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FLINTLOCK AND PERCUSSION
AND IMPERIALISM 1815–1914
PISTOLS AND EARLY REVOLVERS

American Samuel Colt patented the design of a new type of pistol in Brass trigger guard
1835—a six-shot cylinder revolver that fired percussion-cap ammunition.
Colt was the first manufacturer to prove that it was commercially viable ▲ HARPER’S FERRY PISTOL The Model 1805 was the
to mass-produce revolvers—no fewer than 215,348 of his .36 caliber Model Date 1805 first pistol manufactured at
1851 revolver were sold from 1851 to 1876. British interest in pistols was Origin US the newly established United States
sparked by Colt’s display at the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London. By the Weight 31 ⁄4oz (900g) Federal Arsenal at Harper’s Ferry
3
(in modern-day West Virginia). It
end of the 1850s, revolvers made by London gunmakers such as Robert Adams Barrel 10in (25.4cm) was robust enough to be reversed
had become more popular in Britain than American Colts. Adams’s pistols had Caliber .54in and used as a club if required.
double-action (“self-cocking”) locks—an element of British
revolver design from the start.

▲ COLT PATERSON Samuel Colt’s first factory
REVOLVING RIFLE in Paterson, New Jersey,
produced revolver rifles as
Date 1837
well as pistols. However,
Origin US it had limited facilities and
Y Plain unfluted Weight 8 ⁄2lb (3.9kg) went bankrupt. Paterson-built
1
Colts, such as this first-pattern
INDUSTR Hammer eight chambers Caliber .36in Ramrod concealed-hammer eight-shot
Barrel 32in (81.3cm)
cylinder has
rifle, are extremely rare.
▶ PATTERN 1842
COAST GUARD PISTOL retainer
Date 1842
Origin UK
Weight 2 ⁄4lb (1.05kg)
1
Lock plate
Barrel 6in (15cm)
Caliber 24-bore
In the 1842 coast guard pistol,
the ramrod retainer swivelled
to allow the captive rod to be
inserted in the barrel. These
pistols were replaced by
revolvers from the 1850s.

Octagonal
barrel Brass
trigger
guard
Cutaway to facilitate
placing of cap
▲ COLT POCKET PISTOL A revised version of
MODEL 1849 his 1848 revolver, the
Date 1849 Baby Dragoon, Samuel
Colt’s 1849 Pocket
Origin US Pistol had a standard
1
Weight 24 ⁄2oz (690g) compound rammer, the Brass-bound
butt
Barrel 4in (10.2cm) choice of three barrel
lengths, and a five- or
Caliber .31in
six-shot cylinder.
▲ COLT NAVY MODEL 1851
Date 1853
Origin UK
1
Weight 2 ⁄2lb (1.2kg)
Barrel 7 ⁄2in (19cm)
1
Caliber .36in
▲ COLT SECOND MODEL Colt’s mainstay during the
DRAGOON PISTOL first 15 years of the percussion At the Great Exhibition of 1851 in
era was the Dragoon Pistol, so called London, Samuel Colt introduced
Date 1849 the Navy Model, a lighter pistol in
because it was intended as a sidearm
Origin US .36in rather than .44in caliber. After
for cavalrymen. A new factory was
1
Weight 4 ⁄4lb (1.93kg) built at Hartford in Connecticut to the display, he obtained an order
Barrel 7 ⁄2in (19cm) produce the Dragoon Pistol to fulfill from the British government. This
1
an army contract. is one of the pistols produced at the
Caliber .44in company’s London factory.