Mill of Misconceptions: Colt was a civilian. Colonel Colt made all men equal

“God made people different, but Colonel Colt made them equal.”

“God made people different, but Colonel Colt made them equal.” According to legend, this very phrase is engraved on the tombstone of the outstanding gunsmith.

In fact, there is nothing on the gravestone except the surname and dates of life. And could one imagine that a Puritan, a native of God-fearing New England, would liken himself to the Lord God? The saying itself appeared after the American Civil War (1861 - 1865), and it sounded somewhat differently then: “Abraham Lincoln gave people freedom, and Colonel Colt equalized their chances.”

The revolver factory was founded by Samuel Colt in 1837. However, his products were not in great demand. American generals argued that the revolver was not economical - “it shoots too quickly, you won’t have enough cartridges.” Therefore, after 5 years the plant had to be closed. Revolvers were appreciated only by cowboys, rangers, and bandits, whose life expectancy directly depended on the rate of fire. Colt's idea was used by competitors - the Smith and Wesson company. While the Colt plant was closed, they started producing their own revolvers. But their revolvers were heavy and often misfired, but they cost half as much.

Colt's invention was remembered only in 1847, during preparations for the war with Mexico. But the true triumph of the inventor, which brought him fame and money, was the American Civil War. If about 1000 revolvers were used in the war with Mexico, then in the civil war the count was tens of thousands of guns. At the same time, Colt’s invention was used by both southerners and northerners. Before Colt became the exclusive supplier to the Army northern states, he managed to build several weapons factories in the southern States.

But the inventor was not destined to live to see the end of the war. He died in 1862 at the age of 47, as the newspapers wrote, “from natural causes.” America said goodbye to the great inventor with volleys of thousands of rifles and revolvers of his production. According to contemporaries, “the cannonade was like on a battlefield.”

“The Lord God created men, Abraham Lincoln gave them freedom, but it was Colonel Samuel Colt who finally made them equal.”

American folk saying

The vibrant and charismatic country of the United States of America has produced many world-famous brands. The Colt revolver and its company itself have become a true symbol of this free and independent power. Like everything legendary, there is an insane amount of myths swirling around Colt. We will debunk some of them today.

Myth No. 1. S. Colt invented the revolver.

Fact. Samuel Colt did not invent the revolver; it had been done long before him. The founder of the great company Colt's Manufacturing Factory created and patented a new revolver design and did this back in 1835 in France and England, and received an American patent in 1836. His plant in Patterson (New Jersey) produced five-shot revolvers of the Patterson model .36 caliber single action when the hammer is cocked thumb. However, in 1842 this enterprise went bankrupt.

But the situation changed radically three years later, as a result of the outbreak of war with Mexico, then Colt received an order for 1000 revolvers at a price of $25 apiece. In 1847, Colt hired workers and opened new plant in Hartford, capable of producing up to 5,000 pistols per year! By the way, already in the 70s of the 19th century, this plant began to produce revolvers designed to fire unitary cartridges.

Myth No. 2. While as a sailor on a four-month voyage on a ship sailing from Boston to Calcutta with a call at London, S. Colt observed the ratchet on the anchor capstan and the rotation of the steering wheel ratchet, thanks to which the young man, overcome by a love of pyrotechnics, was visited by a brilliant idea for a new pistol design.

Fact. Most likely, Colt simply saw in England one of the pistols with a rotating breech - a flintlock model, which was developed in 1813 by Boston gunsmith Elisha Collier (40,000 of these pistols were sent to India to arm British troops). It is very symbolic that during a long voyage, Samuel independently carved out of wood a brutal model of a revolver of his own design, which as a result became a real relic of firearms.

Myth No. 3. If you look closely, in many films about the Wild West everyone is wielding Colts; in those days, the Colt was a massive weapon.

Fact. True historians say that the main “problem solver” in the Wild West was the shotgun. There were very few good shooters, because in order to shoot well you need to train a lot, and, therefore, use a lot of cartridges, which is extremely expensive.

For cowboys and shepherds driving cattle, the only effective weapon could be a shotgun, since the likelihood of hitting a target (an enemy or a wild animal) with such a weapon is much higher. "Colts" were the main armament of the cavalry. The cavalryman, if he was in the saddle, had a saber and a pair of revolvers on his belt, since they could be fired while galloping.

Myth No. 4. Colt-Browning pistol.

Fact. Despite his importance to weapons history, Browning was a very, very modest man. Colt's guns never had Browning's name on them, just dates and patent numbers. The first so-called Colt-Browning pistol appeared in 1900, but then it was exotic.

But 5 years later, the American army decided that these weapons were still worth purchasing. The cavalry was the first to do this, because a pistol on horseback can be reloaded much faster than a revolver, and it fires faster. And then conflicts with the Mexicans constantly broke out on the border. In the long-running “battle” of the American army in 1911, the Colt-Browning pistol won a decisive victory, which became the greatest triumph for the Colt company.

By the way, the 1911 model pistol is considered the oldest model that is still in service. In the US Army alone it lasted until 1985 and is still in use today. American special forces. Mainly, the “guilt” of this success was the effective cartridge and the genius of Browning, who built into the pistol enormous reliability combined with a very high accuracy potential.

Myth No. 5. The Mitsubishi Colt car is named after the legendary weapons designer.

Fact. Yes, indeed, this model of the Japanese manufacturer is the very “weapon” for a breakthrough, and short, like a shot, but it is also as playful as a foal, because this is how the word “colt” is translated from English.

Myth No. 6. Colt came up with " American system production."

Fact. The innovator, industrialist and gunsmith Samuel Colt did not invent this system, but showed it in action and told the whole world about it! Standardization, interchangeability, narrow specialization and a hierarchical system are its main postulates.

Interestingly, the Colt system was based on almost military discipline: you had to be at your workplace at 7.00 when they launched steam engines, and if the employee was late, he was no longer allowed into the workshop. Absolute sobriety was required from the staff.

Before Colt, weapons were made almost by hand, each weapon was unique, and the parts of one pistol did not fit another; when repairing, it was necessary to take them to fit them in place. S. Colt himself developed machines for mass production of parts and sought to ensure their interchangeability; for the 19th century this idea was simply revolutionary! A huge plus was the fact that weapons became cheaper due to mass production and machine work, because the cost of labor for an experienced gunsmith is much more expensive.

Myth No. 7. Samuel Colt is called a Colonel.

Fact. It’s a pity, but this is also a myth, since Mr. Samuel Colt never served in the army.

As reported by The Wall Street Journal and other leading American media, the American arms company Colt Defense is on the verge of bankruptcy. The issue of restructuring the company's debt is currently being resolved. If the problem is not resolved soon, which is unlikely, the company's assets will be put up for auction. The bankruptcy procedure could be the end of the protracted agony of the 160-year-old company.

Colt's Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company was created by Samuel Colt in 1855. By that time, Colt's name was already well known both in America and abroad. In 1836, Colt patented the “revolving gun” - a weapon with a rotating breech partly, in combination with a firing mechanism and primer ignition.The idea of ​​a multi-shot revolver was not new at the time of Colt (according to one of the popular versions, Colt himself learned about the revolver scheme during his trip to England, where revolvers of another inventor Elisha Collier were already being produced However, Colt was the first to combine a revolver design with a capsule invented shortly before (for example, Collier's revolvers had a complex design with a trigger with flint and flint on the drum casing.) Colt was able to find lenders to start production of his revolver in 1836 in Paterson, New Jersey, the production of revolvers began, which were named after settlement- Colt Paterson.

However, Colt’s first pancake came out lumpy - the revolver suffered from an unfinished design, and the level of technical equipment of the first factory did not allow achieving of proper quality processing of parts. As a result, the revolver was not reliable and did not gain much popularity. In 1843, the first Colt factory closed and its equipment was auctioned off. For some time, Colt abandoned the idea of ​​​​the weapons business and switched to new fashion of that time - production and sale of telegraph cable.

However, chance intervened here. The Texas Rangers, who during this period were engaged in clearing living space for the American nation, managed to purchase a certain number of Colt revolvers for testing. In one of the many skirmishes, a detachment of 15 rangers, armed, among other things, with Colt revolvers, shot down 70 Comanches.

Impressed by the capabilities of the new weapon, the commander of this Ranger detachment, Samuel Walker, set off across the country to New York (at that time it was a non-trivial journey, this was before the era of transcontinental railways) to convince the inventor of the Colts to continue producing revolvers. Walker gave the inventor money, plus he borrowed a little from banks on Walker’s recommendation. This made it possible to restore the production of revolvers in the workshop. The design of Colt revolvers was modified - a sixth cartridge appeared in the cylinder, shortened chambers for a cartridge with a smaller charge (less charge - less wear on parts and recoil), a longer barrel. Colt revolvers played a significant role in the outbreak of the Mexican-American War. As a result of this war, the living space for the American nation expanded into the territory of several modern states - California, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, parts of Colorado and Wyoming. Conquests cost the lives of many famous sons of the American people, among whom was Captain Samuel Walker, who gave Colt a start in big business.

Things quickly went uphill for Colt himself. Production volumes were constantly growing, and the American Army and Navy were added to the Rangers. Colt revolvers reached Europe, where they managed to take part in Crimean War, and on both sides. The capacity of the old workshop was no longer sufficient for all orders. In 1855, Colt opened a new Colt Armory plant in Hartford and founded Colt's Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company. It is from this date that the history of Colt's arms empire is usually traced.

What are the reasons for the success of Colt and his revolvers? In addition to the innovative design, Colt's organizational skills and the chance of Captain Walker, it is necessary to note the excellent marketing company. Colt, being a talented inventor, was certainly a real genius in advertising, marketing, product placement and, at times, outright selling. Colt's signature trick was to present his revolver as a gift to some person needed or important for promoting the product. At first these were newspaper editors - the printed press was then, in fact, the only media and the real fourth estate. As a reward, the newspapers did not skimp on praise in the spirit of “Colt revolvers are a reliable weapon against bears, Indians, Mexicans and others.” It is believed that the phrase “God Made Man, Colt Made Them Equal” was coined either by Colt himself or one of his gifted newspaper editors. As the business developed, effective PR was supported by powerful GR. Colt presented his brainchild to presidents, kings, and generals. In 1854, in St. Petersburg, Colt was received by Emperor Nicholas I and presented him with several of his revolvers.

Among those who received their “Colt” with the dedicatory inscription “From the Inventor” were not only crowned heads, but also those who constantly fought with them, such as professional revolutionaries Giuseppe Garibaldi or Lajos Kossuth. Who knows, maybe similar marketing moves - like the sudden appearance of Strelkovtsy or Motorolovtsy, say, ORSIS or A-545 - are not enough for our gunsmiths to promote their products on the market? Is it unethical, you say, to do PR by supplying weapons to participants in the civil war? Well, Colt himself never shunned this - the most commercially successful war during his lifetime was also a civil war, and in his own country - Civil War in the USA 1861-1865.

However, let's return to the history of the Colt company. After the death of the great inventor and marketer, the leadership of his weapons empire was taken over by his widow Elizabeth Colt and brother Jarvis. The reputational and technological foundation created by Samuel was enough to late XIX century. Calibers and cartridges changed, parts were added, but Colt revolvers continued to be recognizable as good old “Colts.” However, the 20th century came and the development small arms has approached a new revolution - the transition to semi-automatic and automatic circuits. Inventor John Moses Browning, who worked for Colt at that time, developed self-loading pistol with store food, which determined the development of personal small arms for more than a hundred years. The launch of the Colt M1900 and its development, the M1911, became one of the most famous pistols and an important part of American culture, equal to its predecessor.

The next famous product of Colt factories were John Thompson submachine guns. Thompson’s own company Auto-Ordnance initially did not have enough capacity and therefore the first mass-produced “Tommy guns” were released under the name Colt-Thompson Model 1921. As you know, all sorts of highway bandits were first armed with them.

During the Second World War, Colt factories produced pistols, submachine guns and M1917 Browning machine guns - the main heavy machine gun of the American army in that war and in the Korean one.

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Colt's Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company's next major commercial success came during the Vietnam War. Armalite designers Eugene Stoner and James Sullivan developed this design

In 1959, Armalite sold the rights to manufacture this rifle to Colt, which began commercial production. In 1961, a trial batch of these rifles was purchased by the US Army. In 1964, the rifle under the designation M16 was officially adopted for service. Well, we won’t talk in detail about the M16.

Let us note something else: after Colt’s death, the company’s well-being was no longer based on its own developments, but on purchased licenses. Browning, Thompson, Stoner... No, of course, fine-tuning the purchased samples, the same M16, required a lot of work from engineers and production workers, but still a certain growing crisis of Colt’s Company’s creativity in the 20th century was obvious. The American army clearly hinted at this to Colt’s, choosing the Beretta 92F pistol developed by the Italian company Beretta as the main personal weapon at the 1985 competition. For the first time in many years, the American army has received small arms developed and produced by a non-American company. The police followed the army, increasingly exchanging their American pistols and revolvers for the same Beretta and Austrian Glock 17. Since the end Cold War To the creative crisis, another one was added - the crisis of overproduction. Huge reserves of small arms accumulated by all sides over the years of confrontation were released onto the arms market. Why buy a new M16 for $1600 when you can buy the same one with army warehouses for 600, and a Kalashnikov assault rifle for 300. Sales on the US arms market for civilians began to fall following the fall in army orders.

Colt first faced bankruptcy in 1992. It was acquired by the financial group Zilkha & Co, which was then able to carry out a restructuring. The Corps also helped Marine Corps, issuing an order for the production of M4 carbines - a shortened version of the M16. With the start of the American campaign in the Middle East, new orders for the M4 followed - in the conditions of dense Iraqi urban development and Afghan villages, they seemed more profitable than the long and excessively powerful M16. All this won the company two extra decades of life. However, the experience of using carbines in Iraq and Afghanistan caused a lot of complaints about them from the military. In 2007, the US Department of Defense conducted a series of tests, as a result of which the number of failures of Colt’s M4 turned out to be higher than the total number of failures of other weapons that participated in the tests - the German HK XM8, HK 416 and the Belgian FN SCAR-L.

Another factor that crippled Colt was Obama's election campaign and his victory in the presidential election. Among his team's proposals were the United States joining International treaty on the arms trade and tightening the rules for private ownership of small arms. Everyone mobilized to defend the Second Amendment - the National Rifle Organization,

"Sisters of the Second Amendment"

and “Jews for Preserving the Right to Own Guns.”

As a result, Republicans and shooting enthusiasts managed to repel the attack on the Second Amendment, but frightened gun sellers staged massive gun sales in anticipation of the expected tightening, collapsing prices and once again undermining the position of manufacturers. Well, the final nail in Colt’s coffin was the lost 2013 competition to supply the US Army with 120,000 Belgian F.N. Herstal.

However, talking about death trademark Colt is definitely premature. According to Article 11 of the American Bankruptcy Code, the company will be put up for auction, where it could very likely be bought out by new owners. Let us recall that in 1992 a similar step was taken, as a result of which the company was bought by the current owner, the Zilkha financial group, in 1994. So Colt’s products will continue to equal people for some time.

Samuel Colt: why was he called the “great equalizer”? July 6th, 2010

Perhaps in all the stories about the famous weapons designer Samuel Colt (1814-1862), an American saying is mentioned that “Ab Lincoln freed all men, and Sam Colt made them equal.”.

“The Great Leveler” S. Colt was a true American: active, skillful and resilient. Like the hero of Mark Twain's novel A Yankee in King Arthur's Court. Who, if you remember the plot, in the nineteenth century worked as a foreman at the Colt arms factory. The biography of S. Colt is still cited with pleasure as one of the examples of the implementation of “ American dream».

Both young Sam's head and hands worked as expected. At the age of 14, he made his first invention: an electric fuse for detonating an underwater mine. The inventor even demonstrated it in action. But, being placed too close to the shore, the exploding mine doused the spectators with water from head to toe. Young Sam had to flee from an angry crowd. Mechanical Engineer Elisha King Root (1808-1865) hid the boy in his house. Subsequently, he became a manager at the S. Colt arms factory.

Everyone knows: S. Colt invented the “Colt”. But S. Colt was not the inventor of the pistol. Pistols have been known since the 15th century. They were used by both infantrymen and cavalrymen. But the pistol was still a disposable weapon - it took too long to load it. Attempts to speed up the rate of fire and make a pistol with two or multiple barrels were unsuccessful. Most often, a pair of single-shot pistols were used in battle. This way, at least it was possible to fire two shots one after the other.
Another option for increasing the rate of fire of pistols was revolvers. The revolver was pre-loaded with a rotating drum, filling it with gunpowder and hammering a bullet (do not forget that the unitary cartridge is a rather late invention). When the drum was turned, the charged chamber appeared opposite the barrel and became, as it were, its continuation. Now all that was left was the small matter: somehow ignite the gunpowder in the chamber. The gunpowder, burning, will push the bullet out. Hurray, shot!

As we see, the revolver is not S. Colt’s invention. The main part of the Colt, the loaded drum, was invented long before a gun factory opened in Hartford, Connecticut, producing revolvers, the handles of which were decorated with the image of a running foal. After all, “colt” means “foal” in English.

Two circumstances contributed to the emergence of a truly combat multi-shot revolver. First was invented capsule, which made it possible to ignite gunpowder in a drum “with one blow.” Bulky flintlocks are a thing of the past. Secondly, it began to develop machine production. It became possible to produce complex and precise revolver mechanisms in mass quantities. Now it was possible to make a rotating drum that would reliably cover the barrel while firing. After all, before, quite often, powder gases broke out in the place where the drum was pressed against the barrel. This not only reduced the effectiveness of the shot, but was dangerous for the shooter.

S. Colt, as often happens, was in the right place in right time. He became interested in designing revolvers and believed that he could make a real multi-shot combat weapon. He believed so much that he began to mobilize funds for future production. No shares, no loans! S. Colt, under the name of “Dr. Colt,” a chemist and naturalist, traveled around the country and demonstrated in small American towns the effect of laughing gas on humans. The performances were popular, the volunteers fell into joyful euphoria, and money flowed into the cash register.

In 1835, the first working model of a revolver was created. It was designed by a gunsmith from Baltimore John Pearson. Colt patented this revolver in England and America. Immediately after receiving the American patent, on March 5, 1836, he founded his own production.

The company was located in Paterson, New Jersey. Accordingly, the first Colt revolver model was called “Paterson”. This revolver was produced from 1836 to 1842. In 1842, due to a conflict between partners, the company ceased to exist.

But S. Colt could no longer be stopped. He became “sick” with revolvers and wanted to resume production. To do this, he even remembered the “sins of his youth.” Having developed an underwater mine with an electric fuse, he sold the patent to the US government. At the same time, together with a famous American artist, and an even more famous inventor Samuel Morse (Samuel Finley Breese Morse) (1791-1872) S. Colt was engaged in improving telegraph communications.

Revolvers, meanwhile, proved to be in great demand during the Mexican-American War of 1846-1847. At the beginning of 1847, Colt received the first government order for the production of 1000 revolvers. This weapon he designed together with the captain Samuel Hamilton Walker (1817-1847). Captain Walker died early in the Mexican War. The revolver was named after him, Walker.

Institute teachers of machine parts like to tell the legend that one of the conditions of the government order was the mutual compatibility of parts of all revolvers. If it were not for machine production and the system of tolerances and landings developed by that time, they conclude their story, S. Colt would never have been able to fulfill this condition.

In the early 1850s, Colt opened a gunsmithing shop in Hartford. In 1852, he became the first American entrepreneur to open a branch of his business in London. In 1855, a large arms factory was built near Hartford, which is still located here today.

In 1861, the Civil War began in the United States. Colt weapons were used by both warring sides. The “Great Equalizer” sold its products to both northerners and southerners. As they say in America: “This is business, nothing personal.” S. Colt himself did not live to see the end of the war. He died suddenly in 1862. He left behind a fortune of $15 million. At current exchange rates, this is about 300 million. From the moment Samuel Colt entered the arms business until the end of his life, his enterprises produced more than 400 thousand small arms. At one time, S. Colt was among the ten richest people in America.

Samuel Colt's earthly life was short-lived, 47 years. But the Colt outlived its creator and took part in important events, which determined not only the borders of the current United States, but also many features of the American character and American society.

Revolvers in the United States were supplied not only to the army. Anyone could freely buy a not-so-expensive Colt. He turned out to be a reliable defender in the event of an attack by bandits. Remember the episode with the attack on the stagecoach from A. Surikova’s comedy film “The Man from the Boulevard des Capuchins”! Initially, the desire for freedom and justice, embedded in the consciousness of Americans, received significant support from an iron friend. The presence of weapons among all conflicting parties, oddly enough, made it possible to “resolve” situations that otherwise could have led to lawlessness.

No wonder the long-barreled 45 caliber (11.43 mm) cavalry revolver was called the “Peacemaker”. And also the “conqueror of the Wild West.” A 45 caliber pistol is not an episodic hero of Westerns at all!

Perhaps in all the stories about the famous weapons designer Samuel Colt (1814 - 1862), an American saying is mentioned that "Ab Lincoln freed all people, and Sam Colt made them equal".

“The Great Leveler” S. Colt was a real American: active, skillful and resilient. Like the hero of Mark Twain's novel A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. Who, when he was in the nineteenth century, worked as a foreman at the S. Colt arms factory. The biography of S. Colt is still cited with pleasure as one of the examples of the realization of the “American Dream”.

Both young Sam’s head and hands worked as expected. Already at the age of 14, he made his first invention: an electric fuse for detonating an underwater mine. On July 4, 1829, the inventor demonstrated his invention. The mine exploded successfully. But, being placed too close to the shore, it doused the spectators with water from head to toe. Young Sam had to flee from an angry crowd. They wouldn't have lynched him, but they could have beaten him hard. However, every cloud has a silver lining. Thanks to this incident, Samuel Colt met a mechanical engineer Elisha King Root (1808-1865). E. Ruth hid the boy in his house, and later became an engineer, technologist and manager at the S. Colt arms factory.

Everyone knows: S. Colt invented the "Colt". But this does not mean at all that S. Colt is the inventor of the pistol. Manual firearms known since the 15th century. Infantrymen used pistols, and cavalrymen also used them. Cavalry pistols were longer and hit targets at a distance of up to 40 meters. But the pistol was still a disposable weapon - it took too long to load it. Attempts to speed up the rate of fire and make a pistol with two or multiple barrels were unsuccessful. Most often, a pair of single-shot pistols were used in battle. This way, at least it was possible to fire two shots one after the other.

Another option for increasing the rate of fire of pistols was revolvers. The revolver was pre-loaded with a rotating drum, filling it with gunpowder and hammering a bullet. (Let's not forget that the unitary cartridge is a rather late invention). When the drum was turned, the charged chamber appeared opposite the barrel and became, as it were, its continuation. Now all that was left was the small matter: somehow ignite the gunpowder in the chamber. The gunpowder, burning, will push the bullet out. Hurray, shot!

As we see, the revolver is not S. Colt’s invention. The main part of the Colt, the loaded drum, was invented long before a gun factory opened in Hartford, Connecticut, producing revolvers, the handles of which were decorated with the image of a running foal. After all, “colt” means “foal” in English.

Two circumstances contributed to the emergence of a truly combat multi-shot revolver. Firstly, a primer was invented, which made it possible to ignite gunpowder in the drum with “one blow”. Bulky flintlocks are a thing of the past. Secondly, machine production began to develop. It became possible to produce complex and precise revolver mechanisms in mass quantities. Now it was possible to make a rotating drum that would reliably cover the barrel while firing. After all, before, quite often, powder gases broke out in the place where the drum was pressed against the barrel. This not only reduced the effectiveness of the shot, but was dangerous for the shooter.

S. Colt, as often happens, was in the right place at the right time. He became interested in designing revolvers and believed that he could make a real multi-shot combat weapon. He believed so much that he began to mobilize funds for future production. No shares, no loans! S. Colt, under the name of "Dr. Colt", a chemist and naturalist, traveled around the country and demonstrated in small American towns the effect of laughing gas on humans. The performances were popular, the volunteers fell into joyful euphoria, and money flowed into the cash register.

In 1835, the first working model of a revolver was created. It was designed by a gunsmith from Baltimore John Pearson (John Pearson). Colt patented this revolver in England and America. Immediately after receiving the American patent, on March 5, 1836, he founded his own production.

The company was located in Paterson, New Jersey. Accordingly, the first model of the Colt revolver was called "Paterson". This revolver was produced from 1836 to 1842. In 1842, due to a conflict between partners, the company ceased to exist.

But S. Colt could no longer be stopped. He became sick with revolvers and wanted to resume production. To do this, he even remembered the “sins of his youth.” Having developed an underwater mine with an electric fuse, he sold the patent to the US government. At the same time, together with a famous American artist, and an even more famous inventor Samuel Morse (Samuel Finley Breese Morse) (1791 - 1872) S. Colt worked on improving telegraph communications.

Revolvers, meanwhile, proved to be in great demand during the Mexican-American War of 1846 - 1847. At the beginning of 1847, Colt received the first government order for the production of 1000 revolvers. He designed this weapon together with the captain Samuel H. Walker (1817 - 1847). The captain died early in the war with Mexico. The revolver was named after him, Walker.

Institute teachers of machine parts like to tell the legend that one of the conditions of the government order was the mutual compatibility of parts of all revolvers. If it were not for machine production and the system of tolerances and landings developed by that time - they conclude their story - S. Colt would never have been able to fulfill this condition.

In the early 1850s, Colt opened a gunsmithing shop in Hartford. In 1852, he became the first American entrepreneur to open a branch of his business in London. In 1855, a large arms factory was built near Hartford, which is still located here today.

In 1861, the Civil War began in the United States. Colt weapons were used by both warring sides. The “Great Leveler” sold its products to both northerners and southerners. As they say in America: “This is business, nothing personal.” S. Colt himself did not live to see the end of the war. He died suddenly in 1862. He left behind a fortune of $15 million. At current exchange rates, this is about 300 million. From the moment Samuel Colt entered the arms business until the end of his life, his enterprises produced more than 400 thousand small arms. At one time, S. Colt was among the ten richest people in America.

Samuel Colt's earthly life was short-lived, 47 years. But the Colt outlived its creator and took part in important events that determined not only the borders of the current United States, but also many features of the American character and American society.

Revolvers in the United States were supplied not only to the army. Anyone could freely buy a not-so-expensive Colt. The revolver turned out to be a reliable defender in the event of an attack by bandits. Remember the episode with the attack on the stagecoach from A. Surikova’s comedy film “The Man from the Boulevard des Capuchins”! Initially, the desire for freedom and justice embedded in the consciousness of Americans received significant support. The presence of weapons among all conflicting parties, oddly enough, made it possible to “resolve” situations that otherwise could have led to lawlessness. No wonder the long-barreled 45 caliber (11.43 mm) cavalry revolver was called the “Peacemaker”. And also the “conqueror of the Wild West.” A 45 caliber pistol is not an episodic hero of Westerns at all!

Useful links:

1. Anniversary of the legendary Colt.