E. Remington & Sons 1888 Single Action Army .44-40 WCF 5.75″ SAA Antique
SOLD FOR: $2625
LSB#: 230607JB005
Make: Remington
Model: 1888 Single Action Army
Serial Number: 251
Year of Manufacture: 1888-1889
Caliber: .44-40 WCF (Black Powder Only)
Action Type: Single Action Revolver
Markings: The left side of the grip frame is marked with the serial number under the grips. The rear of the loading gate is marked with the serial number. The top of the barrel is marked “E. REMINGTON & SONS, ILION, N.Y. U.S.A.”. The left of the trigger guard is marked “.44”. The right side of the grip frame is inscribed with a number and the butt of the grip frame is inscribed “LAWLIS”.
Barrel Length: 5 3/4”
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a quarter-round blade fixed to the barrel. The rear sight is a square notch at the end of a groove in the top strap.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are replacement smooth wood panels. There are some scattered little nicks, scuffs, and scratches. There are some compressions and light handling marks. The grips are shy to the grip frame and have some play. The grips rate in about Very Good overall condition.
Type of Finish: Nickel
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is dark gray and the rifling is shallow. There is erosion and pitting throughout the bore. Most antique firearms have bores that will show erosion. This is not only due to age but to the use of black powder. When fired, black powder reacts corrosively. NRA Antique Firearm Conditions Standards are quite lenient for bores. In some cases the NRA standards disregarded the bore’s condition for collectors firearms.
Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 80% of its metal finish. There are some scattered areas of finish loss. There are some scattered areas of discoloration from oxidation, erosion, and minor scabbing. There are some swirl marks and draglines typical of nickel finishes. There are some cloudy areas but the majority of the nickel is shiny. There are some scattered little nicks, scuffs, and scratches. There are scattered light handling marks. The screw heads are tool marked. The markings are clear. Overall, this revolver is in about Very Good condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this handgun. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.
Our Assessment: The 1875 SAA 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 but before then they had a transitional model 1888 which is this model. The model was made specifically for Hartley & Graham when they took control of Remington and were made from mostly left over parts. The revolver was identical to the 1890 and had the web of the 1875 style ejector rod housing modified and removed. This one has quite a few later features including the rebated edge of the ejector housing, muzzle-to-frame barrel address, a quarter round front sight, but has a very low serial number and is marked E. Remington & Sons. This one is serial number 251 and all of the known examples are under 1000. The barrel markings changed in the late 1880s to Remington Arms Co. from E. Remington & Sons when Hartley & Graham took over the company. The Remington SAA revolver never saw commercial success and not many of these were made making it a nice piece for collectors of Remingtons and Antiques. Please see our photos and good luck!
Some are hot, some are not, but thankfully most can be shot!
-Red
