Welcome to at present’s Picture of the Day! Right here now we have an 1852 Colt Mannequin 1849 Pocket revolver with manufacturing facility “donut scroll” engraving attributed to Thomas J. Barlow, later fitted with a Thuer conversion cylinder. This combines early Colt manufacturing facility engraving with the uncommon Thuer metallic cartridge conversion system. Thomas J. Barlow engraved for Colt from mid-1852 by way of 1854, creating distinctive round scrollwork collectors name “donut scroll.” This revolver exhibits his attribute fashion plus a chook on the left barrel flat, disgorging masks on the correct, and patriotic defend on the set off guard.
Alexander Thuer patented Colt’s first metallic cartridge conversion system used from 1869-1872. Solely about 5,000 Thuer conversions have been executed throughout all Colt fashions, with the Mannequin 1849 Pocket being the rarest pocket mannequin conversion. The system used tapered cartridges loaded from the entrance like paper cartridges, requiring a modified cylinder and detachable breech plate with firing pin.
The Thuer cylinder is numbered 87048, from a unique revolver. The bottom gun carries matching serial 29514 on loading lever, barrel, body, set off guard, and butt. Colt supplied Thuer conversions to replace percussion revolvers as metallic cartridges turned customary. Prospects may ship weapons again for conversion, or Colt transformed unsold stock. The system allowed switching between percussion and cartridge cylinders through the transition interval.
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“Cased Manufacturing unit ‘Donut Scroll’ Engraved Colt Mannequin 1849 Pocket Mannequin Revolver with Thuer Conversion Cylinder.” Rock Island Public sale, www.rockislandauction.com/element/1049/3251/cased-donut-scroll-engraved-colt-model-1849-thuer-conversion. Accessed 6 Jan. 2026.
