The Zouave rifle

[hireddutchcutthroat]

So whats to story with the Remington 1863 "Zouave' rifle. I have been hearing about these things since I started the hobby way back in era of Members Only jackets, Izod shirts and pegged pants, but have no idea what the back story about them it. All I know is they are farb and otherwise verboten. I would like to know why so the next time some dude comes up to me and asks if he can trade his Hawkin in for one, why its a No No.


:sarcastic(Disclaimer, I do not own, wish to own, or have owned a Zouave rifle.)

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: The Zouave rifle

Hallo!

A long and Hobby Historical discussion made short...

The Remington Model 1863 Contract Rifle was the first mass produced commercially available CW long arm that came out circa 1957/58ish, and quickly became popular in the N-SSA among lads not shooting originals or rebarrelled originals.

Shortly after the senior Remington's death on July 15, 1861 the son was in Washington, DC, and came away with a contract ostensibly to make a batch of M1841 Rifles as they had done before.

It was supposed to be a July 30, 1861 contract with Remington for 10,000 stands of arms at "20.00 each "...similar to those of the Harpers Ferry rifle model of 1855, in other respects of the pattern of the rifles without bayonets, heretofore made by you for the department" which referred to revamped M1841 Rifle (since the mid 1850's altered to be more like the first line
M1855 Rifle).

Although they kicked in $100,000 for new plant equipment, Remington was tied up with their contract for M1861 revolvers, and never fulfilled it. Plus there was political wrangling going on over contracts flying left and right, and Congress put a halt on all 1861 contract pending review. Remington appeared before Congress in April of 1862, and agreed to lower the price to $17.00 If he were to be give a M1861 rifle-musket contract for 40,000 stands at $16.00 each. it was approved in August calling for 500 a month starting in September and increasing in 500 increments through November until hitting 2,000 a month and the contract technically ending in March of 1863.
The contract was reissued On August 11, 1862, followed by a second on December 13, 1863 for 2500 more. The three contracts are somewhat mysterious, and believed by some to be a "reward" to Remington for having undercut the revolver prices of Colt. Plus, the rifle Remington decided to make, although kinda/sorta in some ways like a Model 1841 Rifle, conformed to neither the M1841 or the M1855 Rifle.

As a result of the revolvers, Remington was not able to make the first batch of 500 until April 1863. And then up to 1,000 a month, but only getting 7301 delivered. Worried that they had failed the contract, Remington sought a revised contract on December 13, 1863 for 2500 at $17.00 per stand with final delivery to be January 8, 1864. With the M1861 revolvers done, Remington was able to complete the first contract of 10,000 with 1,000 delivered in December of 1863 and 1500 in January of 1864.

As the M1863 Contract Rifle ended, Remington switched over to start on the 40,000 M1861 rifle-muskets getting a revised new contract for $18.000 each to start in January 1864. But, because of the lateness, Remington set up for the M1863 (Type 1) RM. Remington did rush production, and the arms were suspect, their often being reduced in payment amounts from 10 cents to $2.00 each for minor flaws annoying but not important enough to cause rejection.

With the M1863 Contract Rifle being something of a reward to Remington and not really needed by the government, it appears that the entire delivery was crated and warehoused, and sold after the War as surplus.

There is Hobby lore of a a Zouave regiment getting them that I have never (yet) seen documented. Hence the hobby and collector nickname of "Zouave" rifle.

Back to the Hobby...

The so-called "Zouave Rifle" and soon after the repro M1841 Rifle using some of the same machinery, were a common long arm in the early daze of Reenacting in the 1960's and early 1970's. But with the arrival of the so-called "Three Banders" in the mid and late 1970's, it fell from favor.
And due to the combination of its history and non War use... and perceived and/or real "safety' issues of a "Two Bander" in the rise of Reenacting in the 1980's it was NUG banned from events with "standards" of any kind.

Curt