences quickly noted are the grips, which are not even close to being interchangeable, and the dovetails for the front sights are a different size as are the threads on the nipples. In addition to these two stainless steel sixguns, I also have an 8″ Uberti Target Model and a 5 ½" Pietta. The latter is especially appreciated as an everyday packin’ pistol. With its stainless-steel construction there is no fear of bad weather and if carried in a well-waxed or oiled-flap holster, the caps are protected.

All four were fitted with SliX-Shots nipples and one mainspring was too weak and needed shimmed. With the weaker mainspring, it also had a tendency when fired to blow the hammer back just far enough to lock up. With the shimmed mainspring, the problem was solved and all four of the stainless-steel Remington sixguns performed perfectly with no misfires or cap jams.

All loads for the quartet were assembled using .454″ round balls and either Remington #10 or CCI #11 percussion caps. My best loads with the Uberti 8″ stainless standard model turned out to be 30 grains of Goex FFFg black powder that gives a muzzle velocity of 947 fps with a 1″ group. Switching to the Uberti Target Model, 35 grains of the Pyrodex FFFg yielded 953 fps and a 1 1/8″ group. Pietta's stainless steel 8″ with 35 grains of Triple-Seven gives an impressive 1,127 fps with a 1 3/8″ groups while the 5 ½" version with 30 grains of Triple-Seven comes in at 932 fps and a 1 ¼" group.

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