Rogers & Spencer and New Army

Muzzle and breech loading black powder firearms. Military and sporting.
Shooting, loading, collecting and historical study.

Moderator: Aughnanure

Post Reply
User avatar
Niner
Site Admin
Posts: 11519
Joined: Sat Mar 15, 2003 1:00 pm
Location: Lower Alabama

Rogers & Spencer and New Army

Post by Niner » Sat Feb 23, 2013 4:48 pm

The ball game was rained out so I thought I'd check out the condition of some of my BP revolvers. I took some pictures to show the differences between the Rogers & Spencer and the New Army. Both of them are the best of the Civil War reproductions that I own as far as shooting goes. Both are .44 caliber. As far as actual Civil War handguns go, these designs were probably the best too....although Colt probably supplied more handguns to the North and probably to the South too.

The Rogers & Spencer is a fancier target model with more or less modern sights. Very few of the original R&S guns were ever issued in the Civil war. Maybe none saw actual field service. It has a bigger hand grips and is slightly heavier at 2 lbs. 14 oz. to the Remington's 2 lb. 7 oz. Looks more substantial and more modern too. You have to turn a screw in the frame where the cylinder pin goes in a half turn to unlock the pin and remove the pin and loading arm.

The Remington New Army looks sleeker and points better. The loading arm is better for take down too. You don't have to turn any screw to pull the cylinder pin out. Just pull on the pin cap after the loading lever is in the down position. ( There is a spring catch at the muzzle end of the loading arm.) And not having any pin to have to put back into the frame is better for reloading a spare cylinder if you had one....something that the Rogers & Spencer fails at. One of the biggest drawbacks is the handgrips could be more substantial in size..... and at least one manufacturer has made a model with larger grips. And... you can find a post by Duncan showing his efforts to make bigger grips for his New Army elsewhere on this forum.

I can shoot both of them about the same. Both are excellent shooters at shorter pistol range distances.
Attachments
New Army on top
New Army on top
DSC00206.jpg
R&S
R&S
New Army
New Army
R&S on left
R&S on left
R&S  on the left.  Slightly heaver.
R&S on the left. Slightly heaver.
User avatar
Niner
Site Admin
Posts: 11519
Joined: Sat Mar 15, 2003 1:00 pm
Location: Lower Alabama

Re: Rogers & Spencer and New Army

Post by Niner » Sat Feb 23, 2013 5:16 pm

While I got the camera out. To show the difference between the Colt 1860 Army and the Remington New Army. The Colt has no top strap over the cylinder making it slightly less sturdy. The loading lever requires removal of both a screw and a wedge and is more difficult to take down. But....it points good and looks good. It shoots ok too....although it seems to get clogged with burnt powder quicker than either the Remington or the R&S.
Attachments
DSC00213.jpg
PeterN2
Moderator
Posts: 994
Joined: Fri Feb 13, 2004 8:02 pm
Location: Yorkshire, England

Re: Rogers & Spencer and New Army

Post by PeterN2 » Sun Feb 24, 2013 12:09 pm

I have a Pietta Remington 1858 revolver. It is a good shooter and pleasant to shoot. I don't shoot it as much as I should.

Regards
Peter.
Post Reply