Colt.

This is coolbert:

 Interesting program on the local community college television station about Samuel Colt. A man whose impact upon American frontier culture of the nineteenth century is marked.

Colt is credited with inventing the revolver handgun.

It is said [an adage from the Old West] of Colonel Colt that "GOD created man, but Colonel Colt made them equal!!". 

The revolving handgun was the great equalizer. A man possessing a revolver NEED NOT fear a bully whose physical strength and stature allowed for domination over the weaker man [the man having a revolver in his possession].

[I have asked a Chicago policeman if this adage still remains true. The unequivocal answer was YES!!!]

[This of course assumes the man armed with the revolver is proficient in the usage of the weapon. Most all men on the American frontier WERE proficient in the use of firearms, having served in the American Civil War. The advent of the Colt revolver of course is prior to the War Between the States. But yet, persons of the time knew firearms and could them with proficiency.]

Colt's first business venture manufacturing the Colt revolver was a failure. Colt WAS NOT able to meet demand or make an adequate profit needed to sustain his company. Colt had blacksmiths who hand manufactured his revolver to exacting standards. Volume of production and suitable profit was NOT possible using the hand-crafted method. Colt very quickly lost a prodigious sum of money and went bankrupt and out of business.

This was not, however, the end of Samuel Colt and his invention.

Two events, one far away, the other close to home, inspired Colt to go back into business. This time with success.

The first event, far away from Colt's home in New Jersey, was a climactic battle of Walker Creek, [NOT named for Samuel Walker, the Texas Ranger commanding] between bands of Comanche warriors and Texas Rangers.

The Rangers, mounted and sorely outnumbered, but armed with Colt revolvers, charged a much more numerous and similarly mounted band of Comanches.

Comanches that were on the warpath and ready for battle.

Each Ranger, fifty in all, was equipped with a pair of Colt .44 caliber revolvers.

The Comanches, three hundred in all, were equipped with black powder single shot firearms, spears, tomahawks, bows and arrows, etc. This single charge resulted in half of the Comanche warriors laying dead or wounded on the battlefield, the Rangers emerging relatively unscathed.



[some web sites suggest the number of Comanche was far less. I will go with the figure of three hundred!!]

An impressive display of superior firepower!!

[how much like Blood River in South Africa, is this not??!!

This version of the Colt revolver became known as the "Walker" Colt, in honor of Captain Walker, commander of the Rangers on that day. This revolver can be best described as a "hand cannon", weighing four pounds with a long barrel!!



[it was not until 1933, with the development of the .357 magnum, was a handgun to be found that exceeded the Walker Colt in stopping power. The Walker Colt was an AWESOME weapon.]

After this single battle, the Colt revolver, NOW a proven winner, became popularized. Demand WAS there.

The second event that persuaded Colt to go back into business was a visit he and his father made to the U.S. Army arsenal, Springfield Mass.

This arsenal employed the latest and greatest in mechanized manufacturing devices. All intended to mechanize and industrialize, to the latest and most advanced standards, weapons used by the U.S. Army.

It seems the U.S. Army, ever since it's inception, has had the policy of indigenous and independent weapons development and manufacture. NOT to be reliant on foreign manufacturers. Even a small peace time army such as the American army of the era realized the benefits of industrialized and mechanized manufacturing. Always budgeting as necessary to have the latest and most advanced manufacturing equipment in place.

Colt instantly realized the advantage such a form of manufacturing [mechanized and industrialized] would mean for his line of revolvers.

Colt did go back into business, amassing the necessary capital from leery investors. This was especially difficult for Colt as his first venture into the manufacture of revolvers was a BUST!!

Nonetheless, Colt's second business venture was a SUCCESS. Employing the latest and greatest in manufacturing equipment and techniques, Colt WAS able to meet demand for his revolvers while realizing the requisite profits. NO MORE hand crafted weapons from Colt.

This success of Colt inspired other manufacturers of the day, across the board. Hand-crafting was seen as being NOT the way to go. Investment in the latest state-of-the-art equipment WAS seen as the way to go, emulating Sam Colt.

The emergence of the United States as an industrial and manufacturing power can be traced directly to the policies of the U.S. Army, the Walker Creek battle, and the business of Sam Colt.

coolbert.