Three generations of famous Colts
The Army Colt is on top, the Marine one is below, and below that is a miniature Colt Paterson.
Lubricate both Colts properly,
Winchester properly lubricate
And go on the road, because
A whim came into your head.
Let's go, okay, whatever!
And there, whether on horseback or on foot,
I swear to you by the bloody coyote -
We'll get to something after all!
Lyrics from the film "The Man from Boulevard des Capucines" (lyrics by Yu. Kim, music by G. Gladkov)
Winchester properly lubricate
And go on the road, because
A whim came into your head.
Let's go, okay, whatever!
And there, whether on horseback or on foot,
I swear to you by the bloody coyote -
We'll get to something after all!
Lyrics from the film "The Man from Boulevard des Capucines" (lyrics by Yu. Kim, music by G. Gladkov)
stories about weapons. It would seem that so much has been written about Colts that it's impossible to write anything new. However, if you think about it, it turns out there's still much to cover. In fact, these revolvers themselves can even be divided into three generations.
As is well known, Samuel Colt began producing his single-action revolvers based on his five-shot percussion cap revolver, the Paterson, in 1836. They were well received, especially by the Texas Rangers. In battles with the Comanches, the Indians would wait for the Rangers to fire their single-shot rifles and pistols before charging. Now, however, they found themselves under constant fire from the Rangers and… losing men, they fled. This revolver became the first generation of Colt revolvers!
The second generation of Colt revolvers from the 1851 and 1860 revolvers: the 1851 "Marine" type in stainless steel (top left) and with a blued finish (bottom left), and the 1860 Army revolvers and the 1862 "Marine" pocket revolvers (right) with a blued finish
However, Colt went bankrupt and closed his factory. He was asking too much for his revolvers. But ten years later, former Ranger Sam Walker traveled East to find Colt and convince him to resume production. It was then that the rather fragile five-shot Paterson was replaced by the six-shot .44 Walker revolver in 4 1/2 inches (1,25 cm) caliber. Colt didn't have his own factory, so Eli Whitney Jr. manufactured them in his factory. Colt soon acquired equipment and machine tools, founded his own factory, and then for years produced the Dragoon Revolver, Models 1, 2, and 3. All of them were essentially "horse pistols," meaning they were so large that they were best carried in pairs in holsters near the saddle, transferring their weight to the horse. However, a successful hit to the neck, their bullets easily decapitated a man!
Colt then took two different paths, producing pocket models of his revolvers and belt-carrying revolvers, or "belt pistols," as they were then called. The pocket pistols were five-shot .31-caliber revolvers and are better known today as the Baby Dragoon, the 1848 Wells Fargo, and the 1849 pocket pistol. Around the same time, Colt also released the first true belt-carrying revolver, the 1851 Marine .36. While the Thrawn revolvers weighed over 4 pounds (1,8 kg), the 1851 Marine weighed closer to 2,5 pounds (1,2 kg) and could be easily carried in a belt holster.
In 1860, Colt used the 1851 Marine as the base platform for a new .44 Army revolver. The Model 1851 had a longer cylinder, allowing it to chamber different cartridges. The 1860 Army also featured a longer, more comfortable grip and a streamlined barrel/lever assembly. Then, in 1861, Colt took a slight step back and used the same barrel and lever assembly to create the 1861 Marine in .36 caliber. While the 1851 Marine used an octagonal barrel like the 1860, the Model 1861 used a round barrel, which was cheaper to manufacture. It also required less metal and was lighter.
The last Colt percussion cap pistols appeared in 1862 in two models. The .36 caliber "Police Pocket" model had the same round barrel and loading lever as the 1860 and 1861 models, while the .36 caliber "Marine Pocket" returned to the octagonal barrel shape. These last pocket pistols used the .31-caliber pocket revolver frame, like the 1851 "Marine" revolver and the 1860 "Army" revolver. The cylinder chamber diameter was increased to accommodate .36 caliber round bullets. These pocket revolvers were the last in the line of Colt percussion revolvers, and their production ceased with the introduction of the legendary 1873 Army Single Action, which gave rise to the third generation of Colt revolvers.
Interestingly, cap-fire revolvers also returned to the market in their second generation, but it took almost 100 years, from 1872 to 1971. Meanwhile, the 1873 and 1876 revolvers were essentially produced continuously by Colt.
Second generation stainless steel Colts with everything needed for their operation
So, what's the situation with percussion cap Colts today? The following is known about the production of "modern Colts": story It all started with Val Forgette Jr. in 1959. He began collaborating with Aldo Uberti, resulting in the first replica of the 1851 Marine, sold through a new company called Marine Arms. Interest in it was particularly high because 1961 marked the 100th anniversary of the Civil War, and everything related to that event was arousing interest in the United States. Revolvers of that era, as well as, incidentally, Mitchell's book Gone with the Wind, were in great demand!
In the early 1970s, Forgette moved to Colt, which led to the revival of production of percussion-action six-shot revolvers at Colt as well. The first batch, known as the C-Series, was produced from 1971 to 1973. Marine Arms imported Uberti parts, tested and approved by Colt. The revolvers' parts were perfectly matched, and the revolvers themselves were painted Colt Royal Blue and hardened in a manner only Colt could provide. From 1973 to 1976, the company contracted with Lou Imperato of Iver Johnson to supply revolver parts. In 1976, Iver Johnson also supplied parts and assembled Colt six-shot revolvers. All of this took place under the supervision and direction of Colt. In particular, the company provided other manufacturers with a 120-page book detailing the manufacturing process of its revolvers. In 1977, the F-Series was launched, replacing the "Colt Royal Blue" color with "Colt Blue." Production of the second-generation revolvers continued until the early 1980s.
A stainless steel 1851 Marine revolver rests on beautiful carved saddlebags from an El Paso saddle shop.
In 1994, Imperato founded his own company, Colt's Black Powder Revolvers, beginning production of the third-generation revolvers, also known as the "Signature" series because they bear Samuel Colt's signature on the grips. From 1994 to 2002, the John Dovino Company, also owned by Imperato, assembled striker-fired revolvers at a Brooklyn factory. This same factory later became Henry & Co. Repeating Arms, now headed by Lou Imperato's son, Anthony.
All of these percussion revolvers of both generations are distinguished by their excellent build and finish, and Colt strictly ensures that they meet its standards. As a result, virtually every original model from the Colt percussion revolver era, from 1836 to 1862, was copied and put into production. Not only the standard models, but also commemorative models and stainless steel versions. The latter belonged to the second generation, and several models were planned for release; however, only three were manufactured, and only two of them were intended for mass consumption. Fewer than 500 Model 1851 stainless steel "Marine" revolvers and fewer than 2000 Model 1860 stainless steel "Army" revolvers were produced, and only eight Model 1861 "Marine" revolvers were produced.
In short, everything is being done for fans of vintage weapons "out there, in the West," so they can enjoy them to their heart's content and shoot them at shooting ranges. All this, in general, develops weapons culture and strengthens people's faith in the exceptional nature of their history and the quality of their equipment.
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