Bishop, Remington percussion rifle...

[northup87]

Looking for any info on this gun..... I picked this rifle + a shot gun up in a trade about 20 years for a fish decoy I carved, It shoot amazingly well.... Barrel is 45 caliber, 38 inches long 1 1/8 across the flats at base, 1 1/16 across the muzzle. Top left flat read Remington in half moon, Top flat reads 1839 in half moon, + No. 2,
Top right flat is unreadable. Originally had no bottom rib, rib is sweated on, one ram rod pipe was added with one original left, stock is american walnut, with right and left cheek peice, threaded brass peep hole for sight, and german silver thumb plate. Rifle was broke in half at the wrist, walnut replaced around the drum for and aft  mercury fulmanite eaten, top name plate and entry thimble were also replaced, lock is a bishop in half moon,  I think this is a New york rifle hoping it is all Remington any info will be a help. thanks old A.J.

[Mike Brooks]

Remington made tons of barrels and sold them to anybody with the cash. I have seen many New England muzzleloaders with Remington barrels.

[JV Puleo]

To add to what Mike says, there is a question as to whether any complete civilian muzzleloaders were made by Remington. In recent years the company marketed a flint "reproduction" but it is probably a fantasy gun. The Remingtons were in the gun parts business until the CW. Even the so-called flint rifle illustrated in the late Harold Peterson's little "Remington Treasury" book had the percussion lock replaced in 1912 with a flint lock. They were the largest supplier of barrels in the United States.

[mr. no gold]

As I understand the situation, Remington enjoyed a fine reputation for high quality barrels back in the 1800s. Gun makers who relied on those barrels were usually happy to have the Remington mark prominently displayed as it connoted that perception of high quality and thereby inspired a feeling of confidence in the buyer/user.
Some similar rifles I have seen had the mark on the underside of the barrel but it was there nonetheless. No doubt the maker reminded the buyer, on delivery, that it was there.
Thank you for letting us have a look at your rifle; it is a very nice piece and must have a wonderful history. Hope that you are able to find something about it.
The rifle fits the Ohio template, to my eye. They liked the double cheek rest style and used it oftener than in most other areas. It fits very well what many of us envision as being a Plains Rifle. It has a great lock on it and nice architecture.
A question; has anyone ever seen a full stocked rifle with a Remington barrel on it?
Regards-Dick
 

[Mike Brooks]

A question; has anyone ever seen a full stocked rifle with a Remington barrel on it?

Not that I recall. Most I have seen have been on underhammers.

[JV Puleo]

I believe one is illustrated in the latest official history of Remington by Roy Marcot. Its a flint rifle too. The caption doesn't address the question of whether its a reconversion so I have to wonder if it is. I have owned guns that were made as percussion using a lock that had begun life as flint so its a very touchy question that would require a close examination of a particular specimen to be certain.

Other than that one, all I have seen were halfstocks but thats just a reflection of the taste of the period in which Remington barrels were most common. They were certainly made early enough to have been used on full stocked guns but there had to be far fewer of them. Remington pioneered the technique of drilling and rolling barrels. This revolutionized the industry, making their barrels better and cheaper than the competition but this doesn't come until half-stock rifles were the popular style.

[mr. no gold]

Thank you gentlemen, that answers a question I have had in the back of my head for some time.
Regards-Dick

[Tanselman]

One reason I think the Remington barrels were preferred by many percusion era gunmakers was that they were made of steel, rather than iron, and therefore had better wear characteristics.

While the gun could be Ohio, I would hazard to say it's probably New York, despite the elongated toe and double cheekpiece. The trigger guard style was more prevalent in New York, as was the use of a single trigger, and the little football shaped lock bolt washer. Dual cheekpieces are also seen on later New York rifles. Perhaps our resident New York expert, Nord, will weigh in on this gun.  Shelby Gallien

[Mike Brooks]

While the gun could be Ohio, I would hazard to say it's probably New York,

My opinion also.

[JV Puleo]

Remington did supply steel barrels but by no means were they all steel. Not everyone even wanted steel barrels...
From and October 1860 Advertisement:

Cast steel barrels of 6lbs wt. or less, each $3.00
............................over 6lbs, extra per lb.   .40

Iron barrels, 7 lbs wt or less, each $2.00
..................from 7 to 12 lbs, extra per lb. .10
..................from 12 to 18 lbs,..............   .20

Also offered were false muzzles, cylinders for rifling machines and rifle telescopes.

...and so on like that. They also offered "Stub Twisted" barrels and a variety of matched barrels for double guns. Gain twist rifling any barrel was $2.00. They offered custom-made heavy barrels and what must have been huge barrels for punt guns. The only complete guns that were available were their cane gun and the Beals and Rider patent revolvers. The only complete long arms they had made to that point were the Jenks patent carbines for the navy and some M1841 Mississippi rifles.

The term "cast steel" does not mean that the barrel was cast. It refers to the manufacturing process by which the steel was made. Part of the reason the costs were greater was that virtually all steel was imported where iron could be obtained domestically. Remington barrels were made from a bar about 9" long with a 3/4" hole through the middle. This was heated and run through a series of rollers, always with a mandrel in the hole, that stretched the barrel out while squeezing the bore smaller.

[Mike Brooks]

I was writing descriptions for one of the big gun auction companies last spring and did a whole pile of New Hampshire under hammer guns. Many of these had Remington marked barrels and most of these were also marked "CAST STEEL". Many of these were turned round at the muzzle for a bullet starter.

[Don Getz]

Mike....this has nothing to do with Remington...I need your current E-mail address, as well as your phone number.   You
can get me at "dggetz@embarqmail.com", thanks........Don

[Curtis]

I have a friend that inherited a fullstock longrifle with a Remington barrel.  If I can remember correctly, the gunsmith was a J. Smith and the rifle was made in Buffalo NY.   If I can get some photos of it someday, I will post them.