Guns International #: 102947231
Seller's Inventory #: 247634

Category - Colt Revolvers - Antique - Antique Revolvers - Cartridge

Category
Colt Revolvers - Antique
Antique Revolvers - Cartridge

Antique COLT M1860 ARMY RICHARDS Conversion .44 Cal. CF Revolver WILD WEST Frontier Era SCARCE 1 of 9,000 Converted!

Description:
Antique COLT M1860 ARMY RICHARDS Conversion .44 Cal. CF Revolver WILD WEST
Frontier Era SCARCE 1 of 9,000 Converted!
Here we present an antique Colt Model 1860 Army Richards Conversion Revolver, converted sometime between 1873-78. Charles B. Richards was an engineer who worked for the Colt’s Patent Fire Arms Company and was awarded a patent for converting Colt percussion models to breech loading cartridge revolvers. After the onset of the American Civil War, Richards eventually became Superintendent of Engineering at the Colt factory in Hartford, Connecticut.
Richards' first major post-Civil War design was Colt's second attempt at metallic cartridge conversion known as the "Richards Conversion". Colt's revolvers to this point had been black powder percussion pistols. However, the U.S. Army wanted a revolver that held metallic cartridges, which Colt could not produce because the Rollin White patent was still held by rival Smith & Wesson. Colt's only solution would be to bore through the rear of their cylinders and devise a new method of ignition and case extraction.
The Richards Conversion was performed on this Colt 1860 Army revolver. The caliber was .44 Colt Centerfire and the loading lever was replaced by an ejector rod. This conversion added a breechplate with a firing pin and a rear sight mounted on the breechplate. Colt manufactured 9,000 of these revolvers between 1873 and 1878. In 1873 Colt performed the same conversion on the Model 1851 and Model 1861 revolvers for the U.S. Navy in .38 rimfire. The Richards conversion was an instant success, all being done concurrently with the iconic Colt Single Action Army, which Richards was responsible for the development of!
The 1860 Army was the single most used pistol of the American Civil War. Over 200,000 were made from 1860 to 1873, and 156,000 of those were made by the end of the war in 1865.
The overall condition is good. Much of the original nickel finish remains. The action is strong. The cylinder has good lock up. The Battle of Campeche cylinder scene is in great shape. The bore is in good condition with a patina and strong rifling. The grip is solid and shows use. There are three kill notches on the right side. The ejector assembly is a replacement and the barrel was shortened long ago. All else is original and has matching serial numbers.
Own the original! This is a legitimate antique and not a reproduction.
Barrel is 4-5/8 inches.
Caliber: .44 Colt Centerfire
Overall condition as seen in photos.
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ancestryguns
$3400
#247634
 

Price: $3,400.00                     Buy Now

Antique: Yes