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CA924 CA926 CA925

In 1871, Colt employee Charles Richards was awarded a patent for converting Colt percussion models to breech loading cartridge revolvers. The Richards cartridge conversion was an instant success. On July 2, 1872, William Mason, another Colt employee, was awarded a patent for an improvement to the Richards model. As percussion parts ran short, the 1860 Richards-Mason barrel was changed from the profile of the earlier percussion model, to the sleek profile found on the 1871-72 Open Top.
Conversion models remained popular with cowboys (many originals will be found with imprints of fence staples on the butt) even after the introduction of the Colt Peacemaker of 1873. This was due to the low cost of conversion models.