Sunday, February 6, 2022

Old Firearm Grip Identification Help

With limited computer skills copying their Facebook page seems to be the best way to make this post. Some of the readers of this blog are very knowledgeable about older firearms. You may find this of interest.

The Sweetwater County Historical Museum in Green River, Wyoming, recently researched a Civil War revolver and is hoping for help in identifying the figure carved on its grip.

The handgun in question is a Remington .44-caliber single-action percussion revolver, a New Model Army.

The New Model Army saw extensive service during the Civil War and and the post-Civil War frontier era. About 132,000 New Model Armies were made between 1863 and 1875. Based on its serial number, the museum’s assessment is that it was manufactured in November of 1864.

The carving on the pistol’s right grip has generated something of a mystery, however. Shown in the photograph here, it appears to be, possibly, a flower or other type of plant. That it might be a livestock brand seems unlikely, as it is too elaborate. The Remington’s owner is in the general area of the Great Lakes, generating one potential theory; that the image may be Native American, from one of the tribes in that region.

Anyone who recognizes the image is encouraged to contact the museum at (307) 872-6435, via email at sweetwatercountymuseum@outlook.com

 

5 comments:

Old NFO said...

Definitely not a brand. WAY too complicated for that. Could be a flower, but from where? Home? Something they saw before/during/after a battle?

drjim said...

No idea, but I agree that it looks like a flower.

Well Seasoned Fool said...

Thanks for the response. I have no idea.

LSP said...

It'd be neat if it was tied to a family/person/unit or event. But maybe someone just got into decorating his pistol.

Speaking of which, people in the UK get around the pistol ban by buying old revolvers (black powder), which are legal, strangely enough.

Well Seasoned Fool said...

LSP
Black powder pistols were part of the plot in the original "Death Wish" movie with Charles Bronson. Maybe the book - can't remember for sure.

In my misspent early teens a neighbor allowed me to shoot his black powder pistol. What fun!