Guns International #: 102947178
Seller's Inventory #: 247606

Category - Colt Revolvers - Antique Percussion - Civil War Revolvers

Category
Colt Revolvers - Antique Percussion
Civil War Revolvers

Antique COLT M1860 Army RICHARDS CONVERSION .44 CF Revolver WILD WEST Era

Description:
Antique COLT M1860 Army RICHARDS CONVERSION .44 CF Revolver WILD WEST Era 
SCARCE 1 of 9,000
Here we present an antique Colt Model 1860 Army Richards Conversion Revolver, converted sometime between 1873 and 1878. 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!
As mentioned, this is one of the approximately 9,000 manufactured/converted circa 1873-1878 with the first 1,100 made for the U.S. Army. This example has "A" marked on the barrel and trigger guard along with "A" and "P" marked on the cylinder. It has mixed serial numbers with matching conversion serial number "926" on major components as was common with these conversions.
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 very good. Some original nickel finish remains with the balance a smooth gray. The action is excellent. The bore is patinated with strong rifling. The grip is solid and shows use. The barrel was shortened long ago. There is a small crack at the front of the ejector rod housing that does not pose any major issue. Numbers match throughout.
Own the original! This is a legitimate antique and not a reproduction.
Barrel is 5-3/4 inches.
Caliber: .44 Colt Centerfire
Overall condition as seen in photos.
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ancestryguns
$3600
#247606
 

Price: $3,600.00                     Buy Now

Antique: Yes