Colt's idea of ​​creating a revolver was prompted by observations of a rotating mechanism on the ship Corvo, on which he traveled from Boston to Calcutta. On board the Corvo, he made a model out of wood; upon returning to the United States, Colt applied to the patent office and issued patent No. 1304 dated August 29 (according to other sources, February 25), 1836, describing the basic principle of operation of a weapon with a rotating drum.

In late 1836, Colt's Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company in Paterson, New Jersey began production of Colt's five-shot, .28-caliber cap revolvers, sold under the name Colt Paterson. In total, until 1842, 1,450 revolving rifles and carbines, 462 revolving shotguns and 2,350 revolvers were produced. Naturally, all weapons were percussion caps. The first samples were characterized by low reliability, regular breakdowns and a very imperfect design, not to mention the extremely unsafe and inconvenient reloading process. Not surprisingly, the US government showed little interest in the new weapon. The Army purchased only a few revolver carbines for testing. The largest customer for Colt's company was the Republic of Texas, which bought 180 revolving shotguns and rifles for the Rangers, and about the same number of revolvers for the Texas Navy. A number of revolvers (of a more powerful caliber - .36) were ordered privately by the Texas Rangers themselves with their own money. Low demand in 1842 led to the bankruptcy of the factory.

Colt Paterson made 1836-1838 (still without loading rod)

Thus, the most popular Colt Paterson revolver model produced in Paterson was the No. 5 Holster, also known as Texas Paterson, a .36 caliber revolver. About 1,000 units were produced. Half of them occurred in the period from 1842 to 1847, after bankruptcy. Their production was established by Colt's creditor and former partner John Ehlers.

Colt Paterson 1836-1838 with the trigger retracted

One of the most significant conflicts involving the use of Colt Paterson revolvers was the Battle of Bander Pass between the Mexican Army and Texas Rangers, among whom was 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 good demand for it, since the Colt Walker was much more reliable and convenient than its predecessor. Thanks to this, Colt returned to developing weapons in 1847.

Texas Rangers

From a technical point of view, the Colt Paterson is a five-shot open-frame revolver. Single action trigger mechanism (English Single Action, SA) with a trigger folding inside the body. Each time you fire, you have to cock the hammer. The revolver is loaded from the muzzle of the chambers - with gunpowder and a bullet (round or conical) or with a ready-made cartridge in a paper sleeve containing a bullet and gunpowder.

.44 caliber paper cartridges and loading tool

Capsules (still produced today - for lovers of such weapons)

Then a primer is placed on the brand tube in the breech of the drum - a miniature cup made of soft metal (usually brass) with a small charge of shock-sensitive fulminate of mercury. On impact, the charge explodes and creates a jet of flame, which, through a fire tube, ignites the powder charge in the chamber. 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. Loading of early models of Colt Paterson revolvers, produced before 1839, was carried out only by partially disassembling it and removing the drum, using a special tool - essentially 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 reloading the Colt Paterson unsafe, but carrying it was also unsafe, as there were no manual safeties. To speed up reloading, gunfighters usually carried several pre-loaded drums with them and simply changed them as needed. In later models, from 1839, the design featured a built-in pressing lever-ramrod and a special hole in the front of the frame for it. This mechanism made it possible to significantly speed up and simplify reloading - now it was possible to load the drum without removing it from the revolver. This improvement made it possible to get rid of the additional tool, and from that time on the ramrod lever became an integral element of the design of almost all Colt capsule revolvers.

Colt Paterson made 1842-1847 with a shortened barrel and a ramrod lever for loading

Some performance characteristics of Colt Paterson caliber .36 with a barrel length of 7.5 inches (it should be borne in mind that even for the same model of percussion weapon they may differ slightly):

• initial bullet speed, 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 clashes between the Republic of Texas and Mexico, in the Mexican-American War, and in the US war with the Seminole and Comanche tribes.

Such revolvers are very highly valued today. Colt Paterson in original box with all accessories sold at auction in 2011 for $977,500

Colt Walker

The Colt Walker was developed in 1846 by Samuel Colt and Texas Ranger Captain Samuel Hamilton Walker. According to the widespread version, Walker suggested that Colt develop a powerful .44 caliber army revolver instead of the relatively weak and not very reliable Colt Paterson .36 caliber revolvers then in service. In 1847, the newly formed Colt's Manufacturing Company in Hartford, Connecticut (where it remains to this day) produced the first batch of 1,100 Colt Walker revolvers, which also became the last. That same year, Samuel Walker was killed in Texas during the Mexican-American War.

The Colt Walker is a six-shot, open-frame, capsule-operated revolver with an added trigger guard. The Colt Walker is Colt's largest black powder revolver, weighing 2.5 kilograms. From this moment on, all “non-pocket” models of Colt capsule revolvers became six-shooters.

Some performance characteristics of Colt Walker caliber .44:

• initial bullet speed, m/s - 300-370;
• sighting range, m - 90-100;
• weight, kg - 2.5;
• length, mm - 394.

The Colt Walker was used by both sides in the North-South War.

Colt Walker

Colt Dragoon Model 1848

The Colt Model 1848 Precision Army revolver was designed by Samuel Colt in 1848 at the request of the US government to arm the U.S. Army's Mounted Rifles, better known in the US 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 lock was added.

Colt Dragoon Model 1848

There were three releases of the Colt Dragoon model, differing from each other by minor improvements in the firing mechanism:

• first issue: from 1848 to 1850 about 7,000 were issued;
• second issue: from 1850 to 1851 about 2,550 were issued;
• Third issue: From 1851 to 1860, approximately 10,000 Colt Dragoon revolvers were produced, of which the US government purchased more than 8,000 units.

Thus, the 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.

Holster and belt for Colt Dragoon Model 1848

Separately, it is worth noting the release since 1848 of its pocket version, the Colt Pocket Model 1848 caliber .31, better known as the Baby Dragoon, especially popular among civilians.

Some performance characteristics of the Colt Dragoon Model 1848 caliber .44, with a barrel length of 8 inches:

• initial bullet speed, m/s - 330;
• weight, kg - 1.9;
• length, mm - 375.

The Colt Dragoon Model 1848 was used by the US and Confederate armies in the War of the North and South. A significant portion was sold to civilians.

Colt Pocket Model 1848 Baby Dragoon

Colt Navy 1851

The Colt Revolving Belt Pistol of Naval Caliber revolver (caliber 36), better known as the Colt Navy 1851, was developed by Colt specifically for arming US Navy officers. 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 switched en masse to a unitary cartridge. The Colt Navy was in production for a record 18 years in various models, with approximately 250,000 of them produced in the United States. A further 22,000 units were manufactured in the UK at the London Armory factory. The Colt Navy is considered one of the most advanced and beautiful capsule revolvers in history.

Colt Navy 1851

The trigger mechanism has been improved: a special pin is made in the breech of the drum between the chambers, thanks to which, if the drum is not turned enough, accidental firing of the trigger does not cause ignition of the capsules. The Colt Navy has an octagonal barrel.

Colt Navy 1851 revolvers were in service not only with the US Army, where their main competitor was the Remington M1858 revolver, but also with army officers of the Russian Empire (which ordered a large batch from Colt), Austria-Hungary, Prussia and other countries.

Some performance characteristics of Colt Navy 1851 caliber .36:

• initial bullet speed, 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 between the North and South. It became the first capsule revolver to undergo massive conversion - conversion to a unitary cartridge.

Winchester .44 Rimfire black powder rimfire cartridges

The differences from the capsule Colt Navy are clearly visible: a new drum with a door in the rear for loading, the ramrod lever has been removed and instead a spring-loaded extractor has been installed to remove spent cartridges, the depth of the recess at the rear of the drum has been increased for ease of loading with cartridges.

Colt Navy Model 1861 conversion

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 Colt was the patent holder, Remington was forced to pay him a royalty on each revolver produced, so the price of Remington revolvers was significantly higher than similar Colt revolvers. The Remington M1858 revolver was produced until 1875.

Remington M1858

Over 17 years, approximately 132,000 Remington M1858 revolvers were produced in .44 caliber (military model with an 8-inch barrel) and .36 caliber (naval model with a 7.375-inch barrel). There were three major releases, which were almost identical - the minor differences were appearance the trigger, the device of the under-barrel lever and the drum.

From a technical point of view, the Remington M1858 is a six-shot cap revolver with a solid frame, the loading of which is carried out by placing ready-made cartridges in a paper case or black powder bullets into the chambers of the drum on the muzzle side, after which the primers were placed in the breech of the drum.

Single action trigger mechanism (English: Single Action, SA), no manual safeties.

Some performance characteristics of the Remington M1858 caliber .44, with an 8-inch barrel:

• initial bullet speed, m/s - about 350;
• sighting range, m - 70-75;
• weight, kg - 1.270;
• length, mm - 337.

Remington M1858 revolvers were in service with the army of the United States, the British and Russian empires, Japan, Mexico, and others.

A Northern Army cavalry soldier with three Remington M1858s

The Remington M1858 was actively redesigned for a unitary cartridge. Since 1868, the company itself began producing a conversion version of the Remington M1858 revolver chambered for a .46 caliber rimfire black powder cartridge.

Remington M1858 conversion

Colt Army Model 1860

The Colt Army Model 1860 revolver was developed in 1860 and became one of the most common revolvers during the Civil War in the USA revolvers. Produced for 13 years. In total, about 200,000 Colt Army Model 1860 revolvers were produced before 1873, and about 130,000 of them were made for the US government.

It had a modification with longitudinal grooves on the cylinder and less weight - the Texas Model, so named because most of these revolvers were purchased by the 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 purchased not only by the military, but also by civilians. Moreover, revolvers were relatively inexpensive back then. For example, a Colt Army Model 1860 cost $20 (for comparison, the price of an ounce of gold on the New York Exchange in 1862 was $20.67).

Colt Army Model 1860

Some performance characteristics of the Colt Army Model 1860 caliber .44:

• initial bullet speed, m/s - 270-305;
• sighting range, m - 70-90;
• weight, kg - 1.2-1.3;
• length, mm - 355.

Colt Army Model 1860 revolvers were used by the US Army and the Confederates, and after the Civil War by the Texas Rangers. They took part in the US wars with the Indians: the Colorado War, the Dakota War, etc. It was massively redesigned for a unitary cartridge.

On the left is a Colt Army Model 1860 capsule, on the right is a conversion with the door open.

Colt Army Model 1860 conversion

Peacemaker

1873 was a banner year for Colt. 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 .44 Magnum revolver, the Peacemaker has become a cult weapon that today has entire communities of fans. Suffice it to say that the production of first-generation Peacemakers for the civilian weapons market continued until... 1940!

Colt M1873 Single Action Army "Peacemaker"

The Peacemaker was initially produced in the powerful .45 Long Colt black powder caliber with a 7.5" barrel, with 5.5" and 4.75" barrel models soon available. Later, revolvers of calibers .44-40 WCF and .32-20 WCF (Winchester) appeared, and in the twentieth century they were supplemented by variants chambered for .22 LR, .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .44 Special, etc. cartridges - just more than 30 calibers!

The Peacemaker for the US Army was produced for 9 years - until 1892, when the Peacemakers were withdrawn from service (the artillery model continued to be used until 1902) and replaced by the Colt Double Action M1892. And in total, until 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 solid frame revolver that is loaded through a hinged door in the cylinder. right side revolver. There is a spring-loaded extractor for removing spent cartridges, located below and to the right of the barrel. The design provides for setting the trigger to the safety half-cock.

Peacemaker, a variant of the Buntline Special, with a barrel length of 16 inches (almost 41 cm)!

Some first-generation Peacemaker performance characteristics chambered for a .45 Long Colt black powder rimfire cartridge with a 7.5-inch barrel:

• initial bullet speed, m/s - more than 300;
• sighting range, m - n/a;
• weight, kg - 1.048;
• length, mm - 318;
• bullet energy, J - 710-750.

The 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 still in production today! 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 prohibiting the sale of firearms without special safeties - 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. A total of 20,000 pieces were produced during this period. In 1994, production of Peacemakers was resumed again 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.

Model 1873 Colt Single Action Army revolver, Model 1873, SAA, also known as Model P, Peacemaker, M1873, Single Action Army, SAA, and Colt .45.

Revolver Colt Peacemaker - video

At the turn of the 60s and 70s. XIX century The Colt Fire Arms Company, which was somewhat behind its competitors in terms of breech-loading revolvers chambered for a metal unitary cartridge, finally began producing them. On September 19, 1871, the company received a patent for a revolver with a solid frame chambered for a central ignition cartridge - the first Colt of .45 caliber, i.e. 11.43 mm. The central ignition cartridge was filled with black powder; a soft lead bullet made it possible to stop a galloping horse, albeit at a very close range. This revolver was offered to the US Army, and after a year of testing, along with five other models, the US Army Weapons Department approved the adoption of the revolver under the designation Model 1873. Thus, one of the most famous examples in the history of personal weapons was born.

The revolver became widely known under the designation “Colt Single Action Army” (Colt Single Action Army, abbreviated SAA), since it had a single-action trigger mechanism, without self-cocking. Among other nicknames for this revolver is the Equalizer. “God created people different, but Colonel Colt made them equal” is a well-known American proverb, which does not take into account, however, that Samuel Colt did not create the revolver, but only produced it, and was not a colonel. Well, Colt SAA, which became the center of an entire cult, appeared almost ten years after the death of the company’s founder. Extensive folklore has developed around this revolver, for example: “Where Colt speaks, others are silent” or “He who has a Colt is right!” (American proverb, better known as Colt's Law).

The authors of the revolver design are William Mason and the company's leading designer, Charles Richards. It combined the features of the company's previous revolvers and new solutions related to the metal cartridge and the requirements of the army. The barrel was threaded in a strong frame, which gave the revolver streamlined contours. The six-shot drum was mounted on a removable axis, which was fixed with a screw. Reloading was carried out one cartridge at a time through a side-hinged door in the right half of the dome-shaped shield of the frame. The firing pin was attached to the massive trigger with a pin. In the lowered position, the trigger was almost entirely hidden in the frame shield, with the exception of the spoke. Before reloading, the hammer was set to half-cock - otherwise it was impossible to open the door. The revolver was usually loaded with five cartridges, leaving an empty chamber opposite the barrel to avoid an involuntary shot. A spring-loaded ramrod-ejector with a button was mounted under the barrel on the right in the pencil case. The button initially looked like a washer, but then it was reduced in size, giving it the shape of a crescent.

The first to be released was a cavalry model with a barrel length of 7.5 inches, a little later an artillery model with a barrel length of 5.5 inches appeared. Between 1873 and 1893, while the revolver was officially in service, approximately 37,000 M1873 SAA revolvers entered the US Army. In general, the M1873 was a reliable “working” weapon, suitable for mass (according to the concepts of those years) production.

Very soon the production of civilian (commercial) revolvers began. On the market they were called “Peacemaker” (peacemaker) and “Frontier” (border, boundary). The revolver arrived on the market at just the right time. In the same year, 1873, several expeditions took place against the Indians; almost annual autumn uprisings in the south and “wars for pastures” also created a demand for weapons. Railway from Massachusetts to California opened the way for settlers and adventurers to the Western United States. The Model 1873 became a favorite weapon and symbol of the Wild West. Over time, the name "Peasmaker" was adopted by all SAA variants.

First generation Colt Single Action Army 1873, Army model (cavalry) with 7.5", .45LC barrel

Second generation Colt Single Action Army 1873 "Artillery" model with 5.5", .357 Mag barrel

Third generation Colt Single Action Army SAA - modern release, civilian model with a 7.5", .357 Mag barrel

Since the army revolver was large and heavy, the company released a civilian model chambered for the .44-40 WCF cartridge and a lightweight .32-20 WCF caliber, nicknamed “female.” It is curious that the .44-40 WCF cartridge was created for a light carbine, and a revolver chambered for the same cartridge successfully complemented the set of weapons of the displaced rider. The barrel length of commercial models is 4.75 inches. True, since 1892, revolvers with barrels 4, 3.5 and even 2 inches long were produced in small quantities. With a “short” barrel, the pencil case with the ejector cleaning rod was removed. A special place among SAA is occupied by the "Buntline Special" with a very long - 12 inches - barrel. Smokeless powder cartridges were gradually introduced, and in 1900 Colt modified the revolver to accommodate them. Already at the beginning of the 20th century. .38 “special”, .357 “magnum”, .44 “special” were added to the “old calibers”. In 1888–1895 Colt released the 925 SAA in the target version. In addition to better workmanship, they were distinguished by a flat top frame jumper and were called “Flat Top”.

The Colt Beasley is a target revolver with a barrel of approximately 4.75", 38-40 WCF for precision shooting, produced from 1894 to 1915.

The production of commercial modifications continued until 1941. However, in the army, despite the adoption of new models, the Colt M1873 remained loved mainly by cavalrymen: the engraved Peacemaker with mother-of-pearl cheeks of the handle was preferred by President T. Roosevelt, and General J. Patton made a revolver with ivory handles his constant companion.
A total of 357,860 first-generation Colts were produced in the US and another 44,350 in the UK. British copies of the SAA were produced from 1894 to 1915 chambered for the .32-20, .38-40, .45 Colt, .44-40, .41 Colt for the American market, and for the .450 El cartridges " and .455 "eles" - for British. At the same time, Colt SAA showed truly phenomenal reliability and durability.
Since 1956, Colt has resumed production of these revolvers (SAA “second generation”). Moreover, endless “westerns” contributed to the demand for the “cowboy revolver.”

Colt Storekeeper (literally - "Store Security Guard") - a series of revolvers based on the Peacemaker with barrels of 3.5, 3, 2.5 and 2 inches. Intended for self-defense of sellers and protection retail outlets, which is what the name symbolizes.

Since the American Gun Law of 1968 required mandatory safeties, changes had to be made to the trigger mechanism. After design changes and equipment replacement, Colt Fire Arms Division resumed production of SAA in 1976, giving rise to the "third generation" of SAA. Subsequently, copies of this revolver were produced by EMF, Navy Arms, Freedom Arms, Sturm, Ruger and Co., Allen Firearms, U.S. Patent Firearms, Mitchell Arms, Hartridge Manufacturing, Texas Longhorn Arms and others. Of the European ones, the most famous is the Italian “Aldo Uberti” - in American “westerns” of recent decades, mainly Italian replicas were filmed. About 20,000 SAA “third generation” revolvers were produced.

In total, the Colt SAA model in its army, navy, civilian old and modern modifications was produced in more than 30 different calibers- from the “small” .22 LR to the “atomic magnum” .454 “Cazull” and the “thermonuclear” .500 “Wyoming Express”.

Tactical and technical characteristics of Colt Peacemaker revolvers

Entered into service: 1873
- Constructor: William Mason and Charles Richards
- Designed: 1872
- Manufacturer: Colt's Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company
- Years of production: 1873 - present
- Total issued: 357,859
- Options: Commercial model. Cavalry model. Artillery model

Wes Colt Peacemaker

1.021 kg (without cartridges)

Dimensions Colt Peacemaker

Length, mm: 260; 279 (art. model); 318; 330 (cave model)
- Barrel length, mm: 120.65 (rifled, com. model); 190.5 (cave model); 139.7 (art. model)

Cartridge Colt Peacemaker

B.45 Long Colt (military model)
- 44-40 WCF (civilian model)

commercial models:
.32-.20 WCF
.22 LR
.38 Spl
.357 Magnum
.44 Spl

Caliber Colt Peacemaker

11.43 mm (.45)
- 11.2 mm (.44)

Colt Peacemaker bullet speed

Type of ammunition: 6-round drum
Work principles: Single action trigger.

Photo of the Colt Peacemaker revolver

cylinder with ratchet - drum with ratchet
base pin - drum axis
base pin bushing - movable tube
ejector tube - ejector tube
ejector with spring - ejector with a spring
hammer with hand - trigger with a spoke (with a roller)
main spring - mainspring
cylinder locking bolt - drum stopper
trigger - trigger
trigger/bolt spring - trigger/stopper spring

The pistol was in service with officers and non-commissioned officers of all branches of the armed forces.

Colt M1911 is a self-loading pistol chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge.

History of Colt pistols

Colt pistols are represented in most cases by revolvers, and self-loading ones (including the famous Colt 1911) appeared later, due to the obsolescence of these same revolvers.

Samuel Colt, American gunsmith, inventor and industrialist, founder of Colt's Patent Fire-Arms Manufacturing Company

1835- this is where the story of the formation of the famous gunsmith begins, when the young designer Samuel Colt patented a new revolver called Colt Paterson.

1846— Colt meets Samuel Hamilton Walker. Together they build the Colt Walker.

1848- Colt developed a new revolver - the Colt Dragoon.

1849 and 1851- in these years, as modifications of the previous model, Colt Wells Fargo and Colt Navy were released, respectively.

1873- Colt began producing the most famous revolver in history, the Colt Single Action Army, also known as the “Peacemaker.”

1927— the Colt Detective Special was created specifically for concealed carry.

1955- created by Colt Python.

1969— production of the Colt Mk revolver series begins. III.

1990- release of the Colt Anaconda revolver.

1900— John Moses Browning created the first self-loading pistol for the Colt company.

1902— Colt M1902 was developed on the basis of the previous model.

In subsequent years, models were released that were American analogues of some Belgian pistols. For example, the Colt M1903 Pocket Hammerless was the equivalent of the Browning M1903, and the Colt Model 1908 Vest Pocket was the equivalent of the Browning M1906.

1908— the same John Browning is developing the Colt 1911 pistol.

John Moses Browning, creator of the first self-loading pistol - the famous Colt M1911

Changes in pistol design

The idea of ​​a revolver itself was not invented by Samuel Colt. He took as a basis the Daft and Collier pistol system, which he saw in London. On the way home, he created a model of his first revolver from wood.

According to a widespread legend, the idea of ​​​​creating a drum revolver for the young Colt was prompted by observing the steering mechanism of the brig Corvo, on which the voyage took place.

Colt created the first cap-fire revolver.

Subsequently, the trigger mechanism and trigger guard were redesigned. Invent tried to achieve strength and reliability of the structure, as well as a soft descent.

The next important innovation was the drum latch. It did not allow the front part of the lever for loading bullets to fall during shooting. Colt also set out to experiment with the dimensions and shape of his weapons.

Self-loading pistols have undergone fewer modifications. For example, the company's first models had two locking earrings that connected the barrel to the frame. And the 1911 pistol only has one earring. Further modifications concerned the dimensions of the weapon, but the pistols did not undergo significant changes.

Types and characteristics of Colt pistols

45 caliber single action revolvers

To fire a single action revolver, you must cock the hammer with your thumb and then pull the trigger, which causes the hammer to strike the primer and fire.

The history of the great series of weapons began with the Colt Paterson.

This pistol was far from ideal. In fact, it was a prototype that went into mass production. It is therefore not surprising that young Colt's company went bankrupt.

Samuel Colt developed this model together with Samuel Walker, who was the captain of the Texas Rangers, it was he who helped Colt modernize the revolver, and also suggested developing a new, more powerful cartridge for it.

This model was more successful than its predecessor, but it was also not without its shortcomings. Unfortunately, the revolver also did not become widespread.

Characteristics

Some time later, Colt designs the Colt Dragoon. The Colt Walker was used as a basis.

The Colt Dragoon was designed specifically for the US Army's mounted riflemen. This pistol was assembled with an eye to previous models - it no longer had their disadvantages. This Colt revolver was the first to become widespread and provided financial stability companies.

Characteristics

To support demand for his weapons, Colt created Colt Wells Fargo.

The revolver had less weight and size; in fact, it was a pocket revolver. It was popular as an auxiliary weapon. Thanks to its small dimensions, it could easily be hidden in a holster or pocket.

Characteristics

The company's fifth revolver and another modification of the Colt Dragoon is the Colt Navy 1851.

This revolver was one of the most popular mid and second half of the 19th century century in the USA. Initially, it was intended to equip US Navy officers with this pistol, but it became popular on land as well. The revolver was relatively lighter and smaller than its prototype, and also did not have a front sight, because on the sea and on a ship there is no need to aim.

Characteristics

The best Colt pistol before the advent of unitary cartridges was the Colt Army 1860.

This revolver was the most popular during the Civil War. Thanks to a number of changes, it became one of the best revolvers of its time. For example, the octagonal barrel was replaced with a round one.

The drum has also been redesigned, and all the sharp corners of the design have been smoothed out. This made it easier and faster to pull it out of the holster.

Characteristics

The next Colt revolver became the most popular in history - Colt Single Action Army (Peacemaker) 1873.

This revolver is a symbol of the Wild West. It combined the features of all previous Colt revolvers - ease of manufacture, design and reliability - all this ensured its popularity.

Characteristics

Double action revolvers

In double-action (self-cocking) revolvers, when you pull the trigger, the hammer first cocks and then hits the primer, resulting in a shot.

Colt's first double-action revolver was the Colt Detective Special.

This revolver belonged to the “weapon in the bosom” class. It was intended for concealed carry by detectives, as well as intelligence officers. This weapon received several modifications that changed the caliber.

Characteristics

Soon the company began producing Colt Python (Python).

Colt Python is deservedly considered the most beautiful and brutal revolver on the market. In addition, in terms of popularity it is not inferior to “Peacemaker”. Colt Python became the progenitor of a whole branch of similar revolvers, and also greatly influenced the further design of weapons in this category.

Characteristics

Colt Mk. III Trooper Lawman (1969)

Colt Mk. III Trooper Lawman (1969) is good example his series

This model is only a separate representative of the mk series. III. The series itself included several revolvers designed specifically for the police. The entire series has made a significant step forward compared to previous models (this concerns design features).

Characteristics

One of the last this moment The company's revolvers are Colt Anaconda.

Photo Colt 45 Anaconda

Colt Anaconda is one of the large caliber revolvers. Therefore, its design is significantly strengthened for firing cartridges of the appropriate caliber. But because heavy weight It makes no sense to use it as a service weapon, so it is used for hunting and sport.

Characteristics

Self-loading pistols

Colt M1900 (1900)

Colt's first self-loading pistol was the Colt M1900 (1900).

The first representative of self-loading pistols from the Colt company. Like most other pistols of this design, it was designed by John Browning. Not mass produced.

Characteristics

The predecessor to the M1911 pistol was the Colt M1902.

This pistol is a modification of the previous model. It had an enlarged magazine, and also had a bolt stop (locking the bolt in the rear position after all the cartridges had been used up).

Characteristics

The Colt Double Eagle is also one of the company's latest creations.

This pistol is an attempt to create something new based on the old. The design was based on the Colt 1911. But the resulting pistol was too heavy, so it did not gain popularity.

Characteristics

Colt M1911 (photo).

The pistol was designed by John Browning and was originally called the Colt-Browning M1911. Along with the Peacemaker, it is one of the most recognizable pistols in the world. The famous Colt went through two world wars, as well as many minor conflicts.

This weapon is as significant for America as the Kalashnikov assault rifle is for Russia.

After all, technological progress did not stand still. But due to conservatism, the army was in no hurry to rearm, and besides, revolvers were more reliable compared to automatic pistols.

The pistol was created as an alternative to obsolete revolvers.

However, tests of Colt 1911 in the First World War clearly demonstrated its effectiveness. The most important advantage was the high stopping power of the .45ACP caliber bullet, which could immediately incapacitate the enemy. But it was not without its drawbacks - the weapon had strong recoil, large dimensions and weight.

After the First World War, the pistol underwent a number of small but significant changes and became known as the Colt M1911A1. It was this model that took part in the Second World War.

In addition, after the war, several more modifications were created (for example, the previously mentioned Double Eagle). It was the ease of use and high combat potential that gave this pistol worldwide fame.

The Colt 1911 design became a classic and was copied by many different countries.

Despite almost a century of history, weapons are not going to leave the market.

used by police, military, competitive shooters and ordinary citizens

The following options were created specifically for law enforcement agencies:

1. M15 General Officers model (more compact model).
2. MEU(SOC) pistol (with laser pointer installed).
3. Interim Close Quarters Battle pistol (another compact model).

The list is not limited to this; there are many options for the design of the pistol. After all, you can install special pistol sights, laser sights, flashlights, an enlarged magazine, a silencer, etc. on it. In addition, any camouflage can be applied to the pistol.

The Colt 1911A1 is part of American culture, and has appeared in the media culture of this country more than once. He was in such films as "Pulp Fiction" and "Sin City", as well as in the games of the Battlefield and Mafia series.

"Pulp Fiction", still from the film. In the actor's hand is a Colt 911 (photo).

Characteristics of Colt 1911 (TTX)

Advantages

• high stopping power of the bullet;
• reliability of operation and safety of handling;
• the pistol has a very impressive appearance;
• high ergonomics.

Flaws

• large dimensions and weight;
• strong recoil;
• quite a steep bullet trajectory.

Traumatic and air pistols from Colt

According to the legislation of our country, the free carrying of weapons by ordinary citizens is prohibited. But when it comes to injuries, the laws are more lenient.

Most Colt .45 caliber pistols are revolvers; these models were not converted as traumatic ones. But the Colt 1911A1, as the most successful, received traumatic and pneumatic models.

Erma-459R

There is no such thing as a traumatic Colt 1911. After World War II, mass production of this pistol began. Later, Erma-459R was created on its basis. Conventionally, this weapon can be called a traumatic Colt, although it bears little resemblance to its predecessor, both externally and internally.

Erma-459R, Colt 1911 traumatic pistol

Characteristics

Gletcher Colt CLT 1911

The pneumatic model is called the Gletcher Colt CLT 1911. This pistol is a completely redesigned Colt 1911 pneumatic mechanism. The Gletcher is as similar to its ancestor as two peas in a pod. It has the same dimensions and design, but is slightly lighter in weight.

Gletcher Colt CLT 1911, Colt 45 caliber air gun

Characteristics

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages:

• simplicity of design;
• small dimensions;
• high rate of fire;
• reliability.

The Colt 1911 is a natural evolution of pistols. It combines the same simplicity and reliability, as well as high combat capabilities.

Disadvantages (applies to the first models):

• fragility;
• design imperfection.

As noted above, the first models of revolvers were a kind of prototypes. They contained many errors and shortcomings.

Subsequent models were made of better quality. By that time, the designer already understood what and how he needed to fix. Many changes have been made to improve the quality of the weapon, some mechanisms have been redesigned or new parts have been added.

At the very beginning, self-loading pistols were attempts to adapt to a new trend in the arms business. Colt pistols were in many ways better than their competitors - they were more reliable, but had a small caliber.

Weapon care

Most of the rules in this list are standard and known to everyone, but it’s still better to repeat them.

Weapons must be stored according to the following rules:

• away from people, especially children;
• in a case, safe or box;
• away from water;
• in a discharged state;
• clean and sort out in time.

Thematic videos

Before Colt

The design of drum-loading small arms was invented long before Colt, at least since the 17th century. But its first samples were not widely used due to the complexity of production and high cost. Reliability also left much to be desired. Revolution in production rapid fire weapons became possible only with the spread of the cap lock and machine production. In 1836, Samuel Colt proposed his model.

Texas Choice

Colt received a U.S. patent on February 25, 1836, and established production in Paterson, New Jersey, where he created his first masterpiece, the Colt Paterson revolver, also known as the Colt Texas due to its popularity among Wild West rangers. The first revolvers, as well as rifles and carbines of a similar design, were purchased by the US Army and the Republic of Texas. Standardization of parts made this weapon affordable; it could be purchased for $20. But it still had shortcomings, in particular, army customers complained about “too much ammo consumption” - a consequence of the high rate of fire. The number of customers decreased every year and in 1842 the company went bankrupt. The production of Colt revolvers resumed only in 1847. By this time, Samuel already had competitors on the market, with whom Colt entered into a difficult struggle for buyers.

Caliber and Marketing

In Russia

Even before bankruptcy, in 1842, a group of Russian officers visited the plant in Paterson and got acquainted with the sensational weapon. This was the first official acquaintance of Russians with Colt products. By 1854, Russia had established small-scale production of Colt revolvers at three state factories: in Tula, Izhevsk and Helsingfors. The following models dominated: “saddle pistol” (Dragoon), “waist pistol” (Navi), “five-shot pocket pistol with a 6-inch barrel” (Pocket). They were recognized as fit and useful by the military department. Contrary to popular opinion, in Russian Empire they were already used during the Crimean War, but not everywhere, except perhaps by the guards naval crew and officers of the rifle regiment of the imperial family. Colts were not issued to ordinary soldiers, believing that they would not cope. But, as you know, the results of the Crimean War showed that modernization of the army is necessary. So, starting from the 1850s and until the first half of the 20th century, when the Smith-Wesson and Nagant revolver came into fashion, Colts were used everywhere.

Legendary "Peacemaker"

A symbol of the Wild West, the Colt Peacemaker revolver is still produced in small batches. The model was created in 1873 specifically for the American cavalry and was called the “Colt single action army” (Single action revolver). The weapon acquired its famous nickname later, thanks to the accessibility and ease of use of the revolver even for untrained shooters. Together with the famous “Winchester”, the “Peacemaker”, which fired similar cartridges, is one of the attributes of the “typical” cowboy, whose image has come down to us in numerous “Westerns”. By the way, despite the fact that the revolver had a six-shot capacity, they preferred to load it with only five cartridges - the design did not provide a safety lock, so the cartridge in the drum opposite the barrel could be fatal for the owner.

Most famous phrase

“God made people different, but Colonel Colt made them equal.” According to legend, this inscription is engraved on the tombstone of the famous gunsmith. In fact, there is nothing on it except the name and dates of life. A witty phrase appeared during the American Civil War and sounded like: “Abraham Lincoln gave the people freedom, and Colonel Colt equalized their chances.” True, Colt did not serve in the US Army and was not a colonel. He died in 1862 at the age of 47, one of the richest and most famous men in the United States. His fortune was estimated at 15 million dollars, which corresponds to half a billion in modern money. During the Civil War, his company was the exclusive supplier to the US Army, which did not prevent it from selling weapons to the Confederate troops.

Present day

In 1848, near his birthplace in Hartford, Colt built a gun factory that remains in operation today, one of the largest in the industry. And the restored plant in Paterson switched to producing small-scale, personalized and one-piece models. Dozens of revolvers and pistols were produced under the Colt brand, including such famous models as the Colt 1911 pistol, which was in service with the US Army of the 20th century, and the compact Colt Detective Special revolver, the “star” of detective stories and films of the genre. Noir." In 2006, Samuel Colt was inducted into the US Inventors Hall of Fame.

On February 25, 1836, the Colt revolver was patented. This means that we have an excellent reason to pay attention to this weapon and admire it from different angles. Still, antique revolvers are stylish, solid and simply incredibly beautiful.

Samuel Colt did not invent the revolver; experiments with the form of weapons familiar to us were carried out already in the 16th century. In addition, the inventor himself did not hide the fact that he took as a basis the system of Daft and Collier, which he saw in the Tower of London Museum. On the way back to the USA, Colt made a wooden model, which quickly turned into a full-fledged working prototype.

But despite the fact that the principle of the revolver was no longer unique, Colt nevertheless became the creator of a new and progressive capsule revolver, which paved the way for the creation of weapons of subsequent generations.

Colt Paterson (1836)

"Colt Paterson" is the first model of the new revolver, which was patented by Samuel Colt. The weapon was named after the city in which production took place. In fact, the Paterson was more of a prototype that went into production, and it is not surprising that it had quite a few disadvantages. At first, the new weapon was not appreciated, and Colt himself did not receive orders at all for about five years and became bankrupt.

Colt Walker (1847)

• The Colt Walker wasn't called the Behemoth for nothing. Just look at it: it's a really big gun.

Colt's second model. It is notable for the fact that it marked the beginning of the rise of revolvers as weapons: the government is interested in the development, Colt is generously sponsored and even gives him Ranger Captain Walker as a partner. The latter died during the Mexican-American War, so in his memory this revolver now bears his name. In addition, the Colt Walker is the favorite revolver of Clint Eastwood and his “nameless hero” from the Sergio Leone trilogy.

Colt Dragoon (1848) and Colt Navy (1851)

The Colt Dragoon is a revolver specifically designed for mounted dragoon riflemen. The most popular model in the 1850s. Actively used during the American Civil War.

Colt Navy (1851) - in fact, a lightweight version of the Dragoon, created, as you might guess, for naval officers. Initially, in appearance it was almost no different from the previous model, but it did not have a front sight (sea motion immediately eliminates aimed shooting) and many of them have an engraving. Some of these especially elaborately decorated revolvers were awarded as awards.

Colt Navy: When the passion for engraving knows no bounds.

The first revolvers, which became incredibly popular thanks to Colt, were technologically imperfect. They were capsule, that is, with all their rapid fire reloading still took a very long time: it was necessary to add gunpowder and place the bullet individually, and not in one cartridge, as now.

• Colt "Dragoon": loading the first revolvers was not so fast.

Revolvers with the usual unitary cartridges did not appear immediately, but cowboys and warriors of those years still appreciated the opportunity to fire 5-6 shots in a row almost at lightning speed.

Colt "Peacemaker" / Colt Single Action Army (Peacemaker) (1873)

Perhaps the most popular of the first generation Colt revolvers. Together with the Winchester rifle, the Colt Peacemaker became a symbol of the Wild West and everything connected with it. At that time, a more widespread and popular weapon model simply did not exist. The main difference from the first Colt revolvers is that the Peacemaker uses unitary cartridges, that is, it is able to load much faster: there is no need to fuss with gunpowder and spherical bullets.

On the one hand, Samuel Colt created a weapon that was utilitarian and incredibly effective for those times and, according to the proverb, equalized the chances of people. On the other hand, these revolvers are real works of art that you can admire forever.