Westward Expansion (Part 2)
On the East Coast, a man name Samuel Colt was busy creating. His work made a big impact on the firearms world.
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WESTWARD EXPANSION PART 2
HI I’M CHRIS METER, WELCOME BACK TO MISSION94’S LOOK AT THE WESTWARD EXPANSION.
IN PART ONE WE DISCUSSED HOW THE LONG RIFLE AIDED FRONTIERSMEN IN PROTECTING THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES AS THEY MOVED WEST.
MEANWHILE, BACK ON THE EAST COAST, A MAN NAMED SAMUEL COLT WAS BUSY CREATING.
AN INVENTOR OF MANY THINGS THAT WENT BOOM, IN THE LATE 1830S AND EARLY 1840S, COLT TRIED MANY THINGS TO EARN ENOUGH MONEY TO SET HIMSELF UP DOING SOMETHING HE WAS PASSIONATE ABOUT – DESIGNING AND BUILDING FIREARMS. HE TRIED MANY THINGS UNTIL FINALLY, IN THE MID 1840S, HIS DILIGENCE AND HARD WORK PAID OFF. CAPTAIN WALKER OF THE TEXAS RANGERS PLACED AN ORDER FOR 1,000 OF HIS REVOLVERS.
THIS REVOLVER, THE COLT WALKER REVOLVER, WAS A SINGLE ACTION FIREARM THAT USED A REVOLVING CYLINDER AND HELD 6 BULLETS AND WAS FIRED WITH BLACK POWDER. THIS FIREARM WAS HEFTY WEIGHING IN AT ABOUT 4.5 LBS WITH A 9 INCH BARREL AND FIRED A .44 CALIBER ROUND WITH A 60 GRAIN POWDER CHARGE PER CYLINDER. WITH THESE SPECIFICATIONS, IT WAS ABOUT TWICE AS POWERFUL AS OTHER REVOLVERS OF THE PERIOD.
WITH THE PROCEEDS FROM THE SALE OF COLT WALKER REVOLVERS, SAMUEL COLT BOUGHT EQUIPMENT AND CREATED COLT’S PATENT FIRE-ARMS MANUFACTURING COMPANY AND FACTORY.
THE FIRST FIREARMS MADE IN THE FACTORY WERE WHITNEYVILLE-HARTFORD DRAGOONS, MADE FROM LEFTOVER COLT WALKER PARTS, THEY THE FIRST OF THE COLT DRAGOON REVOLVERS. THE KEY DIFFERENCE IN THE DRAGOON REVOLVERS COMPARED TO THE EARLIER WALKERS WAS ITS SIZE AND WEIGHT.
A SLIMMED DOWN REVOLVER, THE DRAGOON HAD A SHORTER CYLINDER, A SHORTER BARREL, AND A LOADING LEVER LATCH TO PREVENT THE LEVER FROM DROPPING DURING RECOIL. THESE CHANGES MADE FOR A LIGHTER, EASIER TO USE AND SAFER FIREARM. THEY BECAME SO POPULAR THAT THEY WERE REFERRED TO SIMPLY AS “COLTS”, PUTTING SAMUEL COLT AND HIS DESIGNS FIRMLY ON THE MAP.
THE EARLY 1800S BROUGHT DRAMATIC CHANGES TO THE WORLD OF FIREARMS, BRINGING US CLOSER TO THE FIREARMS WE USE TODAY.
JOIN US NEXT TIME AS WE CROSS THE POND AND SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING DURING THIS PERIOD IN EUROPE.
