The Remington New Model Army was the result of years of steady refinement, evolving from earlier Remington designs like the Beals Model and the Remington Army Model 1861. While the original Beals design introduced the solid-frame concept—a major improvement over Colt’s open-top design—it still had mechanical quirks and production challenges. By 1863, Remington had worked out those issues, and the result was the New Model Army, which became their most successful and iconic Civil War revolver.

Built on a solid-frame .44 caliber platform, the New Model was durable, easy to maintain, and well-balanced in the hand. Its top-strap design made it stronger than the Colt 1860 Army and less prone to frame stretching or cylinder misalignment over time. One of its standout features was the removable cylinder, which allowed a soldier to carry pre-loaded spares and swap them out quickly—an enormous advantage in battle conditions.

Remington produced roughly 130,000 New Model Army revolvers, and they were issued widely across Union cavalry and artillery units. Regiments such as the 1st Michigan Cavalry, 5th New York Cavalry, and 2nd Wisconsin Cavalry were known to have been armed with Remingtons. The revolvers also made their way into the hands of officers and scouts, who appreciated their ruggedness and ease of use in the field.

Soldiers who carried the New Model Army often preferred it to the Colt, citing its strength, reliability, and quick reloading ability. Its performance under real wartime stress earned it a reputation as a soldier’s revolver—a weapon that didn’t just look good on paper but actually held up under hard use.

Even after the war, many veterans continued to carry their Remingtons, a testament to the revolver’s reliability and the confidence it inspired in those who had trusted it in combat.