According to the most common version, Colt was pushed to the idea of creating a revolver by observing a rotating mechanism on the ship "Corvo", on which the great inventor traveled from Boston to Calcutta. One way or another, but it was on board the "Corvo" that Colt first made a model of a weapon from wood, later called a revolver. Upon his return to the United States, Colt, distinguished by his business acumen and enterprise, turned to the Patent Office and filed a patent No. 1304 dated August 29 (according to other sources, February 25), 1836, which described the basic principles of the operation of a weapon with a rotating drum.
Colt paterson
In late 1836, the Colt's Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company in Paterson, New Jersey, began production of Colt primer revolvers - then still five-shot,.28 caliber revolvers, marketed under the Colt Paterson name. In total, until 1842, 1,450 revolving guns and carbines, 462 revolving shotguns and 2,350 revolvers proper were produced. Naturally, all weapons were capsule. The first samples were distinguished by low reliability, regular breakdowns and a very imperfect design, not to mention the extremely unsafe and inconvenient reloading process. Unsurprisingly, the US government has shown little interest in the new weapon. The army acquired only a few revolving carbines for testing. The biggest customer for the Colt company was the Republic of Texas, which bought 180 revolving shotguns and rifles for rangers, and about the same number of revolvers for the Texas Navy. A number of revolvers (of a more powerful caliber -.36) were ordered by the Texas Rangers themselves, privately. Low demand in 1842 led to the bankruptcy of the factory.
Colt Paterson 1836-1838 (without a ramrod lever for loading)
Thus, the No. 5 Holster, aka Texas Paterson, a.36 caliber revolver, became the most massive Colt Paterson revolver model produced in Paterson. About 1,000 units were produced. Half of them - in the period from 1842 to 1847, after bankruptcy. Their production was established by the lender and former partner of Colt John Ehlers.
Colt Paterson 1836-1838 with the trigger retracted into the case
One of the most significant conflicts involving Colt Paterson revolvers was the Battle of the Bander Pass between the Mexican Army and the Texas Rangers, including US Army Captain Samuel Walker. Later, during the Mexican-American War, Walker met Colt and together with him modified the Colt Paterson revolver, called the Colt Walker. There was a good demand for it, as the Colt Walker was much more reliable and convenient than its predecessor. Thanks to this, Colt returned to developing weapons in 1847.
Texas Ranger. 1957 The Colt Company owes much of its success to the Rangers
From a technical point of view, the Colt Paterson is a five-shot capsule revolver with an open frame. Single Action trigger mechanism (SA) with a trigger that folds into the body. Each time to fire, you must cock the trigger. The revolver is charged from the muzzle of the chamber - with gunpowder and a bullet (round or conical) or with a ready-made cartridge in a paper sleeve containing a bullet and gunpowder.
.44 paper cartridges and loading tool
Capsules (produced today - for fans of such weapons)
Then a capsule is placed on the brand tube in the breech of the drum - a miniature glass made of soft metal (usually brass) with a small charge of explosive mercury, sensitive to impact. On impact, the charge explodes and creates a jet of flame, which ignites the powder charge in the chamber through the fire tube. You can read more about this here: https://topwar.ru/58889-revolver-colt-navy-1851.html. Everything that has been said about the principles of operation of such weapons applies to all other capsule revolvers.
Sights consist of a front sight and a rear sight on the trigger. The loading of early models of Colt Paterson revolvers, produced before 1839, was carried out only with its partial disassembly and removal of the drum, using a special tool - in fact, a small press for pressing bullets into the chambers of the drum.
This process was long and inconvenient, especially in the field. Not only was it unsafe to reload the Colt Paterson, but wearing it, as there were no manual fuses. To speed up reloading, gunfighters usually carried several pre-loaded drums with them and simply changed them as needed. In later models, from 1839, a built-in pressing lever-ramrod and a special hole in the front of the frame for it appeared in the design. This mechanism made it possible to significantly speed up and simplify reloading - now it was possible to equip the drum without removing it from the revolver. This improvement made it possible to get rid of the additional tool, and since that time the ramrod lever has become an integral part of the design of almost all Colt capsule revolvers.
Colt Paterson 1842-1847 with a shortened barrel and a ramrod lever for loading
Some performance characteristics of Colt Paterson.36 caliber with a barrel length of 7.5 inches (it should be borne in mind that even with the same model of primer weapon they may differ slightly):
- muzzle velocity, m / s - 270;
- sighting range, m - 60;
- weight, kg - 1, 2;
- length, mm - 350.
So, the first Colt Paterson revolvers were actively used by the Rangers and the Navy of the Republic of Texas, and were used very limitedly by the US Army. Colt Paterson was used in the clashes between the Republic of Texas and Mexico, in the Mexican-American War, in the US war with the Seminole and Comanche tribes.
Such revolvers are very much appreciated today. Colt Paterson in original box with all accessories, sold at auction in 2011 for $ 977,500
Colt walker
Colt Walker was developed in 1846 by Samuel Colt in conjunction with Texas Ranger captain Samuel Hamilton Walker. According to the popular version, Walker suggested that Colt develop a powerful.44 army revolver instead of the relatively weak and not very reliable Colt Paterson.36 revolvers that were then in service. In 1847, the newly formed Colt Company - Colt's Manufacturing Company in Hartford, Connecticut (where it remains to this day), was released the first batch of 1,100 Colt Walker revolvers, which was also the last. In the same year, Samuel Walker was killed in Texas during the Mexican-American War.
The Colt Walker is an open-frame, 6-shot capsule revolver with an added trigger guard. Colt Walker - the largest Colt revolver on black powder: its weight is 2.5 kilograms. From that moment on, all "non-pocket" models of Colt's capsule revolvers become six-shooters.
Colt walker
Some of the performance characteristics of the Colt Walker in.44 caliber:
- muzzle velocity, m / s - 300-370;
- sighting range, m - 90-100;
- weight, kg - 2, 5;
- length, mm - 394.
Colt Walker was used by both sides in the war of the North and South.
Confederate Army soldier with Colt Walker
Colt Dragoon Model 1848
The Colt Model 1848 Precision Army revolver was developed by Samuel Colt in 1848 for the US government to arm the U. S. Army's Mounted Rifles, better known in the United States as Dragoons. Hence its name, under which the revolver went down in history - Colt Dragoon Model 1848. In this model, a number of shortcomings of the previous Colt Walker model were eliminated - the Colt Dragoon had less weight and a ramrod retainer was added.
Colt Dragoon Model 1848
Holster and belt for Colt Dragoon Model 1848
There were three editions of the Colt Dragoon model, differing from each other by minor improvements in the firing mechanism:
- the first issue: from 1848 to 1850, about 7,000 were produced;
- second issue: from 1850 to 1851 about 2,550 were produced;
- the third edition: from 1851 to 1860, about 10,000 Colt Dragoon revolvers were produced, of which the US government acquired more than 8,000 units.
Thus, Colt Dragoon was produced for 12 years. The Colt company produced about 20,000 of these revolvers. The Colt Dragoon turned out to be a very successful revolver.
Separately, it is worth noting the release since 1848 of his pocket version of the Colt Pocket Model 1848 in caliber.31, better known as the Baby Dragoon, especially popular with civilians.
Colt Pocket Model 1848 Baby Dragoon
Some of the performance characteristics of the Colt Dragoon Model 1848 in.44 caliber, with a barrel length of 8 inches:
- muzzle velocity, m / s - 330;
- sighting range, m - 70-75;
- weight, kg - 1, 9;
- length, mm - 375.
Colt Dragoon Model 1848 was used by the US Army and the Confederate Army in the North-South War. A large part was sold to civilians.
Confederate Army soldiers with Colt Dragoon Model 1848
Colt Navy 1851
The Colt Revolving Belt Pistol of Naval Caliber (.36), better known as the Colt Navy 1851, was developed by the Colt company specifically for the armament of US Navy officers. The Colt Navy turned out to be such a successful model that its production continued until 1873 (from 1861 - Colt Navy Model 1861), when armies around the world massively switched to the unitary cartridge. Colt Navy of various models was produced for a record 18 years, and in total, about 250,000 of them were produced in the United States. Another 22,000 units were manufactured in the UK at the production facilities of the London Armory factory. The Colt Navy is considered one of the finest and most beautiful primer revolvers in history.
Colt Navy 1851
The firing mechanism was improved: a special pin was made in the breech of the drum between the chambers, thanks to which, in the event of an under-rotation of the drum, accidental triggering of the trigger does not cause ignition of the primers. The Colt Navy has an octagonal barrel.
The Colt Navy 1851 revolvers were in service not only with the US Army, where their main competitor was the Remington M1858 revolver, but also among the officers of the Russian Empire (which ordered a large batch from Colt), Austria-Hungary, Prussia and other countries.
Some of the performance characteristics of Colt Navy 1851 in.36 caliber:
- muzzle velocity, m / s - 230;
- sighting range, m - 70-75;
- weight, kg - 1, 2-1, 3;
- length, mm - 330.
Colt Navy was actively used by both sides in the war of the North and South. It became the first capsule revolver that underwent a massive conversion - alteration under a unitary cartridge.
Winchester black powder rimfire cartridges in.44 Rimfire
Conversion Colt Navy Model 1861
The differences from the Colt Navy capsule are clearly visible: a new drum with a door in the rear for loading, the ramrod lever is removed and a spring-loaded extractor is installed in its place to remove spent cartridges, the depth of the recess is increased behind the drum for easy loading with cartridges.
Remington M1858
The Remington M1858 capsule revolver, also known as the Remington New Model, was developed by the American company Eliphalet Remington & Sons and was produced in.36 and.44 calibers. Due to the fact that the Colt was the holder of the patent, Remington was forced to pay him royalties on each revolver released, so the price of Remington revolvers was significantly higher than that of similar Colt revolvers. The Remington M1858 revolver was produced until 1875.
Remington M1858
Over 17 years, about 132,000 Remington M1858 revolvers in.44 caliber (army model with an 8 "barrel) and.36 (naval model with a 7, 375" barrel length) were produced. There were three large issues in total, which were almost identical - small differences were in the appearance of the trigger, the arrangement of the barrel lever and the drum.
From a technical point of view, the Remington M1858 is a six-shot capsule revolver with a solid frame, which is loaded by placing ready-made cartridges in a paper sleeve or bullets with black powder in the barrel chambers from the muzzle side, after which the primers were placed in the breech of the drum.
Single Action trigger mechanism (SA), no manual safety locks.
Some of the performance characteristics of the Remington M1858 in.44 caliber, with a barrel length of 8 inches:
- muzzle velocity, m / s - about 350;
- sighting range, m - 70-75;
- weight, kg - 1, 270;
- length, mm - 337.
Revolvers Remington M1858 were in service with the army in the United States, the British and Russian empires, Japan, Mexico, etc.
Northerners Army cavalry soldier with three Remington M1858
The Remington M1858 was actively redesigned for the unitary cartridge. Since 1868, the company itself began producing a conversion version of the Remington M1858 revolver chambered in.46 rimfire caliber on black powder.
Conversion Remington M1858
Colt Army Model 1860
The Colt Army Model 1860 revolver was developed in 1860 and became one of the most common revolvers during the American Civil War. Produced for 13 years. In total, until 1873, about 200,000 Colt Army Model 1860 revolvers were produced, and about 130,000 of them were made by order of the US government.
It had a modification with longitudinal grooves on the drum and a lower weight - the Texas Model, so named because most of these revolvers were bought by Texas Rangers after the Civil War.
The Colt Army Model 1860 revolver, along with the Colt Navy 1851 and Remington M1858, became one of the most beloved revolvers of its era. It was actively bought not only by the military, but also by civilians. Moreover, revolvers were relatively inexpensive then. For example, the Colt Army Model 1860 cost $ 20 (for comparison: the price of an ounce of gold on the New York Stock Exchange in 1862 was $ 20.67).
Colt Army Model 1860
Some of the performance characteristics of the Colt Army Model 1860 in.44 caliber:
- muzzle velocity, m / s - 270-305;
- sighting range, m - 70-90;
- weight, kg - 1, 2-1, 3;
- length, mm - 355.
Colt Army Model 1860 revolvers were in service with the US Army and the Confederates, and after the Civil War - with the Texas Rangers. They took part in the wars of the United States with the Indians: in the war in Colorado, the Dakota war, etc. Massively altered under a unitary patron.
Left capsule Colt Army Model 1860, right - conversion with open door
Conversion Colt Army Model 1860
Peacemaker
1873 was a landmark year for the Colt Company. She began production of the most famous revolver in history, the Colt M1873 Single Action Army, better known as the Peacemaker. Along with the Smith & Wesson Peacemaker's Magnum.44 revolver, it has become an iconic weapon and has a community of fans today. Suffice it to say that the release of the first generation Peacemakers for the civilian weapons market lasted until … 1940!
Colt М1873 Single Action Army "Peacemaker"
The Peacemaker was originally produced in the powerful.45 Long Colt on black powder with a 7.5 "barrel, but soon there were models with 5, 5 and 4.75" barrels. Later, revolvers of.44-40 WCF and.32-20 WCF (Winchester) calibers appeared, and in the twentieth century they were supplemented with options chambered for.22 LR,.38 Special,.357 Magnum,.44 Special, etc. than 30 calibers!
Peacemaker for the US Army was produced for 9 years - until 1892, when the "peacekeepers" were removed from service (the artillery model continued to be used until 1902) and replaced by the Colt Double Action M1892. In total, before 1940, 357,859 first-generation Peacemakers were produced, of which 37,000 revolvers were purchased for the American army.
The Peacemaker is a six-shot one-piece frame revolver that is loaded through a hinged door in the drum on the right side of the revolver. There is a spring-loaded extractor for extracting spent cartridges, located below and to the right of the barrel. The design provides for setting the trigger to a safety half-cocking.
Peacemaker Buntline Special variant with 16 '' barrel (almost 41 cm)!
Some of the first generation Peacemaker's performance characteristics chambered for rimfire on black powder in.45 Long Colt, with a 7.5-inch barrel:
- muzzle velocity, m / s - more than 300;
- sighting range, m - n / a;
- weight, kg - 1.048;
- length, mm - 318;
- bullet energy, J - 710-750.
Colt Peacemaker took part in the Spanish-American and Philippine-American wars, the Great Sioux War, and the US wars against the Cheyenne and other Indian tribes.
It should also be said that the Colt Peacemaker … is actually in production to this day! In 1956, Colt resumed production of the second generation Peacemaker revolvers, which continued until 1974. During this time, 73 205 of these revolvers were produced.
In the early 1970s. The US Congress passed a law banning the sale of firearms without special fuses - none of the single-action revolvers of the 19th century met this requirement. Colt made the necessary changes to the design and in 1976 resumed production of the third generation Peacemakers, which continued until 1982. In total, 20,000 units were produced during this period. In 1994, production of the Peacemakers was again resumed under the name Colt Single Action Army (Colt Cowboy), which continues to this day.
Colt Single Action Army. Modern chrome version with hunting knife included
