Remington 1875 Remington 1875 .44-40 .44 Revolver

A deactivated Remington Model 1875 Single Action Army revolver in .44-40 Winchester, fitted with the scarce 5½-inch barrel and wearing an even grey patina throughout — a genuine and uncommon survivor from one of the great frontier-era American handguns.

Standard barrel length on the Model 1875 was 7½ inches, with only a very few revolvers produced with shorter barrels, making this example a less commonly encountered configuration. Between 25,000 and 30,000 were manufactured during the years 1875 to 1889, chambered in .44 Remington Centrefire, .44-40 Winchester, and .45 calibre. The calibre of production models was determined by their date of manufacture — the .44-40 chambering therefore places this example in the later years of production, when Remington adopted the popular Winchester cartridge to allow owners to use a single round across both rifle and revolver.

The Model 1875 retained the top-strap frame of its percussion predecessors, giving it increased structural strength compared to competing open-frame Colt guns of the period, and the same webbed under-barrel structure that completed the recognisable Remington look. By the time of its introduction, Colt had already secured contracts with the U.S. Army, and Remington was forced to seek other markets — the U.S. government ultimately purchased fewer than 650 for use by Indian police, and another 1,000 were sold to the Mexican government circa 1880.

The grey patina indicates full loss of the original blued or nickel surface finish, with the metal having aged to a consistent tone — typical and honest on a revolver of this age. The revolver has been deactivated and is suited to display or a collection of antique American arms.