With an armed forces supply heritage dating back to the American Civil War, Remington Military pistols got their start as Remington-Beals Model Revolvers manufactured by Eliphalet Remington & Sons. Their subsequent percussion-based variations were produced in Pocket .31, Navy .36, and Army .44 calibers.
The Remington Model 1858 black-powder handgun was eventually used by a number of Native American tribes and exported to Britain, France, Japan, Mexico, and Russia for use in various conflicts. When all was said and done, Remington military handguns saw service in the American Indian Wars, throughout the chaotic American Old West, and in fighting during the Franco-Prussian War.
Modern Remington semi-automatic pistols stem from one of three lineages. The first was the Model 1911, produced in fairly limited quantities under a U.S. military contract. The second is the Remington Model 51 hammerless semi automatic, which was produced from 1918 to 1934, first in .380 ACP and later chambering .32-caliber rounds. The third, the Remington Model XP-100 single-shot pistol, was made for accurate, long-ranging shooting from 1963 to 1998. Despite being best known for rifles and shotguns, Remington pistols are favorites of firearms cognoscenti worldwide.
Quick Facts
- In a 2015 James D. Julia auction, a Remington Rand 1911 A1 custom semi-auto pistol that belonged to prominent gun enthusiast Elmer Keith sold for $4,387.50
- In 2009, a World War II-era Remington Rand 1911A1 U.S. Army .45-cal. pistol sold for $2,360 at a McLeish Auction Service sale
- In a 2012 Poulin auction in Maine, a Remington Rand 1911-A1 estimated to sell for $1,400 to $1,800 brought a high bid of $3,565
