1871 Open Top (Early Model)

The Colt 1871-72 Open Top stands as a landmark in firearms history, representing the first revolver Colt specifically manufactured from the ground up for metallic cartridges rather than converting existing percussion parts. 

Introduced in late 1871, the Colt Open Top revolvers were produced simultaneously with the Richards and Richards-Mason Conversion, but it was not a conversion using existing parts from previous models.

The Colt Open Top was a single-action revolver of new production, created to provide a modern, metallic cartridge large-caliber sidearm mainly for cavalry troops, while still retaining the general aesthetic design traits of the Colt Navy and Army models. 

Uberti replicates both the so called Open Top "Early" model, featuring a Navy style grip with brass backstrap and trigger guard, and the definitive military design (often refferred to as "Late" model) featuring a larger Army style grip with steel backstrap and trigger guard.

The Colt Open Top was originally chambered in .44 Rimfire, to offer compatibility with the popular Winchester 1866 rifle. While the U.S. Army tested the Open Top for military service during the government trials of 1872, it was ultimately rejected in favor of a more robust solid-frame design: the famous 1873 Single Action Army and the more powerful centerfire .45 Colt cartridge.

Production of the Colt Open Top was brief, spanning only from 1872 to 1873, with approximately 7,000 units manufactured before it was superseded by the "Peacemaker". Consequently, it saw limited official use in major wars, though many units found their way into the hands of soldiers and scouts during the early years of the Indian Wars.

In civil contexts, the Open Top was highly prized by frontiersmen and cowboys who appreciated the convenience of carrying one type of ammunition, compatible with the Winchester 1866 rifle. Users lauded the weapon for its balance and this has been the last Colt model to make use of an open-top frame whose elegant profile, despite its structural limitations, remains an icon of the transitional American West.