Lindcott Armory Pistol · Obsolete / Non-standard
.50 Remington Navy
The US Navy's rimfire sidearm cartridge of the Reconstruction era.
- Caliber
- 0.51″ · 12.954 mm
- Introduced
- 1866
- Case
- Rimfire
- Primary use
- Military, Self-Defense
- Status
- Obsolete
- Introduced
- 1866
- Type
- Pistol
- Origin
- United States
- Inventor
- Remington Arms
- Manufacturer
- Remington Arms
- Standard
- Obsolete / Non-standard
- Status
- Obsolete
- Availability
- Collector Only
- Case capacity
- 55 gr H₂O
- Twist (typical)
- 1:20
- Primer
- Rimfire
- Case type
- Rimfire
- Max pressure
- 12,000 psi
- Eff. range
- 25 yd
- Max range
- 75 yd
- Recoil
- 3–5 ft·lb
- Subsonic
- Capable
Ballistics
- Parent case
- —
Representative trajectory — modeled from a single velocity input (no published BC for this cartridge yet).
Performance
Buy links open .50 Remington Navy ammunition at Rivertown Munitions.
Dimensionscase measurements · scale drawing · size vs familiar rounds
Case dimensions — the scale drawing at the top of the page is built from these.
Wikipedia · approximate| Measure | mm | in | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet ⌀ | 12.95 | 0.510 | ~ |
| Neck ⌀ | 13.59 | 0.535 | · |
| Shoulder ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Shoulder angle | n/a | ||
| Base ⌀ | 14.28 | 0.562 | · |
| Rim ⌀ | 16.31 | 0.642 | · |
| Belt ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Rim thickness | — | — | |
| Neck length | n/a | ||
| Case length | 21.84 | 0.860 | ~ |
| Overall length | 32.51 | 1.280 | · |
Size vs familiar rounds
Drawn at true 1:1 — every case is accurate relative to the others. Absolute size depends on your screen's pixel density, so measuring one against a real ruler may be off. .50 Remington Navy is highlighted below.
Factory loads
In production — 5 active loads across 5 brands. Top 15 shown · see all 20 →.
| Brand | Load | Grain | Bullet | FPS | ft·lb | BC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jamison International | Cowboy | 430 | Lead FP | 1,250 | 1,492 | — |
| Ten-X Ammunition | Cowboy | 430 | Lead RN | 1,250 | 1,492 | — |
| Graf & Sons | Cowboy | 430 | RNFP | 1,250 | 1,492 | — |
| Buffalo Arms | Cowboy | 430 | RNFP | 1,250 | 1,492 | — |
| Black Hills | BH Cowboy | 400 | Lead RN | 1,200 | 1,279 | — |
| Old Western Scrounger | Replica | 430 | Lead RN | 1,245 | 1,480 | — |
| Bertram | Antique | 430 | FMJ | 1,240 | 1,468 | — |
| Winchester | Winchester Super | 400 | Lead RN | 1,200 | 1,279 | — |
| Bertram | Custom | 430 | Lead Round Nose | 900 | 773 | — |
| Doubletap | Hardcast | 430 | Lead Round Nose | 900 | 773 | — |
| Hirtenberger | Standard | 430 | Lead Round Nose | 900 | 773 | — |
| HSM Ammunition | Cowboy | 430 | Lead Round Nose | 900 | 773 | — |
| Jamison | Custom | 430 | Lead Round Nose | 900 | 773 | — |
| OWS | Standard | 430 | Lead Round Nose | 900 | 773 | — |
| Graf | FMJ Standard | 430 | Lead Round Nose | 900 | 773 | — |
Velocities are manufacturer-stated (test-barrel). Discontinued loads dimmed.
Connected reference
History
Following the Civil War, the US military sought to convert from percussion cap-and-ball arms to the new metallic cartridge technology. The Navy adopted Remington's rolling block pistol in 1866, chambered for this large-bore rimfire. The rolling block action was among the strongest single-shot actions of its era. The .50 Remington Navy provided a substantial step up from the earlier .44 Henry in a handgun-sized package. The cartridge was superseded as the Navy transitioned to centerfire designs in the 1870s. Original Navy rolling block pistols in shootable condition are highly sought by collectors of US martial arms.
FAQs
- What twist rate does .50 Remington Navy use?
- .50 Remington Navy typically uses a 1:20 twist rate.
- What bullet diameter is .50 Remington Navy?
- .50 Remington Navy uses a 0.51″ (12.954 mm) diameter bullet.
- Is .50 Remington Navy still in production?
- .50 Remington Navy is obsolete; typical availability is collector only.
- What is .50 Remington Navy used for?
- .50 Remington Navy is primarily used for military, self-defense.
Sources & provenance
Data & sources. Specs compiled from the Lindcott Armory reference; availability counted from 5 live factory loads; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. See methodology. Spotted an error? Report it →