Page 49 - 2005 DT 12 Issues

I n T h i s I s s u e

Featured Article
Samuel E. Colt................................1
Special
2005-06 Budget...............................6
Albertson’s Community Partners....7
Departments
News & Notes..................................2
J u l y 2 0 0 5 Programs & Hikes...........................4
Desk Schedule................................6
Bulletin Board................................8

SAM COLT . . . THE WEST’S Civil War, Sam Colt capitalized on the
During the years leading up to the
GREAT EQUALIZER by Chuck Kleber demand for small revolvers, personal
weapons that could be easily carried
and concealed if desired. He came up
t was said in the West that God cre- patent for a revolver, the five-shot Pa- with the 1849 Colt Pocket Pistol in .31
ated men, but Sam Colt made them terson. Its name simply reflected the caliber. It was an enormous success

Iequal. There was a lot of truth in factory location, Paterson, New Jersey. with eventual sales of over 300,000.
that. His name will forever be associ- Kit Carson was just one of many who Colt was fond of giving beauti-
ated with the “six-gun” that changed praised the gun, but it was the Republic fully engraved presentation models to
firearms design and history forever. He of Texas and the Texas Rangers who famous people in promoting his
designed the first successful revolver gave the name “Colt” its biggest boost. firearms. Many were done by the master
with a self-contained cylinder that Captain S. H. Walker of the Rangers engraver Waterman Ormsby, who
allowed a man to fire several shots became a friend.
without reloading. In a famous inci- Western themes
dent in the 1830s, Comanches in a war prevailed, includ-
party were completely stunned when a ing the famous
group of Texas Rangers kept shooting Ranger-Coman-
without reloading. The Rangers were che battle. And in
armed with the “Paterson Colt,” the another theme,
very first practical revolver. it didn’t hurt to
have a show . . .
Colt not only had an inventive a passenger on a
mind, he was a true entrepreneur in stagecoach driving
Colt Frontier Six-Shooter
every way . . . and he was restless. From the Connecticut State Library Web site. off outlaws with a
Samuel Colt was born in Hartford, Colt revolver.
Connecticut in 1814, the son of a Sam Houston (then a senator)
merchant and manufacturer. It was had some ideas on how to improve the wrote to Colt, enquiring when he would
in his father’s factory that the young Paterson, including an increase to six be inWashington: “If you have a small
Sam soaked up knowledge about shots and raising the caliber to .44. pistol, or will soon have one made of
chemistry. When only 18 he set out on This was a big pistol—4 pounds, 9 choice quality, I wish you would bring
his own, using the name “Dr. Coult” ounces with a 9-inch barrel, and could it with you as I wish to purchase one.”
in lecturing about chemistry. It was a even be used effectively as a club. It be- Houston may have been hoping that
nervy act, but his winning personality came known as the “Walker Colt.” The Colt would provide him with the gift
and knowledge made his lectures so U.S. Government was enthused enough to of a presentation revolver. Today, these
successful that in just two years he order 1,000 of them. Ever wonder where
had made enough money to pursue the inspiration came for the successful TV
his great invention—the revolver. By series with Chuck Norris, “Walker, Texas
1835, the 21-year-old Colt got his first Ranger”? Now you know. Sam Colt, continued on p 6