Cimarron Colt 1871-1872 Open Top revolver, 38 spl. 7.5"

[GunnyUSMC]

Cimarron, Colt 1871-1872 Open Top revolver, 38 spl. 7.5"

Although it appears to be a conversion, the Model 1871-1872 Open Top was Colt's first revolver specifically manufactured to fire a cartridge. Since they did not use percussion revolver parts, they were manufactured as an entirely new model. Early Models have Navy-size grips. Late Models have Army-size grips.
During the 1870's, Colt also converted many of its unsold percussion models into cartridge guns however, while sharing some of the basic design and components, the Model 1871-72 was actually its own independent design and not a conversion

I ordered this one, about 3 years ago, from Cimarron in 38 spl. I really love to shot this gun.

 

[AethelstanAegen]

That's a fine looking revolver! I've been thinking about getting one myself but haven't yet pulled the trigger (I still can't decide between the Open Top and the Type II Conversion). Judging from your targets it's a sweet shooter too. Congrats!

 

[bluetopper]

Beautiful..........I too have thought hard about one.

 

[StrawHat]

I am a fan of the 1st Richards conversion but your Open Top is certainly a good looking revolver.

 

[Lawdawg45]

Gunny, how much did you pay?

LD

 

[CraigC]

I surely love mine!

 

[GunnyUSMC]

Gunny, how much did you pay?

It was free. My friend gave it to my for Christmas in 2009. I think she is in love with me. But it cost her right at $500.

CraigC
That is a sweet one.

 

[ozarkguy]

Stop it you guys! I can't take it!

I love both the Navy and Army Open-Tops and the various metallic conversions. I have a Richards Type ll in .44 Sp and an 1851 R-M conversion in .38 Sp. Great guns and beautifully made.

I have my heart set on getting one like yours and CraigC's, as well as an 1860 R-M. However, I'm going to have to sell something to do so as I'm out of money.

 

[Crunchy Frog]

The open tops have a lot of panache. In my local cowboy action club we have one fellow who shoots a pair of them and another shooter has a nickel plated open top that really gets noticed.

Pietta makes a SAA clone with the longer grip frame of the 1860 Army. I think that longer grip is a good option for shooters with larger hands.

 

[Gaucho Gringo]

The main apparent difference between an open top and a conversion is the loading gate. On an open top it is integral with recoil shield where on a conversion it is in the plate that attaches to the front of the recoil shield.

​

 

[CraigC]

Not really the loading gate but the frame. On the Open Top, it is a dedicated one-piece cartridge frame. On the conversions, there is a conversion ring attached to the percussion frame. There are other minor differences like the sights and loading gate springs. The Richards Type I conversion also had a floating firing pin in the conversion ring. The hammers are also different. Interesting thing is that the S-lug barrel was used on the Open Top before it found its way onto the Richards-Mason conversion.

 

[Trad Archer]

I imagine those guns are a blast to shoot. Very beautiful, also.

 

[Onmilo]

I have owned my pair of .44 Colt Open Tops since they first came on the market.
These revolvers shoot both modern .44 Colt and .44 Russian cartridges equally as well.
They are good shooting revolvers but you may notice the spare springs I have in the case.
This is the only real fault I have had with the guns is the springs keep breaking.

Cylinderbolt/trigger spring, ejector spring, and that damned gate spring are the worst offenders.

I finally gave up on the standard flat bolt/trigger springs and installed Cylinder & Slide round wire replacements and they have yet to break again.

About those gate springs,,,

 

[Lovesbeer99]

OK, here is mine. I love this gun.

(I was able to resave and post the photo.)

 

[GunnyUSMC]

Onmilo
You have a great pair there.

 

[snakeman]

I love the way those revolvers look!

 

[GunnyUSMC]

I love the way those revolvers look!

Same here when I first saw them. I started looking into who sold them and was saving my milk money to buy one. Then my friend found out that I wanted one and said she would get for me for Christmas, that year. I told her that I did not want her spending that kind of money on me.
Well she ended up ordering it any way and was going to surprise me. She ordered it from Bass Pro here in Denham Springs and it never came in. After many different reasons why it had not come in, two weeks after Christmas, she got a refund. She then had My friend at a local gun shop order the gun direct from Cimarron for $100 less then what Bass Pro had charged.
Well a week after she had my friend order the gun, it still was not in. My friend checked and the gun was shipped the day he had ordered it and shipped UPS. We checked the tracking number and found that it had be sent to several UPS hubs in several states. It made two trips to New Orleans. After it made it to New Orleans the 2nd time it disappeared.
My friend called Cimarron and they said that they were sorry and would ship another gun right away and they would cover the shipping. The 2nd gun came in the next afternoon. When my friend picked up the gun, my friend at the gun shop refunded the shipping charges. He said that Cimarron not only shipped the gun over night but had refuned the shipping charges from the first order. That was savings of another $50.

 

[StrawHat]

Not an Open Top but the forefather of it, my Richards conversion.



If I remember correctly, the Open Top came out with top honours in the Army's tests to replace the 1860s. It was only at the Army's insistance that Colts added the top strap and increased the caliber to 45. Granted, the model P is a good revolver but it lacks the appeal of the Open Tops good looks.

 

[Onmilo]

The Army was pleased with the 1871 Richards Masen revolvers in .44 Colt centerfire.
They didn't test the 1872 Open Top revolvers which were in .44 Rimfire originally because they no longer considered rim fire cartridges as worthy to stand up to the rigors of field life and still fire reliably.

They did request a topstrap "Like the Remingtons" and a more powerful .45 cartridge "Similar to the loads used in the Dragoons revolvers" and the Single Action Army was born the following year.

The 1872 Open Top revolvers were actually fairly poor sellers in the United States after 1873 with central fire ammunition becoming "The Thing" to have by that time so the bulk of the production was sold to Mexico, some South American countries, and Canada.

 

[CraigC]

It is my understanding that the Army did indeed test the 1871-1872 "Open Top" model and rejected it because they wanted a .45 caliber centerfire cartridge and a top strap. I've seen no mention of them testing the 1860 Richards-Mason cartridge conversion. William Mason went back to the drawing board and the SAA was born eight months later, still in 1872.

 

[BCRider]

Lovely gun Gunny. I've got a big soft spot for the open tops as well.

The one thing I haven't seen yet is a story about how SHE likes to shoot it. Come on, put some LIFE into this simple gun porn thread!

Either she's a keeper or she figures that you are to spend that much on you. Hope you're living to her expectations....

 

[GunnyUSMC]

Well I've been married twice and have no intention of ever doing that again.
I am also a hard person to live with and really don't want someone living with me.
My friend understands these things and pretty much feels the same.
She does get upset that I don't call her my girlfriend, but she is starting to understand why.
Just this pass Sunday evening I was at her house, she's a great cook, like most Sundays. She asked me about always just saying that she's my friend and why didn't I try to find a better looking woman.
I told her that there are so many people that are married, call eachother boyfriend and girlfriend, and they are not friends. But she was my friend and I do care about her and enjoy the time I spend with her.
She is always trying to buy me something, she loves to spend money on me. She has bought me a few guns over the past 3 years.
She doesn't like to have her picture taken and would kill me if I posted a pic of her.
She does like to shoot handguns and really loves the S&W 22 pistol I got her.
She has shot the Open Top and likes it.
Maybe this Spring when we go up to Ohio I will get a few pics of her shooting on the range.

 

[Coal Dragger]

Not telling you your business there Gunny, but she sounds like a great potential wife. You're friends and that is a great start.

 

[GunnyUSMC]

Well I've been married twice and have no intention of ever doing that again.

Also, She does not want to get married.

 

[Coal Dragger]

Well that'd be a reason. Just don't rule it out, over time your and her feelings may change. Either way nice smoke wagon.