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Colt ships arms to the Confederates.

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There's a thread about Colt sending a large shipment of revolvers to Virginia on or right after Fort Sumpter fight started the Civil War.
https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/rare-colt-1860.143300

Samuel Colt also shipped the famous McCullough colts (Cimmaron makes 2 copies of the type) to Texas. Only one of these Cimarrons is called McCullough but the much cheaper one differs only in the finish. It's in blue like the originals were leaving the factory, instead of antiqued like the Mccoulloughs appear today.

Colt only sold 3000 guns made in his large new factory powered by a giant water wheel in Patterson between 1837 and 1842. This included two shipments of 500 to the Republic of Texas (for their navy). This was the only decent size purchase order for Pattersons. The navy disbanded after the war (Texas v Mexico / the Alamo et.al). Texas ranger captains like McCullough, Hayes, Walker took the Pattersons stored in a warehouse that nobody else in the Texas military wanted. But the rangers loved them. And used them.

A few years later in 1847 Walker sent a letter to Colt, an unexpected letter which raised the Colt firearms business from the dead. Colt's factory and all company assets had been seized away from him (bankruptcy) in 1842. Now thanks to Ranger Walker, Colt got an order from the U.S. government for 1000 improved revolvers. This order allowed Colt to borrow money from banks to build a new company, and in a year or so later, another even more outrageously large factory. Before the 'Walker' govt. contract, Colt was not welcome at any bank and few persons would reply nicely to his letters. He was sort of persona non grata.

The rangers (Hays, McCullough) also helped Colt designed the 1851 Navy soon after, and Colt named it the "Ranger" revolver in gratitude.

Colt was a Democrat, not a Republican, and these Northern Democrats opposed going to war. McCullough's rangers were going to leave Texas for the war. This would leave all the isolated settlers in Texas at risk to deadly violent Comanche raids. Colt rushed two shipments of 1860 (early models with long flutes) to McCullough on the very day or some say a couple days after Sumpter fell. It was done for humane reasons, the many debts Colt owed to Texas and it's rangers, and Colt was not all that big a supporter of the coming war, to say the least.

2 of the 3 types of engravings on percussion Colts (naval battle, Indian fight) had to do with the Texas rangers. Had there been no Texas and no rangers Colt might have ended up on skid row so to speak, instead of one of the richest men in America. He owed Texas and the rangers everything.

Back in that day, Northern newspapers attacked Colt for these types of shipments. Some of them called for his arrest. But Colt was quick to announce he never shipped any guns after the word got to him that war had been declared, and that no more shipments South would be forthcoming. (He did ship to border States like Kentucky. And two men who planned to become Southern officers after they enlisted, bought hundreds for their troops). One was Nathan Bedford Forrest who I think bought 500, I forget who the other officer was).

Colt did not remain controversial in the North for long. Colt built god knows how many thousands of muskets for the Union. And about 125,000 1860 revolvers, and tens of thousands of other revolver types for the Union during the war. None for the Confederate States. Colt died in the middle of the war 1862. and his factory burnt down for unknown reasons in 1864. The war ended in 1865.

All the above came from my reading the latest and probably best biography of Colt: "Revolver"
81XnA3c9ufL._AC_UY654_FMwebp_QL65_.jpg
 
Both men who would become high ranking Southern generals who purchased hundreds of Colt revolvers for their men were merely civilians when they made the purchase right before enlisting for the coming war. All nice and proper. I recall one purchase, or maybe both, were done in Kentucky.
 
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Colt was a businessman, supplying weapons was his trade. He died one of the wealthiest men in the world and he earned a lot of his money with military contracts.

Colt was just filling an order, he didn't know or probably care where they were going.

He sold revolvers to Russia and England too. The Russians ripped off the Colt Navy and made their own copies.

Colt has made sidearms and rifles in every American conflict since the Rangers used Patersons to fight the Indians to the present day. That's, doing the mental math.....just short of 190 years of being a US Govt contract weapons supplier.
 
Funny this topic should come up. I've been listening to a series on my way to work. It's on YouTube and it's called History of the Handguns of Colt. Episode 07 is about the 1860, and has a lot of civil war history. Excellent series, I can recommend it
 
That looks very good. It's by 11bangbang. I remember last July 4th he and his brother Caleb had a sort of woods walk 1776 musket shooting contest.
 
The Northern Democrats were actually split over going to war. Which side did Colt come down on?
As was said Colts business was selling guns. He didn’t care who the buyer was. After Bull Run his means of moving guns south dried up. And is Army was buying guns as fast as he could produce them.
American scrap iron sellers built the Japanese fleet, and Hughes Aircraft supplied much of the prewar research that turned out the zero.
Ultimately Colt supported the north.
The UK was not allied to Mexico but Americans were facing brown besses once again then.
We kept a Janes Fighting ships aboard our boat in the navy. The first third of the book was arms advertising. Italy would build you a submarine and the UK missiles and torpedos. Be the first country in your bloc to have the newest super weapon 10% off first order.
 
Would have been great to see what Colt came up with if he hadn't been conforming to what the war demanded. But hey, maybe it would have been bankruptcy again because after all, war is the best consumer.
 
There's a thread about Colt sending a large shipment of revolvers to Virginia on or right after Fort Sumpter fight started the Civil War.
https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/rare-colt-1860.143300

Samuel Colt also shipped the famous McCullough colts (Cimmaron makes 2 copies of the type) to Texas. Only one of these Cimarrons is called McCullough but the much cheaper one differs only in the finish. It's in blue like the originals were leaving the factory, instead of antiqued like the Mccoulloughs appear today.

Colt only sold 3000 guns made in his large new factory powered by a giant water wheel in Patterson between 1837 and 1842. This included two shipments of 500 to the Republic of Texas (for their navy). This was the only decent size purchase order for Pattersons. The navy disbanded after the war (Texas v Mexico / the Alamo et.al). Texas ranger captains like McCullough, Hayes, Walker took the Pattersons stored in a warehouse that nobody else in the Texas military wanted. But the rangers loved them. And used them.

A few years later in 1847 Walker sent a letter to Colt, an unexpected letter which raised the Colt firearms business from the dead. Colt's factory and all company assets had been seized away from him (bankruptcy) in 1842. Now thanks to Ranger Walker, Colt got an order from the U.S. government for 1000 improved revolvers. This order allowed Colt to borrow money from banks to build a new company, and in a year or so later, another even more outrageously large factory. Before the 'Walker' govt. contract, Colt was not welcome at any bank and few persons would reply nicely to his letters. He was sort of persona non grata.

The rangers (Hays, McCullough) also helped Colt designed the 1851 Navy soon after, and Colt named it the "Ranger" revolver in gratitude.

Colt was a Democrat, not a Republican, and these Northern Democrats opposed going to war. McCullough's rangers were going to leave Texas for the war. This would leave all the isolated settlers in Texas at risk to deadly violent Comanche raids. Colt rushed two shipments of 1860 (early models with long flutes) to McCullough on the very day or some say a couple days after Sumpter fell. It was done for humane reasons, the many debts Colt owed to Texas and it's rangers, and Colt was not all that big a supporter of the coming war, to say the least.

2 of the 3 types of engravings on percussion Colts (naval battle, Indian fight) had to do with the Texas rangers. Had there been no Texas and no rangers Colt might have ended up on skid row so to speak, instead of one of the richest men in America. He owed Texas and the rangers everything.

Back in that day, Northern newspapers attacked Colt for these types of shipments. Some of them called for his arrest. But Colt was quick to announce he never shipped any guns after the word got to him that war had been declared, and that no more shipments South would be forthcoming. (He did ship to border States like Kentucky. And two men who planned to become Southern officers after they enlisted, bought hundreds for their troops). One was Nathan Bedford Forrest who I think bought 500, I forget who the other officer was).

Colt did not remain controversial in the North for long. Colt built god knows how many thousands of muskets for the Union. And about 125,000 1860 revolvers, and tens of thousands of other revolver types for the Union during the war. None for the Confederate States. Colt died in the middle of the war 1862. and his factory burnt down for unknown reasons in 1864. The war ended in 1865.

All the above came from my reading the latest and probably best biography of Colt: "Revolver"
81XnA3c9ufL._AC_UY654_FMwebp_QL65_.jpg
Wish he would have shipped a helluva lot more to those folks!
 
I believe the first 1,000 fluted cylinder 1860’s all went south before the embargo.
I heard this and that many blew up in the shooter's hands as the fluted cylinders weren't strong enough for the load and one of the reasons Colt went away from it.
 
I heard this and that many blew up in the shooter's hands as the fluted cylinders weren't strong enough for the load and one of the reasons Colt went away from it.
You’re correct, there were numerous cases of the fluted cylinders cracking and rupturing. Even the steel Colt used just didn’t have the strength for that design.
 
The Bessimer oxygen process for making stronger steels began to be used about 1860. This enabled Colt to put larger caliber cylinders into smaller frames (e.g. 1860 Army, 1862 Pocket Police and Pocket Navy). The 1860 Army was a .44 on a medium size frame instead of a large Dragoon frame. Adding flutes would also require stronger steel.
I think that's why videos of steel being produced show red hot sparks flying. Oxygenation process making the sparks fly.
 
The Bessimer oxygen process for making stronger steels began to be used about 1860. This enabled Colt to put larger caliber cylinders into smaller frames (e.g. 1860 Army, 1862 Pocket Police and Pocket Navy). The 1860 Army was a .44 on a medium size frame instead of a large Dragoon frame. Adding flutes would also require stronger steel.
I think that's why videos of steel being produced show red hot sparks flying. Oxygenation process making the sparks fly.
Yup this is true, up till mid 1850's all the gun makers used wrought iron produced from iron ore that was heated in a furnace and mixed with sand (silica) as a slag to remove impurities in the iron ore. When the billet of iron was dropped out of the furnace it was heated, pounded with sledge hammers, heated and folded and pounded with sledge hammers some more to squeeze the silica slag out leaving an iron billet with about 98 % iron and 1 - 2 % silica. Carbon was added to the iron to produce a thin layer of steel where added strength was needed in frames, hammers and triggers through case hardening. Once the Blast Furnace was invented it made pig iron from the iron ore with about 90% iron and 10% carbon, steel requires a carbon content of 0.2% to 2.0% the challenge was to remove a sufficient quantity of carbon to meet the 0.2 to 2% carbon requirement. The Bessemer Process blows air/oxygen into a furnace filled with molten pig iron, the air/oxygen mixture oxidizes the carbon into carbon dioxide removing it from the metal lowering the carbon content to the desired level, the other impurities are oxidized and collect in the slag which is skimmed off before pouring the steel into molds. This process made steel easy to produce and fairly cheap allowing gun makers to manufacture bigger calibers, bigger powder charges with minimal compromise to guns size and weight. Later it makes the transition from black powder to smokeless powder easier for some of the gun makers, although Colt did struggle with this as the Colt design did not have a top strap over the cylinder between the barrel and the hammer.
 
How did Colt struggle?
It started with the Colt SAA in early 1890's, the SAA had a one piece frame instead of the 2 piece frame held together with the wedge. I read an article on this in one of my dad's older colt books / encyclopedias that Colt struggled to find a steel that was strong enough to take the high pressures created by smokeless powder which I believe is 3X that of black powder but was still economical enough for mass production to keep cost low. It's generally accepted that in 1900 at serial number 192000 that the SAA was certified for smokeless powder and were identified by a VP (Verified Proofed) proof mark on the left side of the trigger guard, but up to 1905 there were Colt revolvers leaving the Colt plant without the VP mark and also reports of revolvers without the VP mark being returned to Colt for warranty work and being returned to their owners with the VP mark. it was after 1905 the VP proof mark consistently appeared on every gun leaving the Colt factory.

Unfortunately my dad's collection of gun books mysteriously disappeared from the time dad passed away in Jan 2020 and my mom passing away in Aug 2020 so I cannot verify what I've written above, even the modern day Colt historical experts disagree as to when Colt fully transitioned from black powder to smokeless powder. I have seen it mentioned in several Colt SAA Forums that original Colt SAA revolvers built before 1900 be shot using only black powder loads and not smokeless powder loads due to the uncertainty of the integrity of the steel frames.


Now before anyone calls BS my dad was a huge collector of early Colt and Remington revolvers and Winchesters. I grew up living and breathing in Colt, Remington and Winchester history. Some of the early Colts dad owned included .36 Patterson, 1st, 2nd and 3rd Model Dragoons, a Walker Colt, numerous cased 1851 Navies and 1860 Armies and cased Remingtons.

It's probably for this reason I fire an original Colt 1851 Navy.

Dad passed away in January 2020 and mom passed away in Aug 2020, his gun collection was sold off years ago, he sure left one hell of an impression on me tho.

Attached in an article on dad after he retired from INCO.
 

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