revolver
Uberti colt open top 38 spec.
RICHARDS
- MASON CARTRIDGE CONVERSIONS
In
1871, Colt employee Charles Richards was awarded a patent
for converting Colt percussion models to breech loading
cartridge revolvers. The Richards cartridge conversion of
the 1860 Army was an instant success. On July2, 1872,
William Mason another Colt employee, was awarded a patent
for an improvement to the original Richards patent. The new
patent was applied to the 1851 Navy, 1860 Army, and other
Colt percussion guns. The Richards-Mason conversions
differed from the earlier guns in that the sight remained on
the hammer nose, as it did in the percussion models. As the
stockpile of percussion parts started dwindling, new parts,
namely the barrels, started being made. The 1860
Richards-Mason barrel was changed from the profile of the
earlier percussion model, to the sleek profile of the
1871-72 Open Top. New Navy barrels had no provisions for the
loading lever of the old percussion
guns