SCARCE Antique CIVIL WAR Remington-Beals .36 Cal. NAVY Percussion REVOLVER
The Remington-Beals Navy percussion revolver, was manufactured circa 1861-1862 at the Remington Armory in Ilion, New York. A .36 caliber Navy.
The overall condition is good. The action remains strong and the cylinder indexes and lockup well. The bore is clean with strong rifling. The grips are smooth and solid. Numbers match, Barrel is 7-1/2 inches, Caliber .36 Percussion. Overall condition as seen in photos.
Manufactured between 1861 and 1863, approximately 14,500 Remington-Beals Navy revolvers were produced. About 500 martially-marked examples of this model were purchased by the U.S. Army, and an additional 1,000 were bought by the Navy. In 1875, the Navy returned about 1,000 various model Remington .36 caliber revolvers, including the Beals Navy, for factory conversion to accept the .38 caliber center fire metallic cased cartridge. With the ramping up of the Civil War, the Remington-Beals saw significant use throughout the conflict, earning a reputation for dependability and durability.
The Remington-Beals was ambitious in that it was to compete directly with Colt's immensely popular ’51 Navy and ’60 Army models. Initially introduced as the Beals Navy and Army Models in .36 and .44 caliber respectively, the revolver featured several distinctive improvements over its rivals, including the "top strap" design, which offered enhanced stability and durability, and Beals' innovative cone-shaped cylinder design. During its operational life, the Remington Beals Revolver was used widely across the United States, notably by law enforcement, military personnel, and civilians alike. The United States Army and Navy, state militias, and even the Wells Fargo & Company Express employed this stalwart sidearm. Its robustness and reliability made it a favorite among frontiersmen and adventurers.
Notably, the revolver found a place in the annals of history when it was allegedly carried by General George Armstrong Custer during the ill-fated Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876. The legend of the Beals was further amplified by accounts of it being wielded by Frank James, brother to the infamous outlaw Jesse James.
