Black spots in original Remington New Army Model cylinder chambers from 1864

[NKAK]

Howdy folks.
I discovered black spots in my original New Army Model produced June 1864

Previous owner shot a few 35 grain FFFg BP loads in it with 454 roundballs and said the spots are not to be worried about. So one could say it has been pressure tested with high pressure loads considering its age. The cylinder has tiny amounts of pitting but the revolver is in very good shape and is mechanically perfect with little sign of wear otherwise.


What are these dark spots? Is it black rust that i should be worried about with risk of having turned the steel below brittle? Or is it just superficial? I have many old guns and revolvers and have never seen black corrosion before in cylinders.

It cannot be cleaned with oil and a copper brush neither with rust remover soaking. It is not dirt but a type of corrosion.

Can i just keep firing 25 to 30 grain loads in this beauty without concern?
Thank you all in advance

 

[NKAK]

Here are some more pictures of the whole revolver in case anyone is interested in originals

 

[Sam squanch]

Wow! That’s a nice one. May want to retire it and get a tuned reproduction to shoot. These collector items are getting rarer every decade, hate to break something on it. But it’s your gun, shoot it if you wish. I don’t think the black spots are a problem, but I’d load on the light side, it’s not like it’s your everyday carry handgun.

 

[Dusty_Traveler]

Spots are old pitting. Nothing to be alarmed over. Load fire repeat.

 

[NKAK]

Spots are old pitting. Nothing to be alarmed over. Load fire repeat.

But if there is no pitting there but only a discoloration is it pitting developing?

 

[Dusty_Traveler]

I highly doubt it.

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

there are certain concerns with Muzzle loading and then there are not concerns.