M103 .36 Colt Navy Thuer Conversion Cartridge (1868)
Description: Very nice .36 caliber cartridge for use with the Colt Model 1851 Navy Thuer Conversion Revolver. F. Alexander Thuer of East Hartford, Connecticut, received U.S. Patent No. 82,258 on September 15, 1868, for an improvement in revolving firearms.
Thuer stated: "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.”
At the time, the bored-through cylinder patent was still held by Rollin White and assigned to Smith & Wesson. As a result, several manufacturers developed front-loading metallic cartridges to work around this restriction prior to its expiration in 1869. The Colt Thuer conversion revolvers represent one of the later and more refined examples of these efforts, produced during the closing years of the patent era.
There are four primary types of Thuer cartridges, with minor variants: the .31 Colt Pocket, .36 Colt "Pocket” Navy, .36 Colt Navy, and .44 Colt Army. Total production of Thuer conversions across all types is estimated at roughly 5,000 units, making these cartridges scarce and highly desirable today.
This example remains in nice condition, with a lightly oxidized bullet and an evenly aged brass case showing a few scattered spots on one side. A strong example of this short-lived but historically important .36 Navy caliber Thuer cartridge.
Headstamp: None
Measures: OAL 1.361” CL .940” HD .359” CM .382” BDaCM .383” Weight 210 Grs.
Reference: "U.S. Cartridges and Their Handguns” Suydam Pg. 40
Price: $165.00 UPS Shipping Required
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American Civil War Relics &
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