Make: Remington

Model: Consistent with Model 1888 New Model Pocket Army, see Our Assessment

Serial Number: 396 (batch number)

Year of Manufacture: Ca. 1888-1889

Caliber: .44-40 Winchester

Action Type: Single Action Side-Loading Gate Revolver

Barrel Length: 5 3/4”

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade fixed to the barrel. The rear sight is a "V"-notch integral to a "pinch" in the topstrap groove.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece smooth walnut. The inside of the left panel has "JB" hand-carved. The grips have even handling wear with scattered nicks and scratches. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Very Good-plus condition as Antique.

Type of Finish: Nickel

Finish Originality: Original, the cylinder pin appears to be a replacement.

Bore Condition: The bore is dark. The rifling is worn, barely visible. There is erosion and pitting scattered through the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 3+/10.

Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 65% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. Most of the finish loss is on the cylinder, the frame around the cylinder, and the frontstrap. There is some other scattered wear. Worn areas have gone to a moderate-dark patina with some surface erosion. There are some scattered nicks and spots of oxidation through the finish. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads are generally sharp or tooled with usable slots. The ejector housing screw is heavily disfigured, we could not turn it. The cylinder pin does not have a tool-flat for removal and is likely a replacement. The markings range from clear to worn, but legible. Overall, this revolver is in Good-plus condition as Antique.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The cylinder pin does not have a tool-flat, we were not able to remove it. We did not fire this pistol. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None.

Our Assessment: Remington's 1875 Single Action Army was basically a cartridge version of the Remington 1858 New Model Army, which was very popular during and after the Civil War for its sturdiness and ease of disassembly. Unfortunately for Remington, their production release was two years too late, and Colt had already established their 1873 SAA, with large orders from the Army and civilian populace. Remington would go on to update it to the 1890, which saw even more limited sales. The model update coincided with E. Remington & Sons being sold to Marcellus Hartley & Partners who changed the company's name to Remington Arms Co.

During this transition, a number of Model 1875 revolvers in Remington's inventory were altered, their barrels were shortened to 5 3/4" and their ejector housing webs were altered to the profile of the new model's design, and the revolvers were marketed as the Model 1888 New Model Pocket Army. This mix of features has led to some confusion over authenticity on these transitional revolvers. This example has correct features for a genuine New Model Pocket Army, though it appears that the cylinder pin has been replaced. The revolver never saw commercial success and not many of these were made, making it a nice piece for collectors of Remingtons and Antique cartridge revolvers. Please see our photos and good luck!