"most historically accurate" revolver choice?

[Coffinmaker]

Holy Guacamole Padawan 

If I didn't already have .44 Barrels and Cylinders on my Open Tops ..... I'd be all over Johnson Barr's pair of guns.  $600 for the pair is an excellent price.

[Abilene]

Yes it is!

[River City John]

I am restricted from using more than two handguns, other wise I'd jump at Johnson Barr's offering.

SIGH!


Oh well, some lucky person will snap 'em up.


RCJ

[willy]

Did some (a lot) of research after reading your question..The price of a colt open top in 1872- 75 went around $13 - $17 ..But if you sent Colt your 1860 cap and ball revolver they would convert it for you for around $3.50...And a Colt SAA/model P  sold for $17 in 1875.
So unless you had a colt cap and ball revolver at the time to send back to Colt for a conversion
You would be looking at spending about the same amount for the open top or the 1873 Colt in 45 cal.

[sclearman]

Did some (a lot) of research after reading your question..The price of a colt open top in 1872- 75 went around $13 - $17 ..But if you sent Colt your 1860 cap and ball revolver they would convert it for you for around $3.50...And a Colt SAA/model P  sold for $17 in 1875.
So unless you had a colt cap and ball revolver at the time to send back to Colt for a conversion
You would be looking at spending about the same amount for the open top or the 1873 Colt in 45 cal.

Excellent information.  If you don't mind, where did you find it?  I've looked everywhere I could think to find that info, including here.

[Major 2]

very few if any Single Action Army's were even available outside the Government issue in 73-75 .
In fact if one might had acquired one, it was probable it was sold (read stolen) by a trooper in search of profit , whom was quickly punished .
and the early SAA would be 7 1/2" 
It would be in the early 80's before they were offered shorter and available to the populist in any numbers.
Early on in the mid seventies the S&W #3 American  might be had.

 

[willy]

Excellent information.  If you don't mind, where did you find it?  I've looked everywhere I could think to find that info, including here.

WOW!,,I was just browsing  through google and went through a ton of sites...You can google "cost of COLT 1871 in 1871" and quora pops up showing the cost of the open top and then the Colt model p in 1873..Also google prices of guns in 1872 ,, Or check out THE PORTABLE PRESS site under "Where the money went " It gives prices and wages for 1860,,,from guns to groceries to slaves..,,also check out .www.guns.com/news/2012/12/13/the-cartridge-conversion-revolvers

[Coffinmaker]

Tother thing to remember.  16 or 17 Bucks was a LOT of 1874 money.  Not many working folks could afford the cost of a "New" Colt.  Or a new S&W #3.  Conversions were the name of the game.  Converted 1851s and 1860s were the vast majority of side arms and there were bunches of folks who prefered and carried guns with "loose" ammunition right up to the turn of the century.  Choices abound.  Decisions, decisions, decisions.  Oh, and the Least common cartridges were 44-40 and 45 Colt.

If one really wants conversions that are very close to correct size and in appearance, conversions can be built for around 1500 to 2 Grand.  A little less picky and Uberti "ready mades" are far far cheaper.  Unfortunately, the Uberti "ready mades" require some serious TLC to be CAS ready.  For a Duffer, probably fine right out of the box.  Oh, and shorter barreled conversions are a modern iteration.  Factory converts were 7 1/2 or 8 inch barrels. 

[Major 2]

what he said ! 

[RUSS123]

TLC on Uberti's Open Tops, so true as I have learned. I recently bought the 1872 Open Top Army in 38 Special. It's in Mike's hands now to correct everything, tuning plus bolt block.  I assume you who Mike is. Goonsgunworks. It will be ready for CAS though I may never actually particapate in CAS.

[treebeard]

To add my two cents I believe the Spencer would have been used by many a cowboy and rancher in that time period. A lot would have been bought relatively cheap by discharged soldiers or bought surplus as they were replaced by trapdoors.  Repro?s can be had in 45 colt.

[Buck Stinson]

In Colt's standard product line, they did not offer the 1851, 1861, 1860 Conversions or the open top in 5 1/2" barrel lengths.