Colt M1860 Army, .44 Caplock USA, 1860-1873

Colt M1860 Army, .44 Caplock 2d pi+ 2 100/1,100 2.9/0.14 1 6(10i) 10 -3 3 $400 3 [1, 2]
Mechanically identical to the Colt M1851 Navy (p. 10) but in a larger caliber, the Model of 1860 was the Union Army’s principal handgun during the American Civil War. More than 200,000 were made, the U.S. Army alone acquiring almost 130,000. According to some accounts, Army scout Lieutenant William Cody (Old West, p. 101) used such a revolver to kill Cheyenne chief Heova’ehe (“Yellow Hair”) in 1876, after having been challenged by the brave. Outlaw John Wesley Hardin (Old West, pp. 101-102, and GURPS Who’s Who 2, pp. 92-93) did most of his killings with this .44-caliber cap-and-ball revolver, including the first one when he was only 15 years old. The Colt Army had a 7.5” barrel. Reloading it with loose powder and ball rather than paper cartridges (High-Tech, p. 86) increases reloading time to 20 seconds per chamber. Alternatively, the cylinder could be swapped for a preloaded spare cylinder ($130, 0.9 lb.), which takes 15 seconds total to detach and reinsert. Most people simply carried a second revolver instead. A detachable 2.3-lb. wooden pistol stock (High-Tech, p. 160) was offered for some of these guns. Firing the weapon with the stock requires Guns (Rifle) skill. It can be seen in the hands of Colonel Joshua Chamberlain in Gettysburg, cowboy Newt Dobbs and Texas Ranger Captain Woodrow Call in Lonesome Dove, gunslinger Josey Wales in The Outlaw Josey Wales, and rancher Elliot Marston in Quigley Down Under. In 1871, the U.S. Army bought 1,000 converted to use the .44 Martin cartridge (High-Tech, p. 164): Malf. 17, Dmg 2d-1 pi+, Shots 6(3i). From 1871, many were converted for $110 for commercial sale to fire .44 Colt cartridges: Malf. 17, Dmg 2d-1 pi+, Shots 6(3i). Outlaw Cole Younger of the James-Younger gang had two of these when he was captured in Minnesota in 1876. Marshal Dallas Stoudenmire carried a converted Model 1860 as backup in a lined pants pocket (Tactical Shooting, p. 72). This had its barrel shortened to 3”: Dmg 1d+2 pi+, Acc 0, Wt. 2.7/0.27, Shots 6(4i), Bulk -1. Since it lacked the ejector rod, reloading took much longer. Outlaw Jake Lonergan uses an M1860 with the early Thuer conversion system (1868-1872) in Cowboys & Aliens. Conversions using the Richards system (1870-1873) are shown in action by U.S. Army Major Amos Dundee in Major Dundee, Cherokee chief “Lone Watie” in The Outlaw Josey Wales, and Marshal Stockburn in Pale Rider.