Aug 11, 2017 the 1873 colt single action army was designed primarily for use by the cavalry, but other mounted units, including the horse artillery, were also issued these revolvers as sidearms, as shown by this early 1890s mounted artillery trooper of junction city, kansas. In this book, the autrys curator has selected the 100 most important examples to document and celebrate the history of samuel colts revolutionary invention. A history of the colt revolver and the other arms made by colt s patent fire arms manufacturing company from 1836 to 1940 book. Pate presents the entire story of the model 1860 from its development and the supervision of sam colt to its procurement by the united states military and commercial customers. This book is the bible of the colt with history, lore, photographs. A gripping saga that tells how his new and efficient weapon blazed a trail of black powder across the plains into the wild west and molded an important chapter in american history. After the colt revolver won the trials, the government changed the specification to a. The colt model 1860 army revolver by pate mowbray publishing. Lg gun book a history of the colt revolver 1836 to 1940. Colt was a young teenager when he shipped out to sea, where he had one of those lightbulb momentsor would have, if there had been lightbulbs in 1831. Image available on the internet and included in accordance with title 17 u. History of the colt revolver and the other arms made by colts patent fire arms manufacturing company from 1836 to 1940 by haven, charles t frank a. Documents the first solid frame colt revolver, and the end of the line for it, at the death of of colt in 1862 and elisha root in 1864. In 1836, connecticutborn gun manufacturer samuel colt 181462 received a u.
History of colt revolvers 14 matching articles field. Some time in the late 1500s, a lid was added to the flash pan design. Belden and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Dear pistol expert i am in posession of a colt revolver serial no. In addition, in 1954just one year before the pythons appearance colt introduced the. Using records from the colt factory, regimental books, ordnance departmentbureau and the treasury department and surviving examples of the revolvers, the. Using records from the colt factory, regimental books, ordnance departmentbureau and the treasury department and surviving examples of the revolvers, the author has amassed a database. The book is a must for both book collectors and colt firearms collectors. A history of the colt revolver from 1836 to 1940 by haven.
A history of the colt revolver from 1836 to 1940 by. A history of the colt revolver and the other arms made by colts patent fire arms manufacturing company from 1838 to 1940 by charles t. A history of the colt revolver and the other arms made by colts patent fire arms manufacturing company from 1836 to 1940 book. To expose or protect the powder, the lid had to be moved manually. Colt memorabilia price guide john ogle the book of colt paper john ogle colt engraving. This book serves as a reliable, easytouse reference for the collector and military historian. Samuel colt was an american inventor, industrialist and businessman who established colts. This was the only hand held pistol until the colt revolver was invented. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Before the colt single action army, pistols used percussion caps to ignite a powder charge that had to be handloaded into each chamber of the revolvers cylinder. Pate colt model 1860 army revolver history military history us history civil war cap and ball cavalry colt new model army nma us army the colt model 1860 army revolver phil. It was the first commercial repeating firearm employing a revolving cylinder with multiple chambers aligned with a single, stationary barrel. Pate the definitive history of the colt model 1860 army revolver.
The colt detective special was an american dasa revolver first produced in 1927 as a shortened version of the police positive special handgun. Saml colt s favorite arms, the solid frame styles, ended and were not revived until 1873. The army used it until 1873, at which time it was replaced by the better known and more powerful. Sam colt and the sixshooter that changed america, jim. On the corvo, colt made a wooden model of a pepperbox revolver out of scrap wood. By the end of 1874, 12,500 colt single action army revolvers chambered for the. The civil war and beyond in 1836, connecticutborn gun manufacturer samuel colt 181462 received a u. Revolver book by jim rasenberger official publisher page. Colt singleaction revolvers, by martin pegler, osprey publishing, oxford, u. This history of the colt revolver contains numerous illustrations. The 36 calibers of the colt single action army brown, david m.
But the remarkable story of its creator, samuel colt, one of the wealthiest and most influential figures of the nineteenth century united states, has been all but lost to history. Colts early life, his efforts to manufacture his guns, colt revolver models, military contracts, the politics of arms contracts, european production, the civil war, and much more. Wilson colt and its collectors colt collectors association fine colts the dr. The 1873 colt single action army was designed primarily for use by the cavalry, but other mounted units, including the horse artillery, were also issued these revolvers as sidearms, as shown by this early 1890s mounted artillery trooper of junction city, kansas.
Colts were the favorite revolver in the opening of the west and quickly gained an international reputation for. A history of the colt revolver charles tower haven read. The cartridge was developed by colts patent firearms for use in cartridge revolvers based on the 1860 army percussion revolver. The revolver was built on the colt iframe, also known as the old. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new. The colt model 1873 single action army still holds a special place in the hearts of shooters and collectors, which means firstgeneration models in good shape come with high price tags. By 1855 colt owned the largest private arms manufacturing facility in the world. It would become part of an entire genre of colt revolvers with their own following, and even a book, seven serpents, about the history and development of the cobra, python, diamondback and the rest of colts snake guns.
Colt s manufacturing company firearms, handguns, pistols, rifles, revolvers. The revolver of the american west by jeffrey richardson. Its design was patented by samuel colt on february 25, 1836, in the united states, france, and england, and it derived its name from being produced in paterson, new jersey. Jun 30, 2009 colt antique single action army revolver. A revolver is a repeating handgun that has a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers. That same year, he founded his first corporation for its manufacture, the patent arms manufacturing company of paterson, new. Colt is known for the engineering, production, and marketing of firearms, most especially between the 1850s and world war i, when it. During the civil war, colt sold to both sidesaltogether 300,000 revolvers and 100,000 rifles. In 1924, the 1911 was modified slightly and redesignated the 1911a1.
Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that. Samuel colt was an inventor and industrialist who created the revolvermost notably the. In 1847 colt introduced the sixshot walker revolver, of which the u. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. Mar 29, 2018 the colt python was released in 1955 and is considered by many the best gun made by the company. Belden a history of the colt revolver 1st edition 1st printing hardcover fairfax, virginia odysseus editions, inc 1997 fine, leather bound, accented in 22kt gold. The history of the colt revolver and the other arms made by colts patent arms manufacturing company from 1836 to 1949 charles t. A history of the colt revolver hardcover january 1, 1997 by frank a. Colt s manufacturing company, llc cmc, formerly colt s patent firearms manufacturing company is an american firearms manufacturer, founded in 1855 by samuel colt. Tucker, professor of history and director of the center for connecticut.
History of the colt revolver first edition samuel colt. Colts were the favorite revolver in the opening of the west and quickly gained an international reputation for ingenuity, reliability, and style. Hosleycurator of american decorative arts at the wadsworth athenaeum in hartford, connecticut, and keeper of that museums extensive collection of colt firearmsanalyzes the career of samuel colt 181462, inventor of the colt revolver, an. Dec 21, 2015 it wasnt until 1953 that colt brought out its first modern double action in this caliber, a relatively scarce model named simply the colt. May 15, 2018 the colt model 1860 army revolver by charles w. A history of the colt revolver and the other arms made.
Thick quarto, publishers dark green pebbled cloth, slipcase. In this coffee table book, richardson lays out 100 examples of the colt. By charles haven and frank belden published by crown william morrow bonanza books in 1940 and contains a foreword by stephen v. Jan 03, 2018 the iconic colt single action army or colt peacemaker revolver still reigns supreme when it comes to frontier firepower. Pate colt model 1860 army revolver history military history us history civil war cap and ball cavalry colt new model army. Samuel colt received a british patent on his improved design for a revolver in 1835, and two u. The flintlock mechanism was designed to push back the lid and spark a flint at the same time. Superbly illustrated, the history of colt firearms recounts the fascinating story of this most legendary name from the entire 650year saga of firearms.
A unique, the absorbing story of colts revolver, a complete, lavishly illustrated, carefully documented chronicle of an invention, of an amazing family, and of a. While the book is a little long on the companys history and patent paper details, the rundown of colt models and the quality of the photos at least on my original copy are excellent. The colt python was released in 1955 and is considered by many the best gun made by the company. A unique, the absorbing story of colt s revolver, a complete, lavishly illustrated, carefully documented chronicle of an invention, of an amazing family, and of a. Fine in vg dust jacket with faded dj spine, few small dj edge chips.
The cartridge was briefly adopted by the united states army, around 1871. It is the successor corporation to colt s earlier firearmsmaking efforts, which started in 1836. How the colt single action army revolver won the west. The colt single action army, also known as the single action army, saa, model p, peacemaker and m1873, is a singleaction revolver with a revolving cylinder holding six metallic cartridges. A history of the colt revolver and the other arms made by colts patent fire arms manufacturing company from 1836 to 1940 hardcover december 12, 1988 by charles t haven author, frank a. As a result of their shared history, the colt revolver and the american. Photograph, a fiveshot paterson colt revolver was the first design of the colt revolver. Enter the serial number, without spaces or dashes, to search the database. Nov 03, 2016 before the colt single action army, pistols used percussion caps to ignite a powder charge that had to be handloaded into each chamber of the revolver s cylinder. History of the colt revolver and the other arms made by colt s patent fire arms manufacturing company from 1836 to 1940 by haven, charles t frank a. It is a redesigned version of the original trooper, which was intended to be a mediumframe, lower cost version of the python.
However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study. A history of the colt revolver and the other arms made by. A history of the colt revolver haven, charles t belden, frank a. All colt models general colt, an american legend r. A history of the colt revolver the firearms classics library leather bound unabridged, 1997 by charles t haven author. July 19, 1814 january 10, 1862 was an american inventor, industrialist and businessman who established colts patent firearms manufacturing company now colts manufacturing company and made the mass production of revolvers commercially viable. A history of the colt revolver, and the other arms made by colts patent fire arms manufacturing company from 1836 to 1940. A history of the colt revolver the firearms classics. A history of the colt revolver by haven charles t belden. Famous revolvers models include the colt 1851 navy revolver, the webley, the. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle.
If multiple models appear for your serial number simply match the date with the appropriate model, as certain vintage firearms can share serial numbers between different models. The postwar colt singleaction revolver don wilkerson read. Hosleycurator of american decorative arts at the wadsworth athenaeum in hartford, connecticut, and keeper of that museums extensive collection of colt firearmsanalyzes the career of samuel colt 181462, inventor of the colt revolver, an important element in the lore of. Buy history of the colt revolver by charles t haven isbn. A history of the colt revolver and the other arms made by colts. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. In this groundbreaking new study, noted researcher and author charles w. Vigorous life of samuel colt 18141862, the renowned and controversial inventor of the pistol that bears his name today. The legendary colt revolver played an outsized role in the violent conquest of the american west, and it lives on in the national psyche. History of colt revolvers 14 matching articles field and. Samuel colt did not invent the revolver, but after some 200 years of development his paterson revolver of 1836 started a revolution in repeating firearms. The revolver is a colt trooper mk iii, made from 19691982. The colt model 1860 army revolver is the most iconic handgun of the civil war.