RARE CASED PROTOTYPE RICHARDS MASON CONVERSION COLT MODEL 1860 REVOLVER.

RARE CASED PROTOTYPE RICHARDS MASON CONVERSION COLT MODEL 1860 REVOLVER. SN 193960. Cal. 44 Colt CF. This is believed to be the first centerfire conversion in the Richards Mason style, hand made and finished, one of only a very few made in ca.1871. It has nickel finish with 8″ rnd bbl and 1-line New-York U.S. America address. Left side of frame has 2-line patent dates with dashes, stamped over the orig “COLT’S PATENT”. The inside face of the bbl lug between the frame pin holes is stamped with a small “1”. There is also a very deeply stamped mark on rear face of cylinder that is indecipherable, along with a small “S” on opposite flat. It has a silver plated trigger guard with “44 CAL” on left shoulder and a nickel plated iron back strap and is fitted with very nicely figured 1-pc walnut grip which has the last four digits of the serial number in the back strap channel. It has the usual rebated 6-shot cylinder that has had the rear portion containing the percussion nipples machined down leaving only the extended star wheel. The conversion ring, with loading gate bearing the last four digits of the serial number is made without rear sight, leaving the extended hammer nose with rear sight notch. Firing pin is blind slotted into the flat machined hammer nose and secured with two rivets. The rammer slot in the bbl lug has been plugged in the usual way with attached 4″ ejector rod housing that has a half moon ejector rod head which has been hand checkered on front side. This revolver represents a major step in the evolution from percussion to the Single Action Army revolver as we know it today. Accompanied by its orig black velvet lined mahogany casing, compartmented in the bottom for the revolver, a small square crystal oil bottle with nickel plated brass cap, a very rare tin of UMC/Colt primers, an L-shaped screwdriver and a very rare slot in the front edge which contains a 1911 style brass cleaning rod. Left front portion of the case has a cartridge block containing fifty-one Rem-UMC 44 Colt cartridges. This revolver is pictured on p. 142 of the book The Wm. M. Locke Collection as it is found today without the oil bottle or cap tin. PROVENANCE: William M. Locke Collection; Dr. Joseph A. Murphy Collection. CONDITION: Extremely fine plus, all matching including cylinder & grip except wedge which is properly unnumbered. Bbl, cylinder, frame & back strap retain virtually all of their strong orig factory nickel finish with only a few minor nicks & surface mars. Cylinder retains most of its orig Ormsby Naval battle scene, slightly thinned in one spot during finishing process. Trigger guard retains 15-20% orig silver plating with the exposed brass a medium mustard patina. Grip is sound showing very minor wear to the edges with a small gouge on right side and a few very minor mars in varnish and overall retains about all of its fine orig factory varnish. Mechanics are crisp, strong bright bore with light to moderate pitting. Case is very fine with one minor grain check in bottom and light handling & surface scratches and overall retaining most of a fine restored finish with some heat crazing on the lid. Interior is lightly soiled with some minor wear from front sight & hammer spur. Accessories are fine, cartridges are clean. Altogether an extremely rare & desirable cased set. 4-36421 JR85 (20,000-40,000)

Auction: Firearms - Spring 2009

Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

Image	Lot	Price	Description
	2024	$28,750.00	RARE CASED PROTOTYPE RICHARDS MASON CONVERSION COLT MODEL 1860 REVOLVER. SN 193960. Cal. 44 Colt CF. This is believed to be the first centerfire conversion in the Richards Mason style, hand made and finished, one of only a very few made in ca.1871. It has nickel finish with 8″ rnd bbl and 1-line New-York U.S. America address. Left side of frame has 2-line patent dates with dashes, stamped over the orig “COLT’S PATENT”. The inside face of the bbl lug between the frame pin holes is stamped with a small “1”. There is also a very deeply stamped mark on rear face of cylinder that is indecipherable, along with a small “S” on opposite flat. It has a silver plated trigger guard with “44 CAL” on left shoulder and a nickel plated iron back strap and is fitted with very nicely figured 1-pc walnut grip which has the last four digits of the serial number in the back strap channel. It has the usual rebated 6-shot cylinder that has had the rear portion containing the percussion nipples machined down leaving only the extended star wheel. The conversion ring, with loading gate bearing the last four digits of the serial number is made without rear sight, leaving the extended hammer nose with rear sight notch. Firing pin is blind slotted into the flat machined hammer nose and secured with two rivets. The rammer slot in the bbl lug has been plugged in the usual way with attached 4″ ejector rod housing that has a half moon ejector rod head which has been hand checkered on front side. This revolver represents a major step in the evolution from percussion to the Single Action Army revolver as we know it today. Accompanied by its orig black velvet lined mahogany casing, compartmented in the bottom for the revolver, a small square crystal oil bottle with nickel plated brass cap, a very rare tin of UMC/Colt primers, an L-shaped screwdriver and a very rare slot in the front edge which contains a 1911 style brass cleaning rod. Left front portion of the case has a cartridge block containing fifty-one Rem-UMC 44 Colt cartridges. This revolver is pictured on p. 142 of the book The Wm. M. Locke Collection as it is found today without the oil bottle or cap tin. PROVENANCE: William M. Locke Collection; Dr. Joseph A. Murphy Collection. CONDITION: Extremely fine plus, all matching including cylinder & grip except wedge which is properly unnumbered. Bbl, cylinder, frame & back strap retain virtually all of their strong orig factory nickel finish with only a few minor nicks & surface mars. Cylinder retains most of its orig Ormsby Naval battle scene, slightly thinned in one spot during finishing process. Trigger guard retains 15-20% orig silver plating with the exposed brass a medium mustard patina. Grip is sound showing very minor wear to the edges with a small gouge on right side and a few very minor mars in varnish and overall retains about all of its fine orig factory varnish. Mechanics are crisp, strong bright bore with light to moderate pitting. Case is very fine with one minor grain check in bottom and light handling & surface scratches and overall retaining most of a fine restored finish with some heat crazing on the lid. Interior is lightly soiled with some minor wear from front sight & hammer spur. Accessories are fine, cartridges are clean. Altogether an extremely rare & desirable cased set. 4-36421 JR85 (20,000-40,000) Auction: Firearms - Spring 2009 Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

.red{fill:#B50938;} .white{fill:#FFFFFF;} .blue{fill:#005596;}