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LOT 1176
Rare and Outstanding Colt Thuer Centerfire Conversion Model
1849 Pocket Revolver with Presentation Case Inscribed to the
Helvetia Rifle Club from A.G. Genez of New York, and Extra
Percussion Cylinder - Serial no. 310968, 31 cal., 4 inch octagon bbl.,
blue/casehardened/silver finish, walnut grips. Only an estimated
5,000 Thuer conversions were executed by Colt around 1869-1872.
This includes conversions of most of the Colt percussion revolvers.
The 1849 is the rarest of all the pocket model Thuer conversions
with fewer than 200 manufactured. The Thuer conversions were the
first Colt metallic cartridge revolvers and are thus very desirable.
The system requires only fitting a specially modified cylinder with a
removable breech plate that includes a firing pin and a slight milled
spot on the right side by the top of recoil shield cut-out. The tapered
metallic cased centerfire Thuer cartridges are loaded from the front
of the revolver just like a paper cartridge. A percussion cylinder can
be re-installed on the revolver readily which would allow for use with
either traditional cap and ball loads or metallic cartridges. Features
a 4 inch barrel with cone front sight, 6-shot conversion cylinder, and
integral notch rear sight in the hammer. The back of the cylinder has
“F” and “75” markings, and the back of the breech plate is also marked
“F” and “7” (what is likely a 5 after the 7 is not visible) and has “PAT.
SEP./15.1868.” on the left side and an “E” on the right (designating the
ejection position). The cylinder has the stagecoach holdup scene.
“31 CAL” on the trigger guard. Matching full or partial serial numbers
visible on the frame, barrel, trigger guard, butt, cylinder, cylinder pin
and wedge. The partitioned hardwood case is lined in red felt and has
a silver plaque on the lid with period inscription “To/the Helvetia Rifle
Club/from/A.G. Genez./New York Sept. 14th 1867” in five lines. August
G. Genez was a French born gunsmith and gun dealer active out of
New York at the time of the inscription. The Helvetia Rifle Club was
a group of Swiss marksmen in New York. The case contains an extra
non-matching numbered 6-shot percussion cylinder, “COLTS/PATENT”
double sided eagle powder flask, .31 caliber two-cavity “in the white”
bullet mold marked “COLT’S/PATENT” on the sprue cutter, .31 caliber
Thuer centerfire cartridges, L-shaped combination tool, loading tool
and key.
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