Just very beautiful colts
Separated from his companion,
mustanger took out the most perfect from the saddle bag weapon,
that has ever risen against the prairie dwellers -
for attack or defense, against Indians, bison or bears.
It was a Colonel Colt six-shot revolver.
Not some cheap fake
under the guise of improvement, the firm of Dean, Adams and the like,
and the authentic product of the "country of nutmegs"
branded "Hartford" on the breech.
Mine Reed "The Headless Horseman"
mustanger took out the most perfect from the saddle bag weapon,
that has ever risen against the prairie dwellers -
for attack or defense, against Indians, bison or bears.
It was a Colonel Colt six-shot revolver.
Not some cheap fake
under the guise of improvement, the firm of Dean, Adams and the like,
and the authentic product of the "country of nutmegs"
branded "Hartford" on the breech.
Mine Reed "The Headless Horseman"
Weapon stories. So much has been written about Samuel Colt's revolvers that it takes a lot of effort to find something new about them. But you can if you look hard enough. And today we just, firstly, look at the very beautifully finished Colt revolvers, and secondly, we will get a little acquainted with their interesting fate. So…
Having started producing his revolvers, Colt very quickly realized that without advertising he would have to fight for a buyer for a very long time. Therefore, he took up advertising, for example, he gave his revolvers to newspaper editors, who spoke well of them. He gave them to the military who came to his factory, as well as to senators, presidents, kings and Russian emperors. That's how his revolvers and dispersed around the world.
He also began to be talked about as a pioneer of effective, if sometimes controversial, new methods of promoting his products. So, using the approval of various celebrities and looking for armed conflicts around the world, he simultaneously sold his weapons to the warring parties.
In addition, more than anyone else, he attracted the attention of consumers to the aesthetics of weapons, designing his revolvers in such a way that they were visually appealing. To do this, he not only gave them an elegant shape, but also used blued and polished steel in them in different ways. Revolvers with inlay and engraving were also produced, in addition, such revolvers, again, could always be ordered from him.
1851 Colt revolver (naval model) with gold inlay (serial number 20133), with case and accessories. Inlaid in a jacket-gary-like style by Waterman Lilly Ormsby (1809–1883), circa 1853. About twenty revolvers are known to have survived in this finish. The drum is engraved with a scene of a naval battle between the warships of the Republic of Texas and Mexico, which took place on May 16, 1843. The revolver is one of two gold-encrusted Colts donated by the Robert M. Lee Foundation to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in honor of its 150th anniversary. Revolvers are among the most significant additions to the museum's American firearms collection in recent decades due to their great rarity, the richness of their decoration, and their historical significance. At the same time, revolvers of this particular type were very popular in the United States for a long time. Caliber 9,14 mm. Weight 1 Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
The same revolver. Close-up view. The frame depicts an Indian on horseback shooting a bison.
The same revolver, left side view. On the frame - the figure of Liberty with a Phrygian cap, a shield with stars and stripes, a bald eagle ...
View from above. Mandatory name of the creator "Samuel Colt"
Case with accessories
Colt actively participated in international exhibitions, including the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London and the Exhibition of Industry of All Nations in 1853 in New York. But, of course, in terms of richness of finishes, all other models surpassed individual gift samples made in single copies.
Here another circumstance helped Colt: many skillful and experienced German engravers moved to America. In addition to embellishing standard models, they also created some of the most luxurious and ambitious Colt revolvers, richly inlaid with gold, intended for presentation to heads of state.
The most ornate Colt revolvers usually feature a blued steel surface heavily engraved with leaf scrolls interspersed with human figures, animals and birds. Colt's name, inlaid in gold on one of the surfaces, was a must.
On the most luxurious examples, part of the gold inlay was embossed and resembled a miniature sculpture. In particular, the Dragoon model revolver presented to Tsar Nicholas I was decorated in this way. The revolver was part of a set of three pairs of gold-encrusted revolvers that Colt took with him to Europe in 1854.
9mm "Colt" 1851 (naval model) No. 29705, engraved by the German master Gustav Young (1827-1895). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
This year saw the start of the Crimean War, in which Russia clashed with Turkey and its allies, Great Britain and France. Colt, as usual, sold weapons to both sides. In November 1854, he presented the Russian Tsar Nicholas I with three gold-encrusted revolvers, one of each pair.
The gift clearly demonstrated the technical and artistic capabilities of the Colt enterprise, as well as its patriotic spirit. Moreover, the revolvers that remained in the United States differed in pattern from those that ended up in Russia. For example, the Colt Dragoon revolver of the third model from the Metropolitan Museum of Art depicts a portrait of George Washington and the coat of arms of the United States, and the revolver from the Hermitage has a view of the Capitol building and the figure of Columbia against the background of a steam locomotive and an anvil, personifying American industry. Well, they also differ in numbers.
"Colt-Dragoon" of the third model. Serial number 12406. It was this revolver that was paired with the one that was presented to the Russian Emperor Nicholas I. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Case with accessories for this revolver
Revolver belt six-shot Colt system sample 1851 (naval model). Serial number 20131. Engraved by Gustav Young. Caliber 9,14 mm. In 1854 presented by S. Colt to Emperor Nicholas I. Transferred to the Hermitage from the Tsarskoye Selo Arsenal in 1886.
Colt's six-shot saddle system revolver, army sample, the so-called "third dragoon model", gift copy. Serial number 12407. Overall length: 35,8 cm; barrel length: 19,1 cm; caliber: 11,1 mm. Presented by S. Colt to Emperor Nicholas I in 1854. State Hermitage Museum
The same revolver. View from the left. The figure of Colombia against the background of a steam locomotive and an anvil. State Hermitage
The same revolver. Right view. An Indian shoots an arrow at an American soldier. State Hermitage
Two other gold-encrusted Colts, presented to Tsar Nicholas I, are also kept in the Hermitage. Among them, as already noted, the revolver "Dragoon" of the third model (No. 12407) and pocket revolver model 1849 (No. 63305). The serial number of the Hermitage revolver precedes by one digit the number of the Model 1849 revolver from the Metropolitan Museum of Art (No. 63306). The American example of 1849 is less ornate and has a four-inch barrel compared to the Hermitage example's six-inch barrel. The Model 1851 Naval Pistol in the museum is one of five known gold-encrusted Model 1851 revolvers.
Gold-encrusted pocket revolver "Colt" model 1849 (No. 63306). Interestingly, on his drum, Waterman's engraving by Lilly Ormsby depicts a stagecoach robbery with a clear hint that with such a revolver one can not be afraid of such troubles. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Incidentally, the Model 1849 pocket revolver, introduced in 1848 and remaining in production until 1872, was one of Colt's most popular firearms, with over 300 produced. Available with a four-, five-, or six-inch barrel, its small size made it a practical weapon for self-defense. This revolver is one of four gold-encrusted Colt revolvers in the Metrolithic Museum's collection.
Colt's five-shot pocket revolver, model 1855, the so-called "new model". Serial number 9126. Overall length: 20,2 cm; barrel length: 8,9 cm; caliber: 6,7 mm. In 1858, S. Colt presented it to Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich. On the rim of the handle there is a dedicatory inscription: “To His Imperial Highness The Grand Duke Constantine. From the Inventor Col. Colt» State Hermitage Museum
Colt's six-shot saddle system revolver, army model, the so-called "third dragoon model", with an attached butt. Length with stock: 67,9 cm; length: 36,0 cm; barrel length: 19,1 cm; caliber: 11,1 mm. In 1858 presented by S. Colt to Emperor Alexander II
The Metropolitan and Hermitage revolvers are the most ornate of this group of gift revolvers. Relief figured gold inserts and dense inlay with gold curls interspersed with animals are very noticeable on them, which cover the barrels, frames, axles of levers for tight driving of a bullet and trigger.
Many gold-inlaid Colts are adorned with patriotic iconography, including the museum's Dragoon revolver with a portrait of the first President of the United States, George Washington (1732–1799), and the coat of arms of the United States. But a revolver with the image of the Capitol building on the drum got into Russia.
Pocket revolver "Colt" model 1855, with a side trigger. Serial no. 4460, with case and accessories, ca. 1856 This revolver was presented by Samuel Colt to John P. Moore. The hilt was carved from the Charter Oak, owned by I. W. Stewart. This tree was revered as a symbol of Connecticut's struggle for freedom. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Case for this revolver with accessories
The inscription on the handle
It is interesting that experts are still arguing about who exactly decorated this or that engraved Colt revolver, because it has not been clarified exactly. In addition to Gustav Young (1827–1895), it is assumed that the engravers were Hermann Bodenstein (1829–1865) and John Marr (1831–1921). Young engraved for Colt 1853–1858, Bodenstein 1852–1855 and 1856–1865, and Marr 1853–1855.
Police revolver "Colt" model 1862, serial number 38549. The handle was designed by John Quincy Adams Ward ca. 1868. It depicts a female figure representing Christianity and justice. John Quincy Adams Ward created the original grip model for a pair of revolvers given by President Abraham Lincoln to the governor of Adrianople (modern-day Edirne, Turkey) in 1864. Ward was relatively unknown at the time, but soon became one of America's most celebrated sculptors. Metrolithic Museum, New York
Handle close-up
The figure of Justice is the most suitable for a police revolver!
Initially, gift revolvers had standard handles, and only metal parts were inlaid. But then the designers noticed that the handle on the gift sample could also become a decorative element, and they began to cut them out and cast them from metal in the most intricate way.
Police conversion revolver "Colt" model 1862. Serial number 9174. Tuer system drum. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
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