The Colt Six-Shooter

The Colt Six-Shooter

The colt six shooter will always be a legend to Texas. Whether you know

it as an accurate, cowboy, Texas Ranger, gun-slinging, out West, corral gun, or

as a little protection, the colt will never be forgotten in Texas.

Sam Colt is known as the inventor of the first revolving firearm. Sam's

mother died when he was six and his father owned a silk mill in Ware,

Massachusetts. When Sam Colt was seven, he was fascinated by guns. He took

apart his father's gun in a field and was able to successfully rebuild it.

Science, adventures of an active life, and mechanics were all the favorite

passions of young Samuel Colt.

During 1830 - 1831, Sam Colt was abroad at sea. It was during these

years that Samuel first conceived the idea of a revolving firearm. Some think

it may have come from watching the revolving wheel of the ship, turning and

locking. While on board ship, Sam must have seen other revolving firearms in

London or India. Sam carved a wooden model of his ideal gun while he was at

sea. None of what Sam may have previously seen on revolving guns could have

led to his invention. His ideas were not copied from any source, even though

the revolving idea was not unique.

When Sam arrived home from sea, he showed the wooden model to his

father and a family friend. This friend was Henry Ellsworth, Commissioner of

the United States Patent Office. Both Sam's father and Mr. Ellsworth were

greatly impressed by the model. They encouraged Sam to file for a patent for

his revolving firearm.

On February of the 25, in the year 1835, the first United States patent

was granted for a colt revolver. The patent that Samuel received covered eight

basic features. First, the application of caps at the end of the gun cylinder.

Second, the application of a partition between the caps, as well as other basic

ideas. The other areas of the patent cover the application of certain parts

of the gun, the principle of locking and turning the cylinder , and all of the

basic revolver parts.

In 1848, the new pocket model revolver was introduced. Colt devised an

alternative means of loading the gun - removing the barrel and cylinder, and

either switching an empty cylinder for a loaded one or using the axis pin as a