Winchester Repeating Arms Company. Herb Houze
Model 1862 Police:
| 5B-115 | Values—Very Good $4,500 | Exc. $11,500 |
Model 1862 Pocket Navy:
| 5B-116 | Values—Very Good $4,500 | Exc. $11,500 |
(Note: Also known, but extremely rare, are Thuer conversions in the Dragoon, Model 1855 Sidehammer revolver, and the Model 1855 Sidehammer rifle. These demand a premium.)
Richards Conversion, Colt 1860 Army Revolver
Richards Conversion, Model 1860 Army Revolver. Made c. 1871-78; total production of about 9,000.
44 Colt centerfire. 6-shot rebated cylinder. 8" barrel; round, with ejector rod attached, loading lever removed and the barrel lug plugged.
Grips and finish standard for the Model 1860 Army; breechplate casehardened.
Serial numbering in two ranges: One group which began at 1 and ran to approximately 8700 (including the Richards-Mason model), and another which was within the Model 1860 Army serial sequence from about 167000 - 200614. Barrel marking: -ADDRESS COL. SAML COLT NEW-YORK U.S. AMERICA -. On the left shoulder of trigger guard strap: 44 CAL. Cylinder roll depicts the naval engagement scene.
Quick identification of the Richards can be made by noting the following details: Conversion breechplate having a firing pin, integral rear sight, and a rim which projects slightly over the breech end of the cylinder, the Model 1860 barrel lug contour retained, and the ejector rod extending out of the tube significantly (in direction of the cylinder). The Richards proved a much more practical conversion than the Thuer, and is a popular early metallic cartridge revolver with collectors.
12-Slot Cylinder Variation: The first group (quantity unknown) of Richards Conversions were fitted with cylinders bearing 12 notches for the cylinder stop (versus the usual six notches). Earliest of these were Army cylinders which had the notches added at the time of conversion while other cylinders were newly-made for the existing percussion 1860 revolvers. The details were published initially in the May, 2002 issue of Gun Report magazine (by R.B. McDowell). An unknown quantity (likely small) of newly manufactured 12-notch cylinders were never utilized; some subsequently found their way to the collectors’ market years later “on the loose.” Hence, caution should be exercised on acquisition of the early 12-notch Richards Conversion, in order to ascertain it was originally assembled that way! Note: an occasional 12-stop cylinder has been encountered on the “transition” (a.k.a. “Second Model” Richards as well as the 1860 Richards-Mason Conversion (5B-120); such oddities have been determined to be not factory original variations.)
Major variations are:
Standard model (a.k.a. “First Model”):
5B-117
| 5B-117 | Values—Good $1,000 | Fine $4,500 |
U.S. marked specimens, the U.S. on left side of the barrel lug, serial numbers mixed, (with a second set of conversion numbers next to original numbers), government inspector marks present:
| 5B-118 | Values—Good $3,000 | Fine $14,000 |
Transition model (a.k.a. “Type II” or “Second Model”) between the Richards and Richards-Mason; has barrel and ejector type of the former, and conversion plate and hammer of the latter, 1871 and 1872 patent dates marked on left side of the frame:
| 5B-119 | Values—Good $1,600 | Fine $5,750 |
Richards-Mason Conversion, Colt 1860 Army
Richards-Mason Conversion, Model 1860 Army Revolver. Major production period c. 1877-78; total of about 2,100.
44 Colt centerfire. 6-shot rebated cylinder. 7-1/2" and 8" barrels; round and of special production having a smaller lug area than the Richards Model; ejector rod attached.
Grips and finish standard for the Model 1860 Army; breechplate casehardened. Nickel plating not unusual.
Serial numbered within the range of the Richards Model, the Richards-Mason running from 5800 to about 7900. Barrel marking either -ADDRESS COL. SAML COLT NEW-YORK U.S. AMERICA -, or COLT’S PT. F.A. MFG. CO HARTFORD, CT. U.S.A. On the left side of the frame are 1871 and 1872 patent dates. 44 CAL on the left shoulder of the trigger guard strap. Cylinder roll depicts the naval engagement scene.
Identifying characteristics allowing for quick identification of this model are: Breechplate without integral rear sight, cut away at top to allow for the hammer to strike the cartridge, no projecting front rim on the conversion plate (as on the Richards Model), and the special barrel made for the R-M group:
5B-120
| 5B-120 | Values—Good $1,275 | Fine $5,500 |
Conversion of the Colt Model 1851 Navy
Conversion of the Model 1851 Navy. Made primarily in the mid 1870s; total production of about 3,800.
38 rimfire and 38 centerfire. 6-shot cylinders. 7-1/2" barrels; octagonal, with ejector rod attached, and the loading lever removed and barrel lug plugged.
Grips and finish standard for the Model 1851 Navy. Nickel plating not unusual.
Serial numbering in two ranges: The major group (special series for metallic cartridge) which began at 1 and ran to about 3800, and another which was within the percussion series of about 41000 to 91000 (the latter all naval alterations, and noted separately in the valuations below). Barrel marking: ADDRESS COL. SAML COLT NEW-YORK U.S. AMERICA- or -ADDRESS SAML COLT HARTFORD CT.-. Left side of the frame marked either COLTS/PATENT or with 1871 and 1872 patent dates. The cylinder roll is of the naval engagement scene.
The major variations and their values are:
Standard model, produced from previously unfinished and unassembled parts (all pieces from the 1 - 3800 serial range); the method of alteration was the same as in the Richards-Mason Model 1860 Army:
5B-121
| 5B-121 |
Values—Good |