How was Colt's revolver born?

The history of mankind is the history of wars. Throughout its existence, people have repeatedly entered armed confrontations. With the passage of time, technology has improved, methods and means of war have changed. Colt's revolver with his appearance marked another milestone in the development of weapons, laying new principles in the construction of pistols. His creation was accompanied by a number of interesting facts that will be described in this article.

The first pistols

Firearms of this type are known since the XV century. The first samples were singly charged. Black powder was used as an explosive , and the lead element was usually a lead ball. The pistol was charging from the barrel. The ignition of gunpowder occurred through a special device called a lock. Since the XVIII century, pistols were equipped with locks of silicon type. The development of technology led to the emergence of the first revolvers, that is models with a drum mechanism. Initially, such weapons were not widely used, as the complex loading system did not provide rapid continuous firing. Everything changed after the invention in 1807 of a capsule detonation of the powder composition. This principle of shooting opened wide prospects for the revolver. Now the main question was who will be the first to introduce this technology into production and organize the production of new revolvers on an industrial scale.

Future Weapon King

Born Samuel Colt in the family of the manufacturer Christopher Colt on July 19, 1814. From a young age, Sam was attracted to arms. He studied with great interest various models of that time. The resulting knowledge was later useful when the first Colt revolver was created. In addition, a number of observations made during the service by a sailor on a merchant ship "Corvo" helped to rethink the design of the pistol to Samuel. His attention was drawn to the mechanism of lifting the ship's anchor, which only rotated one way. He also became interested in the device of the steering wheel with the fixation of the position after the turn. Principles of operation of these mechanisms included a capsular revolver Colt, patented in 1835 in England. A year later the patent was received in the USA.

Production on an industrial scale

In 1847 Colt registered his own company. The first weapons shop he opened in the city of Patterson. The new Colt's revolver produced in the workshop was distinguished by firing and good firepower. Despite this, at first the company had serious sales problems. The situation that happened with the group of Texas Rangers changed the situation. Having a revolver system "Colt" as the main weapon, 16 law enforcement officers faced 80 Indians. Rangers came out of the bout winners, not having lost a single person. Such success ensured the gunsmith order for 1,000 units for the Texas expeditionary corps, and laid the foundation for further cooperation with the US government. The conflict with Mexico and the civil war inside the country further strengthened the financial position of the manufacturer. The Colt revolver has become a true symbol of America. For ordinary citizens, it was an effective means of self-defense, and sometimes a factor of survival in difficult times.