American Civil War Relics Catalog

Cartridge Reference - Cart. Ref. - Thuer Conversion Revolver Cartridges

.44 Thuer Colt Army Revolver Cartridge (1868)

Item #: RZ6780

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Z6780 .44 Thuer Colt Army Revolver Cartridge (1868)

Description: Very nice .44 cartridge for use with the .44 Colt Army Model 1860 Thuer conversion revolver. F. Alexander Thuer of East Hartford, Connecticut received US Patent No. 82258 on September 15, 1868, for an improvement in revolving firearms.

Thuer states, "My invention relates to the kind of pistol or rifle which has a revolving chambered breech or cylinder capable of being loaded from the front, the principal object of the said invention being to produce a device by which a revolver adapted for the use of loose ammunition can at a small cost be changed, so that cartridges having primed metallic shells may be used.”

In 1868, the bored-through cylinder patent was still held by Rollin White and assigned to Smith & Wesson. Several companies were creating front-loading cartridges to circumvent this patent which was set to expire in 1869. The Colt Thuer conversion revolvers were one of the later examples trying to circumvent the patent. There are four main types of Thuer cartridges with a few variants. The .31 Colt Pocket, .36 Colt "Pocket” Navy, .36 Colt Navy, and the .44 Colt Army. The total number of conversions is around 5,000 with all four types included, making these cartridges quite scarce.

This example is in excellent shape. It has a pointed bullet with a single cannelure just above the case mouth. The tapered case is brass with a copper primer. Out of the four main types of Thuer cartridges, this is the 2nd hardest variant to find!

Headstamp: None

Measures: OAL 1.415” CL .880” HD .427” CM .459” BDaCM .461”

Reference: "U.S Cartridges and Their Handguns” Suydam Pg. 40

(Sold)

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We DO NOT sell modern guns, all our inventory will be Pre-1898 and are classified by the ATF as antiques and require no government paperwork to own.

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Ian Workman

American Civil War Relics & Military Antiques