COLT MODEL 1849 POCKET NAVY CONVERSION Colt Model 1849 Pocket-size percussion revolvers generally started production around serial number 1 in 1850, meaning a serial number like 644 would place it among the very earliest production units from 1850. However, a "Pocket Navy" conversion typically refers to a Colt 1849 Pocket model (originally .31 caliber percussion) that was later converted to fire metallic rimfire or centerfire cartridges (such as .38 caliber) or assembled/modified down the line, as Colt and gunsmiths frequently repurposed early frames or parts. The Ejectorless Version (~4,500 made): These feature a clean, smooth 4.5-inch round barrel with no ejector rod mechanism along the side. Empties were simply poked out manually with a pin or stick The Colt Model 1849 Pocket and Pocket Navy cartridge conversions represent Colt's shift from cap-and-ball percussion revolvers to metallic cartridge firearms following the expiration of the Smith & Wesson-controlled Rollin White patent. Key Characteristics & History * Production Period: Circa 1873-1875, right after the American Civil War during westward expansion. * Caliber: Chambered primarily in .38 Rimfire (or related small/mid-size rimfire calibers), adapting the compact pocket-size frame. * Manufacturing Numbers: Roughly 10,000 total Pocket Navy/Pocket-sized cartridge conversion revolvers were produced using existing percussion parts and newly manufactured components. Around 6,500 of the sleek mid-sized variants were made, and approximately 2,000 feature round-barrel variations. * Design Features: Built on the small pocket-style frame (sharing lineage with the 1849 Pocket and 1862 Pocket Navy/Police frames), these revolvers often retained classic touches like stagecoach robbery cylinder scenes and were sometimes fitted with an ejector rod or loading gate adjustments