mar 21, 1932 - THE COLT REVOLVER

Description:

The first multi-shot, revolving firearms that were mass produced came from Samuel Colt. Colt produced a gun that enabled people to fire multiple shots without reloading — a development that forever changed warfare. By mass producing these weapons, the inventor made them more affordable and, as PBS Notes, their accuracy and reliability made them useful among hunters and soldiers, alike.

The first Colt revolver emerged in 1835. The Colt web site has more about this fascinating history:

Sam Colt’s success story began with the issuance of a U.S. patent in 1836 for the Colt firearm equipped with a revolving cylinder containing five or six bullets. Colt’s revolver provided its user with greatly increased firepower. Prior to his invention, only one- and two-barrel flintlock pistols were available. In the 163 years that have followed, more than 30 million revolvers, pistols, and rifles bearing the Colt name have been produced, almost all of them in plants located in the Hartford, Connecticut, area.