Guns International #: 102810029
Seller's Inventory #: 601

Category - American Western Arms Revolvers - .44 Revolvers

Category
American Western Arms Revolvers
.44 Revolvers

Remington 1875 single action .44WCF

Description:
Up for review is an 1875 Remington revolver.  These guns were produced somewhere between 1875 and 1889.  The exact date for each pistol is a bit difficult to determine due to the fact that they were made in several batches and the serial numbers were occasionally duplicated.  The serial numbers are not commonly on the external surface of the revolvers but rather they appear under the grips on the frame of the pistol.  Many of these numbers appear to me to be batch numbers rather than actual serial numbers but I could be mistaken.  Most had 7 1/2 inch barrels and were either blued or nickel plated.  A few were produced with 5 1/2 inch barrels.  Three calibers were produced over the course of time and these included the .44 Remington, the .44 WCF and the .45 Colt.  Remington stepped imto the western revolver market a couple years too late for effective competition with Colt's 1873 single action pistol and so with Colt's Government contracts already established these revolvers failed to sell as well as might have been anticipated.  Only about 25-30 thousand of these Remington guns were ever produced with many being sold into the civilian market to very satisfied customers not the least of which were Jesse and Frank James.  The photos in this communication will describe the pistol perhaps better than words can but the interesting part of this revolver is its likely history.  
When Custer of Little Big Horn fame made his way into Dakota Territory in 1873 a contract physician by the name of Henry Hobart Ruger accompanied the Seventh Calvary to Fort Rice.  Dr. Ruger traveled with the seventh Calvary on the Yellowstone expedition in 1873 led by General Stanley.  This group of 1500 men provided protection for the Northern Pacific survey party, which made it as far south as the mouth of the Big Horn river that year.  During the fall of the same year Dr. Ruger returned with the Seventh Calvary to Fort Abraham Lincoln near Bismark which was their headquarters at the time.  Soon there after he was transfered to the 17th infantry and so avoided the Black Hills expedition of 1874 and even more importantly the Battle of the little Big Horn two years later.  Following several more transfers within the Army structure acting as a contract physician he moved to Fort  Totten where he provided his brand of medicine for the Indians on the reservation near the fort.  He remained in practice there until 1884 and then retired from military service.  In 1887 he moved to Devil's Lake right outside of Fort Totten where he ranched and lived for the rest of his life dying of a stroke in 1906.  Of particular interest in the story at this time is his most likely association with the veterinarian who took care of the calvary horses at Fort Totten during the time he was in practice there.  This man's name was Dr. Frank Tompkins.  After retirement these men farmed juxtaposed land just outside of the fort.  It is highly likely that they not only knew each other but were close friends.  According to the affidavit enclosed and signed by a notary the pistol now being discussed was passed down through the Tompkins family over several generations with the initials HR on the butt stock.  I would suspect that this Remington revolver at one time belonged to Dr. Hobart Ruger a contract physician that traveledd with George Custer and the seventh Calvary just prior to the battle of the Little Big Horn.  Thanks for taking a look and listening to perhaps a little history.  Will answer questions to the best of my ability through the G.I. site or by phone.

SOLD