Colt Paterson revolver
The Colt Paterson revolvers were the first Samuel Colt designed percussion revolvers and revolver rifles to be manufactured in the Patent Arms Manufacturing Company in Paterson, New Jersey . The company was founded in 1836 and went bankrupt in 1841. A total of around 3,200 revolvers and 1,850 rifles were produced.
history
Colt was hired on a ship, the Corvo , when he was 16 . During the voyage, which lasted from 1830 to 1831, the ship docked in India and London. Legend has it that during the trip Colt carved a revolver out of wood. It is believed that while visiting the arms factory in the Tower of London in India and London, he had a collier revolver with flintlock ignition in his hands. In the following years he developed the idea further and had gunsmiths, known are John Pearson, FH Brask and Anson Chase, build a number of prototypes, 26 are known. In 1836 he applied for his first patent for a functional revolver.
In early prototypes, the rear and front ends of the drum were still covered, which could lead to the drum rotation being blocked by fired primers and the ignition of all chambers. The last improved prototypes corresponded to the later industrially manufactured weapons except for details necessary for series production. The triumphant advance of the Colt revolver began in 1837. The army was still very skeptical of this new weapon. Colt had a troop of 18 Texas rangers equipped with Paterson models. Thanks to this armament, the rangers under the legendary Captain John Coffee "Jack" Hays emerged victorious in 1841 from a fight ("Battle on the Banderapass") against 70 to 80 Komantschen .
After various contacts with financiers, officers of the US Army and future employees, the "Patent Arms Manufacturing Company" was founded on March 5, 1836 with a capital of $ 230,000. The 24 shareholders elected Elias DB Ogden as President. Samuel Colt filed his patents for royalties and a share of the profits and received a salary of $ 1,000 a year. He had no participation in the share capital. A factory building in Paterson (New Jersey) was used as a production facility. The administration and exhibition space were on Broadway in New York.
The first weapons were manufactured towards the end of 1836, and serial production began in 1837 with the “No. 1 Ring Lever Rifle “(Ring Lever Rifle No. 1). Sales were poor and in 1841 the company went bankrupt. In the liquidation, the machinery, the remaining weapons and components were taken over by John Ehlers, a hardware dealer from Hoboken and since 1840 the company's chief financial officer. After taking over the weapons and parts as well as the machine park, Ehlers continued the business until around 1845. In contrast to their predecessors, most of these weapons were equipped with bullet setters attached to the barrel.
First troop operations
In addition to technical cooperation, Samuel Colt began early on with his sales policy of distributing engraved weapons as promotional gifts, and US President Andrew Jackson was one of his first beneficiaries. In early 1837, Colt received an order for 72 revolvers from the South Carolina government in Charleston , but the order was canceled because the delivery date could not be met. Colt had success with the sale of long guns to the US Army, in 1838 this 50 Ring Lever No. 1 rifles that were subsequently used in the Second Seminole War. Although the troops were successful thanks to these multi-loaders, the US Army rejected these weapons: too fragile, too complicated.
Later, a large number of Paterson carbines and 180 Paterson Holster Revolver No. 5 were sold to the Republic of Texas for armament in the Navy. The revolvers were handed over to the Texas Rangers (police) in 1843 , where Samuel Hamilton Walker, captain of the troops, made the acquaintance of the Paterson revolver and later with Samuel Colt the Walker Colt, the first Colt percussion revolver produced after the Paterson revolver .
Building the Paterson Arms
Revolvers and long guns were built on the same principle and had the following components:
- Barrel, with the late long guns and the Ehlers revolvers with ball setter
- System box with firmly screwed in, massive drum axis
- Drum, cylindrical, later rounded at the back, no toothed ring to advance the drum. The drum is rotated via a rotating ring attached to the rear of the drum axis.
- The front part of the revolver grip frame is part of the lock housing and carries the V-shaped mainspring.
- The barrels are octagonal, the turret barrels have 11 grooves.
Assembling the weapon: The barrel is pushed over the extension of the drum axis and thus connected to the rest of the weapon. A wedge pushed through the barrel block and a milled cut in the drum axis fixes the barrel. Two pins protruding from the bottom of the system box, fitting into two holes in the barrel block, fix it against rotation. See Colt percussion revolver . The long guns had six or more round drums, depending on the caliber, and with the exception of the last carbine, these too had a scene and the word Colt rolled up on them.
Most early guns came with two drums. The barrel was removed for reloading, the separately supplied ball setter could be inserted into the cross wedge gap (as a counter bearing) of the drum axis. In later weapons, the ball setter was attached to the barrel.
The Paterson revolver
The mass-produced Paterson revolvers were manufactured between 1837 and 1840. They had an octagonal barrel , labeled: - Patent Arms M'g Co. Paterson NJ. Colt's Pat.- On the five-shot drum of the model No. 1, 2 and 3 show a “Centaur” scene and the word Colt, model 5 shows a stagecoach robbery. The serial numbers of the weapons were mostly stamped in hidden places. The firing mechanism largely corresponded to that of the later Colt revolvers , the trigger blade was folded in in the frame, and when the cock was cocked it fell out. The handle scales were made of lacquered walnut wood, more rarely of ivory. The bullet setter was supplied as an accessory with early weapons, while it was attached to the barrel of later weapons.
Colt Pocket Model Paterson Revolver No. 1
The Paterson Pocket Revolver in caliber .28 (7 mm) was manufactured between 1837 and 1838 in around 500 copies. Barrel length 1¾ to 4¾ inches, some of the barrels have not 11 but 7 trains. The lower end of the handle is flat. The serial number ran from 1 to around 500.
Colt Belt Model Paterson Revolver No. 2
The Belt Model No. 2 largely corresponded to the pocket model, caliber .31 (~ 7.8 mm), 5-round drum, barrel length 2½ to 4¾ inches. As with model No. 1 the lower end of the handle is flat (picture). The serial number ran from 1 to approx. 800.
Colt Belt Model Paterson Revolver No. 3
The Belt Model No. 3 had a larger frame, caliber .31 (~ 7.8 mm) or .34 (~ 8.6 mm), 5-round drum, barrel length 4-6 inches, individual weapons 12 inches. The lower end of the handle is flat or widened at the bottom like the handle of model No. 5. The serial number ran from 1 to approximately 900.
Colt Holster Model Paterson Revolver No. 5, also "Texas Paterson"
The frame size of the Holster Model No. 5 revolvers and the caliber .36 (~ 9 mm) corresponded roughly to that of the Model 1851 Navy Colts. Standard barrel length 7½ and 9 inches, less often 4–12 inches. Early drums were cylindrical, later rounded at the back. The serial number ran from 1 to around 1000.
The long guns
The first weapons to be completed before revolvers were delivered were ring-lever rifles, which were reloaded by actuating a lower lever, the "ring lever". Later weapons had an external hammer, the mechanism corresponded to that of the revolver. The barrel of the rifle rotates counterclockwise.
Colt Paterson Ring Lever Rifle first model
The Ring Lever Rifle 1st Model is the first series-produced weapon in Paterson from 1837 to 1838. It had a frame that was closed at the top but had no connection to the barrel. The structure of the weapon corresponded to that of the revolver. It was made in .34, .36, .38, .40 and .44 calibers. 8 or 10-round drum. Barrel length 32 inches (81 cm), shorter on small-bore models. Number of weapons around 200.
Colt Paterson Ring Lever Rifle second model
The later second model corresponds in structure to the predecessor; around 500 copies were produced from 1838 to 1841. In contrast to its predecessor, the frame was open at the top. The standard caliber was .44, 8 or rarely 10-round drum. Barrel length 28 or 32 inches (81 cm), or made to order.
Colt Paterson Model 1839 Carbine
A major change and simplification of the reloading mechanism compared to the Ring Lever Rifle was the switch to the external cock. The carabiner was produced from the beginning of 1839 to 1841, after the bankruptcy of the company Ehlers still produced carabiners until 1845. Between 900 and 950 pieces were produced in total. The barrel in. 525 inches (13.3 mm) had no draws. Barrel length 24 inches, other barrel lengths rarely. 6-shot drum.
The Model 1939 Carbine was the best-selling Paterson long gun. The US War Department bought 360 of these carbines. 300 went to the US Navy and 60 were used to arm mounted troops (US Dragoons). The Republic of Texas acquired 300, 180 went to the Navy, the rest to the Texas Rangers and the Texas Army. A little more than 250 pieces went into the civilian market, which prompted Samuel Colt to continue producing them after 1847.
Colt Paterson Model 1839 shotgun
The shotgun corresponded in structure and mechanism to the carbine. 225 pieces were produced. The barrel in the caliber of about .610 (15.5 mm) had no rifles. Standard barrel length 24 and 32 inches, other barrel lengths rarely. 6-shot drum.
Colt Model 1839/1848 Carbine
After manufacturing the Model 1847 Walker Colts and receiving further orders from the US Army , Samuel Colt rented manufacturing facilities in Hartford , Connecticut to continue making revolvers. Colt also planned to modify existing Model 1839 carbines and offer them to the army. For an unknown number of these weapons, the drums were modified or newly manufactured, the ring gear for rotation was now attached directly to the drum, the drum surface was bare. It may have been one of those weapons that was shown at the Crystal Palace 1851 exhibition in London. However, series production was no longer started.
literature
- Robert Q. Sutherland / RL Wilson: The Book of Colt Firearms . Published by Robert Q. Sutherland, Kansas City, Missouri 1971.
- Martin Rywell: Samuel Colt, a Man and an Epoch . Pioneer Press, Harriman, Tennessee 1952.
- Phillip R. Phillips, RL Wilson: Paterson Colt Pistol Variations . Jackson Arms, Dallas TX 1979.
- Robin G. Rapley: Colt Percussion Accoutrements 1834-1873 . Graphic Publishers, Newport Beach, CA 1994, ISBN 1-882824-08-3 .
- James E. Serven: Colt Firearms from 1836 . Stackpole Books, Harrisburg, Penn. 1981, ISBN 0-8117-0400-9 .
- Herbert G. Houze: Colt Rifles & Muskets from 1847-1870 . Krause Publications, Iola, WI 1996, ISBN 0-87341-417-9 .