19th Century American Pistols (work in progress last updated 05.22.2017) message to self: self, to access internal links “control, right mouse click” at this time, links will not work on the web site

Pre 19 th Century Events: (important dates in history of firearms http://www.americanfirearms.org/gun-history/ American Firearms Institute )

1044: Earliest known written formula for Gunpowder from the Chinese Wujing Zongyao 1247: The first record of the use of Gunpowder in Europe is a statement by Bishop Albertus Magnus in 1280 that it was used at the Siege of Seville. 1354: Traditional date for the German monk Berthold Schwartz to “invent” gunpowder. 1425: Matchlock (“arquebus”) introduced. Uses a “serpentine” to arc taper into the flash pan loaded with a finer grade of gun powder. Guns were fired by holding a burning wick to a “touch hole” in the barrel igniting the powder inside. The Matchlock secured a lighted wick in a moveable arm which, when the trigger was depressed, was brought down against the flash pan to ignite the powder 1490: Corning of Gunpowder makes it coarser and burns better. European powdermakers began adding liquid to the constituents of gunpowder to reduce dust and with it the risk of explosion. The powdermakers would then shape the resulting paste of moistened gunpowder—known as mill cake—into “corns,” or granules, to dry. Not only did “corned” powder keep better because of its reduced surface area, gunners also found that it was more powerful and easier to load into guns. The main advantage of corning is that each corn contains the ideal proportion of the three gunpowder components. Prior to corning, gunpowder would gradually demix into its constitutive components and was too unreliable for effective use in guns] 1498: Rifling was invented. The first rifled gun barrels were made in the 1400s. This early date may be surprising, however it makes sense when one considers that arrow makers had learned to angle the fletchings on an arrow’s shaft to make it spin as it flew through the air, giving it greater stability. This technique carried over to firearms. Rifled barrels were rare until improvements in manufacturing techniques in the 1800s made them easier to fabricate 1526: Beretta Firearms founded. Sold 185 Arquebus barrels to the Arsenal of Venice 1540: Rifling appears in firearms. 1612: The muzzle loading, smoothbore F lintlock Musket was invented as an improvement on the matchlock and wheel lock muskets. Developed in France. A key contributor to this development was Marin le Bourgeoys who was assigned to the Louvre gun shops by King Louise XIII of France. 1670: Flintlock Revolving Rifle 1690: The “ Brown Bess ” was known in Ireland as a “King’s Arm” from its use by William at the Battle of the Boyne and would be used by the British Army for over 100 years 17??: Kentucky Rifle, Pennsylvania Rifle. ( Also pistol, battle of new orleans, document) 1776: American Revolution 1786 -1868 Henry Derringer. 1788: Elisha Collier born, died 1856. Had patent on a revolving flintlock. From Boston. This was improved upon by Colt for his 1836: Colt Revolving Cylinder Patent . See also P epperbox 1781: Gunpowder Ratio . Richard Watson DD FRS, Bishop of Llandaff, England, professor of chemistry, gunpowder for general purposes, proportions shall be saltpeter 75%, charcoal 15%, sulfur 10%. For British gunpowder it has remained the same ever since. 1795: Springfield Armory established. 1798: Eli Whitney Sr. established an arms production business and the company went on to manufacture several revolvers and rifles of outside origin. (name of business)

19 th Century Events:

1800: The First Baker Rifle * The Infantry Rifle, was the first standard-issue, British-made rifle accepted by the British armed forces. The Baker rifle has a ¼ twist of rifling for the entire barrel and that is the essence of a Baker rifle. Barrel was only 30 inches. (what about the enfield.)

1805: 1807? The Percussion Cap ignition system developed and patented by Reverend John Forsyth of Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Explosive cap, contains fulminate of mercury, powder made of potassium chlorate, sulpher, and charcoal. Used first in a steel cap and then in a copper cap. Came into general artillery us nearly 30 years later.”

Used by gunsmiths and private individuals before coming into general use by the British Military c. 1842. Same compound used in the paper or plastic caps in a child’s cap gun. See 1842 C opper Percussion Cap, and Percussion Cap of 1820. (review the dates and facts of the percussion cap and coordinate entrys)

1808: First integrated cartridge in Paris by Swiss gunsmith Jean Samuel Pauly with French gunsmith Francois Prelat. Fully self contained. Copper base with integrated primer and round bullet and either brass or paper casing. Loaded through the breech and fired with a needle. Improved version made by Pauly 1812.

Some form of paper cartridges actually go back the 14th century.

1810: Christian Sharps Born January 2, 1810 – March 12, 1874. As a youth, Sharps worked for a gunsmith in New Jersey and then had an army apprentice position in the 1830's at the Harpers Ferry Arsenal, studied the early breech-loader Hall Rifle. Working for captain John Hall with the Hall Rifle is what gave him his design ideas for his own “Sharps” rifle.

Reference 1848: Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company

1811: Hall Patent. The first serious military breech loader American invention, Colonel John H. Hall’s Patent This was made first as a flintlock, then as percussion, and is the first breech loader officially adopted by any army. The flintlocks were made till 1832, the percussion model from 1831

1814 -1862 Samuel Colt born July 19, 1814 Hartford, Connecticut, died January 10, 1862 age 47, in his home.

1818: Elisha Collier Patent invented a flintlock revolver around 1814. One of the earliest true revolvers, in contrast to the earlier Pepperboxes . Single-action, Collier's revolver was self- priming, produced from 1819 by John Evans & Son of London, and used in quantity by the British forces in India. Over 10,000 were made between 1819 and 1824.

The origination of this invention is in doubt, as similar designs were patented in the same year by Artemus Wheeler in the United States and by Cornelius Coolidge in France. Samuel Colt saw these in 1832 which inspired him create his own caplock revolver: the Colt Paterson . ( 1836: Colt Revolving Cylinder Patent) In addition to handguns, Collier produced revolving shotguns and carbines in the 1820s. Only 150 of these now rare guns were made.

1820: Percussion Cap enabled muzzleloading firearms to fire reliably in any weather. This gave rise to the caplock or percussionlock system. Flints were converted to percussion caps.

Before this flint-on-steel, Many flintlock firearms were later converted to the percussion system.

Cap was made possible by the discovery of a chemical compound called mercuric fulminate, extremely explosive, shock sensitive. A sharp blow, or even too much finger pressure, can cause it to detonate.

Small size made them difficult to handle under the stress of combat or while riding a horse. Accordingly, several manufacturers developed alternative, "auto-priming" systems. However, these automatic feed systems were difficult to make with the manufacturing systems in the early and mid-nineteenth century and generated more problems than they solved.

In the 1850s, the percussion cap was integrated into a metallic cartridge, which contained the bullet, powder charge and primer. By the late 1860s, breech-loading metallic cartridges had made the percussion cap system obsolete. Colt Patterson Colt Handguns Percussion Cap

1820: The First Percussion Revolver was made by Lenormand of Paris in 1820 and the first Percussion Cap revolver was invented by the Italian Francesco Antonio Broccu in 1833. He did not patent it. In 1836 a similar handgun was patented by Samuel Colt, coordinate the time frames here. This does not make sence

1833: Christopher Minor Spencer was born. Was innovative and diversified inventor. Initial apprenticeship with Cheney Brothers silk manufacturing company. Did short stint at Colt. In spare time Cheney Brothers allowed him to use their work shop in off hours to develop his rifle.

On March 6, 1860, Spencer received a patent on a lever-action repeater with a rotating block, which fed rimfire cartridges into the chamber via a tubular magazine bored through the buttstock.

See 1860 for his lever action patent

1833: First percussion revolver was invented by the Italian Francesco Antonio Broccu in 1833. he did not patent it. In 1836 a similar handgun was patented by Samuel Colt , The first percussion revolver was made by Lenormand of Paris in 1820 (does not make sense, 1833 v. 1820? verify)

1834: The British army adopted the percussion cap. 1836: Colt Revolving Cylinder Patent . invented revolving cylinder patented Europe 1835 and US February 25, 1836. Expired 1857. This gave Colt a monopoly on revolvers for the next 20 years. Actually improved upon a revolving flintlock patented by Elisha Collier of Boston (1788 - 1856)

1836: Colt's Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company founded. Folded in 1842, His big break came when Captain Samuel Walker came to him to design and manufacture a heavier more powerful gun than the Patterson. This became known as the 1847 Colt Walker a .44 caliper .

General Zachary Taylor (1784-1850) ordered 1,000 Colt revolvers. The guns were delivered to the Army in 1847.

This was the rebirth of the company. Factory was in Hartford, was managed by Elisha K. Root (1808-65). Renamed Colt Patent Fire-Arms Manufacturing Company in the early 1850s, a branch was established in London, and in 1855 a new Hartford factory–the largest privately owned armament manufacturing plant in the world–was built, he had introduced standardized production, division of labor, and assembly-line mass-production methods to his factory. By 1856, the company could produce 150 weapons per day using interchangeable parts, efficient production lines and specially designed precision machinery.

During the late 1850s, while tensions mounted between the North and South that would soon lead to the American Civil War, Colt continued to do business with longstanding customers in Southern states. However, when war was finally declared on April 12, 1861, he turned his focus almost exclusively to supplying the Union army. Colt’s Patent Fire-Arms Manufacturing Company operated at full capacity and employed over 1,000 people in its Hartford factory. By that time, Samuel Colt had become one of the wealthiest men in America and owned a Connecticut mansion called Armsmear. Suffering from chronic rheumatism, the 47-year-old gun manufacturer died at his home on January 10, 1862, leaving behind an estate worth millions. The company, which manufactured more than 400,000 firearms during Colt’s lifetime, was left to its founder’s wife, Elizabeth, and Root was appointed president. In 1901, the Colt family sold the company to a group of investors To date, the company founded by Samuel Colt has produced more than 30 million pistols, revolvers and rifles.

1836 – 1842: Colt Paterson . .36 caliber, “cap and ball” first percussion cap (originally .28 caliber) 5 shot. First practical revolving cylinder pistol. (Pepper-Box was around but not rifled, not accurate,, belly gun.)

After the Colt Patterson, Patent February 25, 1836 single shot pistols became obsolete and the “percussion” or “cap and ball” revolvers became the norm. Produced 1836 – 1842 and in service 1836 – 1847. 13.75” with 7 1/2” barrel, 2# 12 oz. 900 fps Many caliber variants. Produced in Patterson NJ. Originally produced in .28 caliber, followed a year later by the .36. Had different sizes, calibers and configurations. 2,800 produced

It was the first commercial repeating firearm employing a revolving cylinder with multiple chambers aligned with a single, stationary barrel. (unlike the Pepper-Box where the barrels revolved around a shaft.) Its design was patented by Samual Colt on February 25, 1836, in the United States, and also France, and England. Initially, Colt produced three “revolving” handguns belt, holster , and pocket pistols –and two rifles. All models incorporated a revolving cylinder into which gunpowder and bullets were loaded. As originally designed and produced, no loading lever was included, had to disassemble the revolver partially to re-load it. In 1839 reloading lever and a capping window were added allowing reloading without requiring partial disassembly. This loading lever and capping window design change was also incorporated after the fact into most Colt Paterson revolvers that had been produced from 1836 until 1839. Unlike later revolvers, a folding trigger was incorporated into the Colt Paterson. The trigger only became visible upon cocking the hammer. No grease grooves on the cylinder axis. Cylinder wratchets different than later models. “Water table” seperate piece from the frame. The model most identified with is the "Paterson Colt" designation is the Number 5 Holster or Texas Paterson (1,000 units), which was manufactured in .36 caliber When the Paterson revolvers with loading levers finally reached Texas in 1842, Texas Ranger Captain John Coffee Hays companies could now reload from horseback to fight the Comanches. See Battle of Bandera Pass or actually the Battle of Walker's Creek The available power of the .36 caliber is comparable to a modern .380 pistol cartridge. The . 375–.380-inch round ball weighs a near-identical 83 grains (5.4 g) and the velocity is also essentially the same. c.880 fps Colt folded the company after this endeavor and later re-established the company for the 1847 Colt Walker Main differences between the Colt and the Remington . A. Remington rear sight on the breech end of the barrel, and Colt hammer was cut so when cocked served as the rear sight. B. The Colt has a wedge to hold the barrel to the frame, the Remington has a top strap holding the barrel and frame together .

Shooting The Colt Patterson Revolver- Mike Beliveau - duelist1954 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVV1ksu-2kU

Colt Patterson (Sam Trisler) Colt Patterson (wikipedia)

1841, 1844 ? Battle of Bandera Pass , Texas. Texas Rangers. Actually was the Battle of Walker’s Creek June 1844. Fighting Comanches who had bows and 14' lances. They were the superior fighters until the Paterson. Two single shot pistols and a muzzle loaded rifle were by used Rangers prior to this. Not first time Patersons were used but most significant one.

That pivotal battle, little noted at the time, would eventually change the course of what had been a dead-end war against the Comanches. Now, with this new revolving pistol, the rangers and anybody else battling the Comanches could stay on horseback and fight the enemy with a gun that fired five times in a row without reloading. A Comanche who took part in the fight noted that the rangers “had a shot for every finger on the hand.” In the end, that advantage made all the difference.

However, that battle did not take place at Bandera Pass and it did not happen in 1841, 1842 or 1843. The battle that changed history – though the fact was little recognized or noted at that time – was the Battle of Walker’s Creek and it was fought in June of 1844 in present day Kendall County.

A battle between Texans and Comanches (and maybe Apaches, too) probably took place at Bandera Pass at one time or another, but the one most often recounted wasn’t it.

Alledged Battle of Bandera Pass

1841: The U.S. Army adopted the Percussion Cap . The British army adopted it in 1834

1842: C opper Percussion Cap generally applied to the Brits military musket The Brown Bess. Flint locks could be modified for percussion cap by replacing the powder pan with a perforated nipple to receive the cap and by altering the hammer. The percussion cap was now made with 3 of parts of potassium chlorate, 2 of fumigate of mercury, and powered glass on the nipple. This brought about the invention of the modern cartridge case, making possible the breech loading for rifles, shotguns and pistols

1845: P epper-Box Revolver invented by Lefaucheaux which was loaded from the rear using bored through cylinders. Rollin White first American to have conceived having cylinders bored through to accept metallic cartridges c. 1852. Used his patent with Colt for the Colt Model 1 . Sharps also developed a 4 barrel one

Pepper boxes in early 19 th century. Multiple barrels around a shaft. Began to dissapear c. 1840's when Colts and others revolving cylinder barrel pistols became popular. Barrel was manually turned after each firing. Loaded from muzzle end. Had to be primed at each firing. Later percussion caps were used. Barrel not rifled. Close firing only. Regained popularity in late 1800's as a concealed carry

(verify dating here)

1847: First fully contained All-Metal Bullet Cartridge introduced by Frenchman, M. Houiller.

However, early part of the 19th century first self-contained bullet cartridge was introduced. These early bullet cartridges used cloth or, more commonly, paper to wrap the powder and projectile into a single, self-contained unit. While extremely crude compared to their all metal successors, these early paper cartridges completely changed firearms combat. Instead of carrying containers of powder, measuring it and pouring it down the barrel, one simply had to ram one of these cartridges down the barrel, put on a new percussion cap and he was ready to fire. It increased the rate of fire considerably, however, being paper, wet conditions were still a problem. Paper bullet cartridges were used around the world from the early 1800’s through the 1860’s. Standardization of metal bullet cartridges would not be refined and implemented until around the 1860’s. The American Civil War was fought mainly with paper cartridges or lose powder and ball. (edit above) Two advantages: 1. Metallic bullet cartridges were waterproof. Weather had no effect in firearms effectiveness. 2. Included the charge into the case in the form of a primer. Percussion caps were no longer needed. 1847: 1847 Colt Walker . 44 caliber, “cap and ball” 60 grain black powder, 140 grain round ball, 9” barrel,. .4 ½ pounds. 1,200 fps. Captain Samuel Walker, Texas Ranger sought out Colt. Saddle revolver. Rammer beneath barrel. Tended to come loose. Some cylinders were exploding due to powder overloading, Same amount of powder as the “minnie ball” used in the Civil War with 450 grain weight. 1000 issued to military and 100 for private sale by Colt. These sales got Colt back on his feet after serious financial problems in the early 40's. On his death was considered one of Americas most wealthiest men. Turned to Eli Whitney Jr. to manufacture. This was the most powerful gun until the .357 magnum designed in the 1950's

Problems with Walker, large size, four and a half pounds, suitable only for use as a saddle- mounted revolver, the Walker's propensity for cylinders exploding on occasion when fired (due to the chambers being loaded with too much powder), and the Walker's habit of dropping the loading lever upon discharge, locking up the revolver action in the middle of combat. The Colt Dragoon Revolver had a comparatively shorter cylinder (thus preventing overloading the cylinder) and held up to 50 grains of powder, whereas the Walker had used up to 60 grains of powder. The Dragoon Revolver had a shorter barrel at 7.5 inches (some later revolvers 8 inches) as compared to the 9 inches (230 mm) barrel on the Walker. A loading lever latch in front of the lever replaced the spring to keep the lever from dropping during recoil, thereby preventing jamming of the revolver. See Dragoon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxGHkbFm9zM

1848 – 1860: The Dragoon Models Colt Model Percussion Army Revolver Colt Holster Pistol, later named the Colt Dragoon by collectors was produced 1848 – 1860 in service. “cap and ball” SA .44 caliber (.454” diameter) . 850-1,100 fps 7 1/2” barrel, some later ones were 8” barrels. 50 grains black powder so it would not overload like the Walker at 60 grains, the cylinder was shorter, 4# 4oz. Overall 14.7” and latch to secure rammer. 6 round cylinder. c.18,500 total made]

The Dragoon was produced because of the problems with Colt Walker. See Problems Colt Walker. Civil War, Colt Dragoons became extremely popular. In the beginning Colt Dragoon Revolver were issued for the U.S. Army's Mounted Rifles. They were carried in pommel holsters on the saddle. Used by US Army Dragoons (mounted Troops) Texas. Calvary stayed on their horses, Dragoons rode from point “A” to point “B” then dismounted and fought like the infantry. Prior to the Dragoon Model they used big heavy caliber hand guns for up close combat.

Three slightly different modifications known as 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Models

1848 – 1850: 1st Model Colt Dragoon. squareback triggerguard. c. 7,000 made 1850 – 1851: 2nd Model Colt Dragoon. All the Second Model Dragoons have the squareback triggerguard. The company made about 2,550 1851 – 1860: 3rd Model Colt Dragoon c. 10,000. More variations as compared to its earlier counterparts. Some had frame cuts for detachable shoulder stocks, horizontal loading lever latches and folding leaf sights. Round trigger guard. 1848: 1848 Pocket Pistol. Colt Model, a Dragoon, “cap and ball” AKA the “ Baby Dragoon ”. First concealed carry pistol. .31 caliber, 4' barrel, 15 grains black powder, 5 shots. Issued at the start of the California gold rush. Marketed in California during Gold Rush Days. Evolved into the 1849 pocket revolver. Originally no rammer. Had to remove cylinder to load. No entirely successful in terms of sales. This was modified into the 1849 Colt Pocket Revolver.

1848 Colt Dragoon Percussion Revolver

1848: Christian Sharps Patented, September 12, 1848, his breech-loading design for his rifle the Sharps . Single shot rifle using a linen or paper wrapped cartridge. In production 1850 – 1881. Reference 1850 Sharp Rifle.

1849: “1 849 Colt Pocket Revolver ”. 31 caliber with ball or conical, single action, 50 – 71 grain bullet, c. 12 grains powder. Refinement of the baby dragoon of 1848. The '49 added a loading lever to the 1847 “ Baby Dragon ”. 75 yd effective firing range, 700-800 ft/s., 3-6 barrel length. Possibly up c. 200 variants. Brought west by many for protection.

Colts first attempt to market to civilians. Was Colts best selling “cap and ball” revolver of the 19 th century, c. 340,000. Most made in Hartford Ct. some 11,000 made in the London Factory, 1853 – 1857 when the 1873 Colt SAA came out. c. 4,000 so-called " Wells Fargo " variants, with 3-inch barrels and without loading levers, were also manufactured. Extremely successful and popular.

First of the Colts to have a rounded trigger guard in the rear, previous ones were squared. Octogon barrel.

duelist1954 of youtube uses 15 grains of ffff powder. Above a .31 caliber he used fff to .44 special and ff with .44-40 and .45

Colt Dragoon Revolver Colt 1849 Pocket Revolver https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ptTCAcpbe0&feature=youtu.be duelist1954

The Colt 1860 Army Percussion “cap and ball” replaced the Dragoon

1849: Minie Ball invented by French Army officer Claud-Etienne Minie. Cylindrical bullet with hollow base that expand when fired. 1/2” in diameter 1 oz. .58 caliber. First effective bullet design that was not round. Both Union and Confederate soldiers used the “minnie” bullet (as they called it) in their muzzle-loading rifles. It took 16# of lead to kill one man during the Civil War. Hollow base with three “grooves” made for lubrication. They all have 3 grooves and hollow base, otherewise not a “ Minie Ball .”

Before the development of the Minié ball, muzzle-loading rifles were not used in combat situations because of how difficult they were to load. Because the ammunition used had to engage the spiral grooves, or rifling, inside the rifle barrel, it had to be equal in diameter to the barrel, and shooters would have to jam the bullet into the rifle by force. In addition, the rifle tended to become even more difficult to load as gunpowder residue collected inside the barrel The effective range of a Minié bullet was from 200 to 250 yards, a huge improvement on earlier ammunition. When a rifle containing a Minié bullet was fired, the bullet was rammed back on the charge, which exploded and sent the bullet hurtling down the barrel. On its way, the iron (it had an iron plug) bullet expanded, gripping the spiral rifling and spinning so tightly along its course that its range and accuracy were greatly increased, with fewer misfires. The effective range of a Minié bullet was from 200 to 250 yards, a huge improvement on earlier ammunition. The French army never adopted the Minié bullet, but the British did, paying Minié for his patent to use the ammunition in 1851. During the Crimean War of 1853-56, which pitted Britain, France and the Ottoman Turkish empire against Russia, the bullet so improved the effectiveness of infantry troops that 150 soldiers using the minié could equal the firing power of more than 500 with a traditional musket and ammunition. In the early 1850s, James Burton of the U.S. Armory at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia , improved further on the Minié bullet by eliminating the need for the iron plug and making it easier and cheaper to mass-produce. It was adapted for use by the U.S. military in 1855. During the Civil War (1861-65), the basic firearm carried by both Union and Confederate troops was the rifle-musket and the Minié ball. North supplied 2,000,000 Springfield Rifles to the men and made over 500,000,000 Minie Balls. Casualty figures for the American Civil War reached staggering proportions, with more than 200,000 soldiers killed and more than 400,000 wounded. The rifle-musket and the Minié bullet are thought to account for around 90 percent of these casualties. Minie Ball Civil War Times Magazine The Bullet That Changed History The Minnie Ball

1850: Sharps Rifle . . 52-caliber 475 grain projectile, 50-grain black powder, (paper cartridge), 1.200 ft/s, max. range = 1000 yards, 8-10 shot / min., 1873 converted to .45-70 Government.

The best attributes of the Sharps rifle was both it's high accuracy and long distances as well as it's powerful punch. The Sharps' accuracy was superior to the Colts also being used and they were able to be reloaded much easier. The Union purchased over 9,000 Sharps Rifles during the war. Superior sniper weapon The Sharps became the preferred gun of buffalo hunters due to its power and long range accuracy.

First Model of 1850: Manufactured by A. S. Nippes at Mill Creek, (Philadelphia) Pennsylvania.

Second Model of 1851: .52 caliber. Was developed for mass production at Robbins & Lawrence Company of Windsor, Vermont. Rollin White of the R&L Co. invented the knife- edge breech block and self-cocking device for the "box-lock" Model 1851. This is referred to as the " First Contract ", which was for 10,000 Model 1851 carbines - of which approximately 1,650 were produced by R&L in Windsor. In 1851 the " Second Contract " was made for 15,000 rifles and the Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company was organized as a holding company with $1,000 in capital and with John C. Palmer as president, Christian Sharps as engineer, and Richard S. Lawrence as master armorer and superintendent of manufacturing. Sharps was to be paid a royalty of $1 per firearm and the factory was built on the Robbins & Lawrence property in Hartford, Ct. Christian Sharps left the company in 1855 (or maybe '53 / verify) to form his own manufacturing company called " C. Sharps & Company " in Philadelphia; In 1874, the company was reorganized and renamed " The Sharps Rifle Company ".

After Sharps left the company he turned his attention to pistols, succeeding in creating a .22 and .32 caliber rim-fire metallic cartridge four-barrel pistol. Sharps' invention featured a hammer with a ratchet that revolved the firing pin by cocking and firing the four barrels in rotation. AKA the pepperbox. SA Derringer. There were many types of Derringers and makers including the Remington Elliot 5 barrel which was DA ring trigger. These were prized by gambles as easily hidden They were generally .22 short and .32 rim fire for close quarters defense. Before he died in 1874, he had secured patents on more than fifty other inventions

Sharps formed a partnership with William Hankins in 1862. Sharps & Hankins manufactured four-barrel pepperboxes and single-shot breech loading rifles and carbines. That partnership ended in 1866 when he reverted back to the C. Sharps Company. He continued designing firearms into the 1870's and died in Connecticut in 1874 .

Sharps Model 1853 replaced Sharps Model 1851

Sharps 1863 Carbine : Calvary breech loaded. Unlike the Sharps Rifle, the Sharps Carbine version was very popular with the cavalry of both the Union and Confederate armies and was issued in much larger numbers than other carbines of the war and was top in production in front of the Spencer or Burnside Carbine. Almost 90,000 were produced. By 1863, it was the most common weapon carried by Union cavalry regiments, although in 1864 many were replaced by 7-shot Spencer carbines. The falling block action lent itself to conversion to the new metallic cartridges developed in the late 1860s, and many of these were converted to .50-70 Government

Some Sharps clones were produced by the Confederates in Richmond. Quality was generally poorer and they normally used brass fittings instead of iron.

Sharps Model 1869

Sharps-Borchardt Model 1878 , designed by Hugo Borchardt, .40-65. c. 750 made,by the Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company . T he last rifle made by the Sharps Rifle Co. before its closing in 1881.

1872 .50-90 caliber Sharps Cartridges introduced by Sharps Manufacturing Company primarily for buffalo hunting. Used in the Sharps 1874. This ammunition was so effective in hunting buffalo that the four herds in the west estimated to be about 20 million were moved to almost extinction in only about twenty years . A buffalo hunter could kill in excess of one hundred buffalo per day. This was the main firearm contributing to the decimation of the buffalo herds in the western U.S.

The 1874 Sharps particularly popular rifle, several derivatives in quick succession. It handled a large number of .40- to .50-caliber metalic cartridges in a variety of loadings and barrel lengths.

Sharps 1848-1881 The Sharps Rifle and Christian Sharps Sharps Rifle

1851 – 1873: Colt 1851 Navy or Navy Revolver. .36 caliber. (paper and lead ball) “cap and ball” Known also as the “Revolving Belt Pistol of Navel Caliber” First called the “Ranger” by Colt. . 36 caliber (.375” -.380”) rim fire later converted to center fire. (something wrong here, the 51 was a cap and ball not a cartridge, what is this rim fire thingy) 80 grain ball, 900 – 1,000 fps. 6 shot, 7 1/2” barrel, 13.98 inches” over all, 7.48 inch barrel, 2.58 lb pounds. Muzzle Velocity: 750 feet/sec., Typical Range: 75 yards, SA . Rounded back of trigger guard. Octagonal barrel. Model 1861 Navy , has a round-barrel. By 1851 the term " navy size" meant .36 caliber.

In production until 1873, when metalic cartridges came into wide spread use. ( Smith & Wesson , Rollin White Patent ) Carried on a belt in a holster. “ For the next 20 years it was the premier choice of men who cared not whether someone saw them armed. Men who truly expected a fight carried two. Carried by cavalrymen and guerilla fighters during the Civil War

This was modified for the .44 caliber 1860 Colt Army . Frame was cut down around cylinder to accommodate the larger .44 cylinder.

It is an enlarged version of the “Colt Pocket Percussion Revolvers”. That evolved from the “Baby Dragoon” and smaller than the larger “Colt Dragoons”

The 1851 Navy and the 1861 Navy were engraved with a picture the Second Texas Navy's victory over the Mexican Fleet at the Battle of Campeche on May 16, 1843 (This was created by the gramograph) It went all the way around the cylinder. This was issued most commonly to cavalry and some artillery and was used extensively throughout the Civil War. The 1851 remained in production until 1873 because of its popularity. Even after the cartridge age firearms were available, Wild Bill chose to carry these as a law enforcement officer in western towns.

Also made in Colts London Armory, 22,000 units. Total production numbers only exceeded by the pocket models being produced at the same time. 250,000 units domestically made

After the expiration of the Rollin White Patent (Apr. 3, 1869), a number of Navy 1861 and its forerunner, the Colt 1851 Navy Revolver were converted or newly made to fire .38 rimfire or centerfire cartridges, the Colt Model 1861 Richards- Mason Conversion by the Colt factory. These remained popular even after the Colt 1873 SAA was introduced due to the comparable lower cost.

Cimarron Richards-Mason Conversion for “Man with no Name” Model used by Clint Eastwood in the Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Available for sale through Cimarron. See https://youtu.be/C237-F8rL_s Gun never existed. Loaded for the .38 caliber. Not a true Richards-Mason Conversion but a movie prop. Firing pin in the hammer. Looks like black powder pistol. Used metalic black on set as it is safter. Movie takes place in Civil War but conversions didn't happen until after War.

Replica Navy revolvers (i.e. the 1851 and 1861) sold today are often sold in the historically incorrect .44-caliber; originally, all Navy revolvers were manufactured only in .36-caliber. Favored by "Doc" Holliday and Wild Bill Hickok as well as Confederate General Robert E. Lee. also made its way to Europe where it was used across Great Britain, Poland and Prussia as well as the empires of Austro-Hungary and Russia. Over 20,000 of the type were even manufactured at the London-based Colt London Armory.

Recommended by duelist1954 on youtube as first cap and ball to buy and learn on. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiJ8GkTWQxw&feature=youtu.be

1852: Smith & Wesson founded in Norwich Connecticut, by Horace Smith, Daniel B. Wesson. Founded to develop the Volcanic rifle and cartridge as patented in 1854. Name changed to Volcanic Repeating Arms in 1855, purchased by Oliver Winchester. Smith left the company with Wesson staying on as plant manager.

Wesson began developing a revolver knowing that Colt Revolving Cylinder Patent of 1836 on the revolver was to run out 1856. Wanted to use a breech loading cylinder (“bored through” cylinder) with metalic cartridges but found out that Rollin White held the patent. Wesson and Smith reconnected and made a deal with Rollin White for $.25 for every revolver they produced. This become White's responsibility to defend his patent in any court cases which eventually led to his financial ruin, but was very advantageous for the new Smith & Wesson Company. Developed the .22 short as used their Model 1.

The company's design was being infringed upon by other manufacturers which led to numerous lawsuits filed by Rollin White . In many of these instances part of the restitution came in the form of the offender being forced to stamp "Manufactured for Smith & Wesson" on the revolvers in question.

White's vigorous defense of his patent caused a problem for armsmakers in the United States at the time as they could not manufacture cartridge revolvers. At the end of the war the US Government charged White with causing the retardation of arms development in America.

Demand for revolvers declined at the close of the Civil War and Smith & Wesson focused on the development of arms suitable for use on the American frontier. In 1870 the company introduced

After the Civil War S&W concentrated on arms for the frontier. 1870 introduced a large frame revolver in heavier calibers than the pocket sized revolvers it had been making. The design was known as the Smith & Wesson Model 3 .

Smith & Wesson Backgound

1855 – 1869: the Rollin White Patent . (April 3rd, 1855 - April 3rd, 1869) The first American to have conceived having cylinders bored through to accept metallic cartridges. Colt told him patent was worthless and that the revolver would blow up in his face. Developed a relationship with Smith and Wesson who had been working on same idea. Signed agreement and paid White $.25 for each pistol and White had to defend his patent. This was used in the Smith & Wesson Model 1. Patent expired (April 3, 1869) (add notes on White working for Robbins and Lawrence Co, Windsor, Vt. On the Sharp 1850)

Smith & Wesson's design was being infringed upon by other manufacturers which led to numerous lawsuits filed by Rollin White . In many of these instances part of the restitution came in the form of the offender being forced to stamp "Manufactured for Smith & Wesson" on the revolvers in question.

White's vigorous defense of his patent caused a problem for armsmakers in the United States at the time as they could not manufacture cartridge revolvers. (especially during the Civil War era. Liscence was granted to Remington who made the Remington 1858, a revolving cylinder with breech loading metalic cartridges.) At the end of the war the US Government charged White with causing the retardation of arms development in America.

1852 -1868 The Philadelphia Deringer was a small percussion hand gun by Henry Deringer. A popular concealed carry handgun of the era, this pocket pistol design was widely copied by competitors, sometimes down to the markings.

1853: 1853 Enfield .577-caliber weapons made by the English. Most common. Used by the South in the Civil War

1854: Whitney revolver , Second Model, First Type. .36 caliber, single action, percussion revolver, which was patented in 1854 as U.S. Patent No. 11,447. This model was in production at the Whitneyville factory outside of New Haven, Connecticut in 1861. (Spiller & Burr revolver modeled after this Whitney) Whitney revolvers were probably the first solid frame pistols to go into full production. The gun had a 7-5/8 inch, blued steel, octagonal barrel that was screwed into the frame. A portion of the thread of the barrel was exposed at the breech as a result of an opening in the frame. A brass pin was attached as a sight. The barrel was rifled with seven lands and grooves. The loading lever was held adjacent to the barrel with a spring and ball type catch. The rammer entered the frame, which had been angle cut to allow insertion of powder and ball. The grip straps were integral with the frame and held black walnut grips. An oval capping groove was cut out of the right recoil shield. A rearsight groove was cut in the top strap. A thumb bolt was located on the left side, which when turned properly would allow the removal of the cylinder axis-pin. The hammer, cylinder axis-pin, and trigger were all rotated on axes created by individual frame screws. The cylinder axis-pin, which was inserted into both ends of the frame, held the 1-3/4 inch long, six shot, steel cylinder suspended in its proper position. The nipples, or cones, were set at a slight angle to the chambers. The oval trigger guard was made of brass. The pistol's length from the end of the backstarp to the muzzle was slightly more than thirteen inches, and each weighed about 2-1/2 pounds. (Reference the 1861 Whitney Navy)

1854: The first cartridge revolvers were produced by Eugene Lefaucheux. SA pinfire, 6 round. ( do not know if this was breach loaded see the Rollin White Patent of 1855) 1855 - 1926 John Moses Browning Born. died in Belgium 1855: U.S. Secretary of War Jefferson Davis, future president of the Confederacy, adopted the rifle- musket and Minié Ball for the U.S. Army. (Was this the Sharp)

1855: Root Revolver. Colt Model 1855 . First solid frame revolver by Colt. 5 Shot, .28 and .31 caliber. Lacked man-stopping qualities. “cap and ball” 47 grain bullet, 12 grain black powder, muzzle velocity of 750 fps.

Spur trigger revolver that featured a fully-enclosed cylinder. Designed by Samuel Colt and developed by Elisha K. Root, These sidehammer revolvers were named for Root, a noted inventor and holder of the S idehammer Paten t, who at that time was employed as Colt's factory superintendent and Chief Engineer. Colt also produced the sidehammer Model 1855 Rifles and carbines for military and sporting use, as well as a revolving shotgun. Root, later ran the company after the death of Colt in 1862. how many made The cylinder was either smooth-sided or fluted. Some were sold with engraved cylinders showcasing typical anti-Indian sentiment or stagecoach holdup scenes consistent with the times. The trigger was of a stud-trigger type with a single-action lock and finished sans a trigger ring. Side-mounted hammer which was set to the left side of the gun body, hinged by a screw along the right side. Hammer noticeable spur design, nearly vertical.

1856: Bessemer Process was the first inexpensive industrial process for the mass-production of steel from molten pig iron before the development of the open hearth furnace. The key principle is removal of impurities from the iron by oxidation with air being blown through the molten iron. The oxidation also raises the temperature of the iron mass and keeps it molten. Englishman Henry Bessemer, who took out a patent on the process in 1856. Steel manufacturing suddenly got cheaper and easier. Colt was among the first to harness one of the new steels — silver steel — to produce firearms . Colt’s 1860 SAA revolver owes itself in large part to metallurgical technology.

A Short History of Steel

1856: Daniel B. Wesson and Horace Smith, on November 17, 1856, signed an agreement for the exclusive use of the Rollin White Patent at a rate of 25 cents for every revolver. Smith & Wesson began production late in 1857 and enjoyed years of exclusive production of rear- loading cartridge revolvers in America, Although White held the patent, other manufacturers were able to sell firearms using the design, provided they were willing to pay royalties.

1857: The Colt patent for the revolving cylinder expired giving Smith & Wesson (and others) the ability to use the Rollin White Patent for using metallic cartridges and bored through cylinders. (along with the revolving cylinder)

1857: Smith & Wesson .22 short rim fire introduced. November 1857. Developed by Daniel Wesson. The Smith & Wesson Model 1 was the first American revolver to use rim fired cartridges, some used in the Civil War. May have been inspired by the Flobert cartridge . Later the rim fired cartridges were soon replaced by center fire which could hold more pressure. The production of this model could only begin after the Colt Patent for revolving cylinders expired in 1857. and they worked with Rollin White who received royalties on his patent. S&W immediately went into production. They produced the ammo and the pistol Model 1 used the Rollin White Patent for a bored through cylinder and a metalic cartridge 1852. Patent expired 1869 allowing others to competitors to design their own. Such as the Colt Open Top of 1871-72 and Colt SAA 1873 which were designed as cartridge revolvers from the start. . Smith & Wesson and others helped to establish cartridge firearms as the US standard by the 1870's though many still used percussion revolvers well after that

1858: Fordyce Beals Patent . September 14, 1858. In 1858 Beals invented and patented a spur-trigger, single-action, percussion revolver. The unique feature of this pistol was the manner of securing the cylinder pin with the loading lever. This arrangement would have far-reaching implications for Remington’s large-frame revolvers. Beals would receive at least eight more patents for revolvers and single-shot rifles in the decade that followed, and all of these patents were assigned in whole or in part to the Remingtons.

1858: Remington New Model Army. Aka 58 Remington , Fordyce Beals . born in Massachusetts and died in Connecticut. Granted US Patent No. 21478. September 14, 1858. The 58 Remington aka the Remington-Beals. Manufactured by Eliphalet Remington & Sons. Remington Purchased the patent rights from Beals in 1858. Produced from 1858 – 1875. .454 round ball.

Three basic models used during Civil War. All referred to as the 1858 Remington or 58 Remington. This name was never used at the time but strictly a newer nomenclature. 1858-1860:Remington Beals Revolver. 1861-1863: Old Model Army -OR- model 1861 .44 caliper army .36 caliper navy 1863-1875: New Model Army .44 caliper army .36 caliper navy

Remington had three large advantages over the Colt style revolvers. 1. It had a solid frame wrapping completely around the cylinder, "top strap". advantage, both in strength as well as accuracy over time. 2. Hammer groove ground into the cylinder in between each firing chamber on the cylinder. The Remington models had the extra notch for hammer placement. This allowed the gun to be fully loaded, all 6 cylinders and still have the hammer placed in between a firing chamber, by placing the hammer into the safety notch. 3: Loading and firing the Remington. On a Remington or Remington style pistol a soldier could carry with him an extra loaded cylinder with all of its 6 chambers loaded capped.

The Remington-Beals came into its own with the onset of the Civil War. The US Government needed as many revolvers as it could get. It was a secondary, supplemental issue firearm for the Union Army until the Colt factory fire of 1864. Due to the fire the Colt 1860 Army was not available for some time, subsequently large numbers of the Remington revolver were ordered by the U.S. government. It was more expensive, by "50 cents" than the Colt, but more robust and hose who could afford it, remarked on its durability and ability to quickly reload by switching to another pre-loaded cylinder. Remington had the advantage of rapid cylinder swapping. Produced 1862 – 1875. 230,000 made. 8” barrel, 2 # 13 oz, 13 1/4”. 6 cylinder, fixed post notched top strap. Single-action, “cap-and-ball” percussion revolver, usually .44 caliber, also . 31 and .36 in percussion. .44 version, each of the six chambers can hold up to 40 grains of black powder. Most shoot them with charges down in the 20-grain range. Some were converted to the .46 caliber rimfire after paying royalty to S&W. The stress on Eliphalet Remington II during the production must have been enormous on everyone, especially the proprietor, Eliphalet Remington II. On July 12, 1861, the founder of Remington Arms passed into gunmaking history. Samuel Colt died shortly thereafter on January 10, 1862 The strong Remington frame made it fairly easy to convert the pistol over to metallic cartridge use, as firearms technology rapidly advanced after the Civil War. Remington made a cartridge conversion in .46 rimfire, after paying royalty fee to Smith & Wesson for their Rollin White Patent . The 1875 Remington , a true metallic cartridge revolver, but one that clearly shows the influences from the 1858.

Drawback. More susceptible for fouling than the Colt. One modern day users observation is after twelve shots, (the Pietta) the hammer became harder to cock and the cylinder was slower to turn. The Colt revolvers can go on for many shots with its open top action and an easily lubricated arbor pin in which the cylinder rotates on. The Remington’s closed off action and smaller, groove-less cylinder pin makes it more susceptible to fouling.

Some Remingtons had brass frames. Confederate troops were short on supplies and wished to use the available gun metal (steel) for cannons and other weapons. Brass was chosen because it was more available and still supplied the necessary strength in the firearm. Union Remingtons all in steel.

1858 Remington Remington Timeline: 1858 Beals Revolver The 1858 Remington Revolver Remington Model Revolvers

Main differences between the Colt and the Remington . A. Remington rear sight on the breech end of the barrel, and Colt hammer was cut so when cocked served as the rear sight. The Colt has a wedge to hold the barrel to the frame, the Remington has a top strap holding the the barrel and frame together.

1860: Spencer Lever Action Patent . March 6, 1860, Spencer received a patent on a lever-action repeater with a rotating block, which fed rimfire cartridges, .56-.56, into the chamber via a tubular magazine bored through the buttstock. 7 round tube, 500 yard range, 931 to 1,033 ft/s. Approx. 200,000 manufactured.

Soon after the Spencer Company was in production at Cheney’s and Spencer’s Arms Company. (who are they and location) Early models were smallbore sporting rifles of .36 and .44 caliber, as well as prototype .44 military arms

With the start of the Civil War, Spencer quickly moved into gear, attempting to interest military authorities in his repeating rifle. At this time the principal U.S. infantry arm was a then state-of- the-art .58-caliber Springfield muzzleloading Minie rifle musket, with many regulars and state troops armed with more archaic firearms. Cavalry units carried a conglomeration of muzzleloading and breechloading single-shots.

At first, the view by the Department of War Ordnance Department was that soldiers would waste ammunition by firing too rapidly with repeating rifles, and thus denied a government contract for all such weapons. (They did, however, encourage the use of carbine breechloaders that loaded one shot at a time. Such carbines were shorter than a rifle and well suited for cavalry.)More accurately, they feared that the armies logistics train would be unable to provide enough ammunition for the soldiers in the field, as they already had grave difficulty bringing up enough ammunition to sustain armies of tens of thousands of men over distances of hundreds of miles. A weapon able to fire several times as fast would require a vastly expanded logistics train and place great strain on the already overburdened railroads and tens of thousands of more mules, wagons, and wagon train guard detachments. The fact that several Springfield rifle- muskets could be purchased for the cost of a single Spencer carbine also influenced thinking. However, just after the Battle of Gettysburg, Spencer was able to gain an audience with President Abraham Lincoln, who invited him to a shooting match and demonstration of the weapon on the lawn of the White House. Lincoln was impressed with the weapon, and ordered Gen. James Wolfe Ripley to adopt it for production, after which Ripley disobeyed him and stuck with the single-shot rifles.

In mid 1861 Navy ordered some and soon great interest developed. The chosen caliber, and the one that would remain constant throughout the war, was .56-56, a round that fired a 350-grain . 540- to .555-diameter (depending on the manufacturer) bullet backed by some 45 grains of black powder to give a muzzle velocity of some 1,200 fps and a muzzle energy of 1,125 ft-lbs.

For comparison’s sake, the standard .58-caliber Springfield, firing a 500-grain bullet backed by 60 grains of powder, produced a muzzle velocity of 950 fps and a muzzle energy of 1,000 ft-lbs. Breech loading carbines such as the .52 Sharps performed similarly. The Sharps 462-grain bullet moved out at about 1,000 fps, for an ME of 1,100 ft-lbs.

Though ballistics were similar, the Spencer had one great advantage—it could be loaded and fired in a fraction of the time that was necessary for either of the other two guns.

By war’s end some 230,000 had been produced, initially by Spencer and later by the Burnside Rifle Company in Providence, RI. It was the second most widely used carbine in the war, bested only by the Sharps. These guns were such hot items that virtually all delivered before the cessation of hostilities saw use, so today it is unusual to find a wartime Spencer in pristine condition.

One of the advantages of the Spencer was that its ammunition was waterproof and hardy, and could stand the constant jostling of long storage on the march, such as Wilson's Raid. The story goes that every round of paper and linen Sharps ammunition carried in the supply wagons was found useless after long storage in supply wagons. Spencer ammunition had no such problem

In the late 1860s, the Spencer company was sold to the Fogerty Rifle Company and ultimately to Winchester. Many Spencer carbines were later sold as surplus to France where they were used during the Franco-Prussian War in 1870.

Even though the Spencer company went out of business in 1869, ammunition was manufactured in the United States into the 1920s. Later, many rifles and carbines were converted to centerfire, which could fire cartridges made from the centerfire .50-70 brass. Production ammunition can still be obtained on the specialty market. 1860 .44 Henry

1860 - 1873: Colt 1860 Army .44 caliber. Percussion “cap and ball” . Single Action, 30 – 35 grains black powder, .454 caliber round lead ball or conical-tipped bullet. (paper cartridges with powder and bullet.) Muzzle Velocity= 750 – 850 feet/sec. Typical Range= 75 yards.

Rounded barrel. "creeping" or ratchet loading lever, no top strap. . 200,000+ (c. 127.156 produced during Civil War Period) 13.98 inches overall. 7.99 inches barrel. 2.65 lbs. empty.

Took the 1851 Navy frame and modified it to take the larger 1/4” longer grip frame and more rounded. Replaced the “Colt Dragoon 3 rd model”. Built with a new improved metal called "silver steel". Strength and lightness due to steel made through the Bessemer Process . Earlier Colt revolvers were made of wrought iron, which had pressure limits. About ½ the weight as the Walker .44 which had been know to blow up. The first Colt to use this steel

Primary Yankee side arm during the Civil War, and most common pistol used along with the Colt 1851 Navy

Rear site is a notch in the hammer. The unfluted cylinder was "rebated", I.e. rear of the cylinder was turned to a smaller diameter than the front. The barrel was rounded and smoothed into the frame, as was the Navy Model. Barrel needs to be removed to remove the cylinder, unlike the Remingtom 58 , where cylinder can be removed without removing the barrel There were few variations the “ Texas Model ” was one of them add the Texas Model

Some military 1860s had elongated screw lugs on the side of the frame to mount a detachable shoulder stock. Some shoulder stocks were also hollow on the inside and intended to be used as canteens and were called "canteen stocks, " typically made of wood, but other materials were also used, such as pewter in rare examples.

US Army orders began in May 1861, and 127,157 had been delivered before a 5 October 1864 when fire put Colt's factory out of operation for the duration of the War The Colt Model 1860 soldiers most often loaded the gun using paper cartridges. (containing both gun powder and bullet) wrapped in nitrated paper (paper that had been soaked in potassium nitrate and then dried, to make it more flammable). Reb model 1860 .38 or .44 caliber. Basically a copy of the 1851 navy. Manufactured by Samuel Griswold of Griswold and Gunnison arms. The handgun had a brass frame, a round barrel and an unengraved cylinder. Colt Army Model 1860

1861: Whitney 1861 Navy : SA, .31 Caliper "cap and ball" 33,000 produced 1861 – early 60's. 6 shot 13" long, barrel 2.48". 2.43#. 40' typical range. (I really question this, verify) Eli Whitney inventor of the cotton gin. Whitney also established an arms production business around 1798 and the company went on to manufacture several revolvers and rifles of outside origin. Eli Whitney, Junior, had taken hold of the arms business. The company had receive considerable experience when manufacturing Colt's .44 revolver during 1847 at a time Colt lacked its own manufacturing capabilities.. The "Navy" title was used to generically designate a .36 caliber revolver as "Army" models were generally in .44 caliber. Manufacture of Whitney guns was under the Whitneyville Armory brand label of New Haven, Connecticut and this new gun was developed to compete with the popular Colt Navy revolvers. The guns proved one of the first early notable attempts at a solid-frame revolver - a structural design quality popularly associated with Remingtons of the day.

The primary customer became the United States military whose Army and Navy took stocks into inventory promptly seeing service during the American Civil War

(Reference the 1854 Whitney)

Whitney 1861 Navy 1861 – 1873: Colt 1861 Navy .36 calibe r, paper wrapped cartridge. (.38 caliber short, conversion) Percussion “cap and ball” . “New Model Navy” Round barrel, 6 cylinder, single action, 850- 1000 fps, 2# 10 oz, 13” w/ 7 1/2” barrel. 38,000 built. Both the Navy's were .36 caliber i.e. the 1851 Navy also. It incorporated the "creeping" or ratchet loading lever and round barrel of the .44-caliber 1860 Army Model but had a barrel one half inch shorter, at 7.5 inches.

100 made between the serial ranges of 11,000 and 14,000 were cut for a shoulder stock – the lower portion of the recoil shield was milled away and a fourth screw for the stock was added to the frame. With the exception of the first fifty or so of this model, all guns had a capping groove. A brass trigger guard and back strap, silver-plated, were standard. The cylinders of the Navy 1851 and 1861 Navy Colt revolvers are engraved with a scene of the victory of the Second Texas Navy at the Battle of Campeche on May 16, 1843.

After the expiration of the Rollin White Patent (Apr. 3, 1869), a number of Navy 1861 and its forerunner, the Colt 1851 Navy Revolver were converted or newly made to fire .38 rimfire or centerfire cartridges, the Colt Model 1861 Richards-Mason Conversion by the Colt factory. These remained popular even after the Colt 1873 SAA was introduced due to the comparable lower cost.

Widespread use, particularly during the American Civil War (1861-1865) which marked a production boom for the Colt Manufacturing Company. Initial 1,000 or so production-quality models had 7.5-inch barrels but most were the more popular 8-inch barrels from there on. Not only did it see action with Union forces but the Confederates noted its robust and effective value enough to produce illegal local copies all their own. As a military sidearm, the New Army Model 1860 was everywhere battles were waged. It served as a sidearm to officers, infantry and cavalry personnel as well as second-line units. Some military versions were even fitted with an optional wooden shoulder stock (about as long as the pistol itself) to assist in a three-point stabilization system when firing, leading to reported accuracy benefits at range.

Replica Navy revolvers (i.e. the 1851 and 1861) sold today are often sold in the historically incorrect .44-caliber; originally, all Navy revolvers were manufactured only in .36-caliber. Colt 1861 Navy "A" 1861: 1861 Springfield. Over 2 million made. In 1855 U.S. Secretary of War Jefferson Davis, future president of the Confederacy, adopted the rifle-musket and minié bullet for the U.S. Army. An improved version of the rifle-musket–the 1861 Springfield built by the federal armory in Springfield, Massachusetts–became the principal infantry weapon of Northern soldiers in the Civil War.

Hundreds of thousands of Union troops carried the 1861 Springfield onto the battlefields of the Civil War, and untold numbers of Confederates captured the weapon and used it themselves. Between 1861 and 1865, the Springfield armory manufactured nearly 800,000 of the guns; private contractors built 880,000 more; and slightly modified 1863 and 1864 models accounted for an additional 500,000. That put the total number of minié-bullet-firing Springfield rifle- muskets at more than 2 million.

The 1861 Springfield rifle-musket was a .58-caliber percussion weapon, 500 grain bullet, 60 grains powder, produced a muzzle velocity of 950 fps and a muzzle energy of 1,000 ft-lbs, that weighed nearly 10 pounds and cost about $15. It was 58 inches long with a 40-inch barrel, and came with an 18-inch bayonet.

On the negative side, bullets exited the Springfield’s barrel at the relatively slow speed of only 950 feet per second (about the same as a modern .22-caliber rifle), but the gun’s deadly accuracy at long ranges outweighed that shortcoming. Armed with a Springfield, a competent shooter could hit a 27-inch bull’s-eye at 500 yards, the best performance to date for a standard- issue infantry weapon. A trained marksman could consistently hit a 4-inch target at 200 yards and a 6-by-6-foot target at 500 yards. At 1,000 yards, he could even hit an 8-by-8-foot target half of the time. That did not mean that the average Civil War soldier could hit anything at the more extreme distances, but improving the old smoothbore’s 75-yard range by 125 yards dramatically increased the effectiveness of even the most inept infantryman.

On the Confederate side, the 1853 Enfield rifle-musket was perhaps the most common of a wide assortment of firearms. It was widely considered to be the equal of the Springfield. The Confederacy purchased about 400,000 of these 1853 model .577-caliber weapons from private manufacturers in England. (The Union imported a similar number for its troops.)

See also the Sharps rifle.

Minni Ball and the Civil War

1861: Spiller & Burr Revolver . Established by Lt. Col. James H. Burton, a small arms expert, at the request of the Confederate Chief of Ordnance, the Spiller & Burr factory rose in Richmond, Virginia. Two of his partners were wealthy Virginia gentlemen, Edward N. Spiller and David J. Burr. Shortly after getting started, the moved the factory to Atlanta, Georgia. In Atlanta, the company encountered difficulty producing the revolvers in quantity due to a shortage of labor and problems with raw materials. Before General Sherman arrived in Atlanta, the factory was sold to the Confederate government and moved to the Confederate States Armory in Macon, Georgia, but Sherman's march through Georgia imposed even more problems. The factory ceased production at war's end with slightly more than 1,500 revolvers fabricated, fulfilling only one tenth the number called for in the original contract. All three of the principals stood to profit enormously if successful in their venture into arms manufacturing that would "be purely southern in its character." The contract between Spiller & Burr and the Confederate States of America stipulated that the firm would be paid between $25 and $30 (1861 CSA dollars). The contract called for a .36 calibre Navy revolver, Colt's model. Colt's Navy revolver had been adopted by the Confederate government as a standard revolver, but James Burton felt another type of revolver was superior to Colt's. Burton selected the Whitney revolver, Second Model, First Type as a model arm for Spiller & Burr. Burton based his decision on the merits of the arm's performance, stability, design, and ease of construction. The arm was a descendant of Eli Whitney, Jr.'s .36 caliber, single action, percussion revolver, which was patented in 1854 as U.S. Patent No. 11,447. This model was in production at the Whitneyville factory outside of New Haven, Connecticut in 1861.

Burton adapted the Whitney design in its entirety except for a few minor substitutions. Due to material shortages, the Southern Whitney differed in two ways. Brass was to be substituted for iron in the fabrication of the lock frame, and iron was to be substituted for steel in the fabrication of the cylinder. Strength was added to the iron cylinders by heating and then twisting the round bars of iron. This process prevented any single chamber from being in parallel alignment with any fault lines in the bar iron. Even though brass was the metal used for the lock frame, the Southern Whitney was to be electroplated in silver. This electroplating made the Confederate copy look very similar to the original Whitney Navy revolver. Also, Burton proposed to round off the muzzle of the barrel instead of manufacturing sharp edges like the model. An example of a first model. Reference the nook”Colonel Burton's Spiller & Burr Revolver

1862: Griswold and Gunnison and a handful of slaves turned out the Griswold pistols in their makeshift shop in "Griswoldville" under a contract from the CSA government, in a cotton gin factory outside of Macon, Georgia in the early part of the Civil War. 1862 – 1865. Most firearms manufacturers were located in the Northern Union states. (note that the Spiller and Burr pistol factory started in Richmond Va, and shortly moved to Atlanta Georgia, then ontp.) Nearly identical to the more famous Colt revolvers in looks and design, the Griswold & Gunnison .36 percussion revolver had some brass parts, since steel was more difficult to procure, owing to the supply problems caused by the war, and had an octagonal barrel that tapered to a round shape at the end of the muzzle. They were also known to have used twisted iron for the barrel. The Navy Colt had an octgonal barrel. In some of the Confederate revolvers, what appears to be brass may be actually be steel, with a high copper content, giving it a brassy look. Griswold & Gunnison had to make do with whatever materials they could lay their hands on.

Only 3,600 made, and many were lost and destroyed in or after the war. At one point, the Union's infamous General Sherman burned down the Georgia factory , and they had to start anew, with yet even smaller production than before, which ceased altogether at the end of the war. There are very few remaining Griswolds.

Recent Prices at Auction for Originals: Extremely Rare, expensive Up to US $1,000,000.00

1862 - 1873: Colt 1862 Model 1861 – 1865 American Civil War . General Revolver info: Many different pistols, and revolvers or handguns as they were called at the time, were used throughout the civil war by both the North and the South. Sometimes the exact same model and version of a handgun would be used by both sides, or the handgun would be built to specifications set forth by the respective faction. Generally speaking the Confederate troops were always outnumbered by the North in both manpower and available weapons to use. This caused the confederate troops to use as many captured weapons as possible throughout the war. This crossing over of weapons from one side to the other, as well as the actual production of the same model handgun in various styles makes it difficult to specifically say one weapon was used by any one side. If there was any one handgun used the most by Union troops it would have to be the Colt models 1851 and 1860 army versions,as well as the Starr revolver. For the Confederate troops it would again be either the Colt models or the Remington model 1858 revolver.

Large majority of Civil war soldiers, both North and South would not have a pistol or revolver. These were not issued to the infantry soldier. Revolvers, or handguns were issued to cavalryman, and officers. Some of the Artillery units may have had pistols issued for the gunner. Officers were issued handguns, or would buy their own. Many infantryman would certainly pick up any handgun they found laying around the battlefield, and they would consider it quite a prize. I am sure any soldier that could afford to, would buy their own pistol as well. Pistols would sell for $20-40, or more so this was not an option for many soldiers with not $1 to their names.

1861 Springfield built by the federal armory in Springfield, Massachusetts–became the principal infantry weapon of Northern soldiers in the Civil War. .58 caliber Minie Ball , percussion cap, muzzle loaded

On the Confederate side, the Enfield rifle-musket was perhaps the most common of a wide assortment of firearms. It was widely considered to be the equal of the 1861Springfield . The Confederacy purchased about 400,000 of these 1853 model .577-caliber weapons from private manufacturers in England. (The Union imported a similar number for its troops.)

Hanguns of the Civil War

Common Civil War Handguns: Colt: LaMat: Remington: Starr:

(Document year made and details of the sharp including the minnie ball) A breech loading rifle, The .52 Sharps was introduced and in large numbers. Loaded either by ball or paper cartridge. The Sharps 462-grain bullet moved out at about 1,000 fps, for an ME of 1,100 ft-lbs.

After war many converted to brass cartridge. Smith & Wesson and others helped to establish cartridge firearms as the US standard by the 1870's though many still used percussion revolvers well after that 1862-1873: 1862 Colt Police Pocket Revolver . Took 1849 frame (.31 caliber) and scaled it up to a . 36 caliber. 5 shot. Fluted cylinder to reduce weight. Could order in many custom configurations. Available in 3 1/2” 4 1/2”, 5 1/2” and 6 1/2” barrels. Was also exported to England. As is typical of percussion cylinders it was not safe to load all cambers so 4 were generally loaded with hammer over the empty chamber. In this model Colt put a slot in the hammer and it rested between the chambers on a pin, making it possible to safely load all of the 5 chambers. Last of the percussion guns that Colt developed. Some were later converted to hold a metallic cartridge. Sold until 1873 when the Colt SAA went into production which really took off.

1868: Remington began offering five shot metallic cartridge conversions in .46 rimfire, paid a royalty fee to Smith & Wesson , owners of the Rollin White Patent for bored-through revolver cylinders for metallic cartridge use. The Remington Army cartridge-conversions were the first large-caliber cartridge revolvers available, beating even Smith & Wesson's .44 American to market by nearly two years. Due to the large volume of these pistols, individual gunsmiths also produced cartridge conversions (from cap and ball versions) in a variety of calibers such as .44-40 and Colt .45.

1869: Rollin White Patent for bored through cylinder and metallic cartridge expired. (April 3, 1869)

1870 – 1915: Smith and Wesson Model 3 the .45 Schofield. .44 S&W American, and .44 Russian. (combine this with entry below) Used by Army along with the 1873 Colt SAA for a while. The .45 Schofield usied a shorter and less potent version of the .45 LC bullet the .45 Schofield The Schofield fit in the Colt SAA and not visa versa. S&W was retired by the end of the '70's for this reason. Reference the 1873 Colt SAA American Model: Russian Model: 1st Model Russian 2nd Model Russian 3rd Model Russian Schofield Model First Model: Second Model: Model 2: New Model Number 3:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIBH2GLIyRU&feature=youtu.be https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Td8vfIfBx_c&feature=youtu.be

1870: Smith & Wesson Model 3: .44 S&W American, .44 Russian, .38 S&W, .44 Henry, .44-40 Winchester: Single Action, Top Break 1870 – 1915. 7” barre;, 800 ft/sec. 6 rounds, metalic cartridge. Adopted by Army in 1870

American Model : #1 sent to Springfield Armory for testing. (.44 S&W American) Became very popular out west being first cartridge gun on the frontier. Beat the 1873 Colt SAA (.45 LC) by 3 years. Russian Model : 1871 #2 sent to Russia. (.44 S&W Russian, internally lubricated bullet, black powder, metalic cartridge) 1871 Russians ordered 20,000 agreeing to pay $13.00 / revolver in gold to start production. They then wanted to customize making barrel shorter and shorter grip. Over next 10 years ordered 160,000. Had an extra “semi ring” at end of trigger guard. Final iteration was the 3 rd Model Russian. S&W nearly went bankrupt as the Russians reverse engineered the revolver and they and other countrys, Germany and Europe, manufactured them at a less cost.

Smith & Wesson reduced the diameter of the .44 S&W American to .430 and adding lubrication grooves to its base. This evolutionary improvement became an archetype, influencing future cartridge designs The .44 Russian generated a much higher chamber pressure of 12,000 (vs 8,000 – 9,000) than the .44 S&W. With improved firearm metallurgy available, Smith & Wesson increased the bullet weight of the new cartridge to 246 grains while retaining a heavy 23 grain black-powder propellant charge which almost equaled that of the .44 American and produced a muzzle velocity of roughly 750 ft/s. This could not be used in the American, too powerful. The American barrel was modified so it wouldn.t take the Russian round, and the Russian casing was lengthened. Copies were generally of high quality and Russia canceled the S&W contract leaving S&W holding a significant amount of already produced revolvers. Delayed and refused payment for handguns already delivered. .44 Russian

Schofield Model : Major Schofield of the Calvary believed he could improve the Model 3 Amercan Break Top for easier opening and ejecting the casings. Latch moved to frame. 1875 government contracted with S&W for the Scholfields if they modified it to take the Colt . 45 LC already being used by the US military. (The .45 Schofield , is a shorter and less powerful round than the .45 LC) As the .45 Schofild fit into the Colt 1873 and not visa versa the S&W was not as versitle and was dropped by the Army.

Schofield had patented his locking system and earned a payment on each gun that Smith & Wesson sold, and at the time his older brother, John M. Schofield, was the head of the Army Ordnance Board and the political situation may have been the main issue for the early end of army sales. As an aside, Schofield was later court marshalled, exact reason unknown???? Married in early 80's, wife died in 6 mo, and he committed suicide with his Schofield in 12.17.1882. Metal illness, stress, and isolation ????.

1898, after the Spanish–American War, the US Army sold off all their surplus Schofield revolvers. The surplus Schofield revolvers were reconditioned by wholesalers and gunsmiths (at professional factory-quality level) with a considerable number offered for sale on the commercial market with a 5-inch barrel as well as the standard size barrel of 7 inches. Wells Fargo and Company, who purchased the revolvers for use by Wells Fargo Road Agents and had the barrels shortened to a more concealable 5 inches length. These revolvers were then inspected by the Wells Fargo armorer and uniquely stamped "W.F. & Co" or "Wells Fargo & Co", along with the original Smith & Wesson serial number. In recent times there are a lot of Wells Fargo forgeries.

Many other versions such as. First Model Schofield: Second Model Schofield: New Model #3: Australian Model: and copies made in many countries

Colt SAA vs. S&W Model 3 youtube hickock45: Colt SAA vs. Top Break Smith & Wesson New Model 3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zWKgKUTmWE&feature=youtu.be Smith & Wesson Model 3 sift through this for information on Schofield and Peacemaker https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrqPGO1-aMQ&t=251s

1872 .50-90 caliber Sharps cartridges introduced primarily for buffalo hunting. 1874 The Sharps 1874 rifle was developed for use with the .50-90 caliper Sharps cartridges. Very very effective buffalo gun

1872: Richards- Mason Conversion: I n 1871, Colt employee Charles Richards was awarded a patent for converting Colt percussion models to breech loading cartridge revolvers. Instant success. On July 2, 1872, William Mason, another Colt employee, was awarded a patent for an improvement to the Richards model. As percussion parts ran short, the 1860 Richards-Mason barrel was changed from the profile of the earlier percussion model, to the sleek profile found on the 1 871-72 Open Top . Conversion models remained popular with cowboys (many originals will be found with imprints of fence staples on the butt) even after the introduction of the 1873 Colt®. This was due to the low cost of conversion models.

1871-73: 1872 Colt Open Top Army using the Rollin White expired patent for bored through cylinder and a metallic cartridge of 1852. a transition model that bridged the gap between the cap-and-ball 1860 Army and the cartridge-firing 1873 Colt SAA . It was the Open Top—not the Peacemaker—that became the first revolver specifically made by Colt for metallic cartridges. (Previous Colt cartridge conversions were made, in part, from surplus cap-and-ball inventory.) Colt’s first factory-made cartridge revolver was chambered for the same .44 rimfire used in the 1860 Henry but with a slightly longer bullet.

Retained 1860 grip and 7.5” barrel. Fit a new .44 full size cylinder to a .44 frame. Moved the 1860 hammer rear sight to the back of the barrel. Chamber for the same .44 rimfire 1860 Henry except the bullet was longer. 7,000 made.

Smith & Wesson may have been the first to actually manufacture the cartridge firing, breech loaded pistol. See Smith & Wesson Model 1 of 1857

Colt Open Top

See Conversion

1873 Revolvers using fixed metal cartridges came into wide spread use after the expiration of the Rollin White Patent .

1873 - 1892: 1873 Colt SAA , .45 Long Colt Cartridge. Single Action Army, aka “Peacemaker” ' The gun that won the west” .4 3/4”, 5 1/2” and 7 1/2” barrel. It was also referred to as the “New Model Army Metallic Cartridge Revolving Pistol. Sometimes referred to as the Colt .45, not to be confused with the .45 ACP as used in modern day semi-auto pistols.. Used the .45 Long Colt or the .45 LC Designed for the Calvary. Remained primary sidearm of the military until 1892 then replaced by the Colt M1892. Also .38 Special, .357 Magnum, and others.

Original cartridge was 250 grain cast lead bullet over 40 grains of FFg black powder, muzzle velocities c. 1000 ft/s . However, because that load pushed the chamber pressure limit of the original 1873 revolvers the government cut the powder charge down to 36 grains of FFg black powder, which gave the bullet the 800 to 900 ft/s muzzle velocity. Used by US Army as the standard military service revolver. The Army approved another revolver the Smith & Wesson breaktop, AKA the Schofield, chambered in .45 Schofield , a shorter and less powerful round. As the .45 Schofild fit into the Colt 1873 and not visa versa the S&W was not as versitle and was dropped by the Army. By 1876 the Colt SAA was being offered in many other calibers for civilian and foreign military sales. .44-30 Winchester for comparability with the Winchester lever action rifle and the .38-40 (with ballistic similarity to the modern police .40 S&W semi automatic, the .32-30, . 44 Russian, and .44 special. It was offered in over 30 different calipers and different barrel lengths.

Bound by the Rollin White Patent , Colt could not begin development of bored-through revolver cylinders for metallic cartridge use until April 4, 1869. Two of Colt's best engineers: William Mason and Charles Brinckerhoff Richards, who had developed a number of revolvers and black powder conversions for the company, designed the Colt 1873 SAA The very first production Single Action Army, serial number 1, thought lost for many years after its production, was found in a barn in Nashua, New Hampshire in the early 1900s. It was chambered in .45 Colt, a centerfire design containing charges of up to 40 grains of fine-grained black powder and a 255-grain blunt round nosed bullet. Relative to period cartridges and most later handgun rounds, it was quite powerful in its full loading. Civilian Model : aka Gunfighter 4 3/4” barrel Artillery Model : 5 1/2” barrel Calvary Model : 7 1/2” barrel Sheriffs Model : aka Bankers Special and Storekeepr : 4” barrel. Europeans at this time were producing double action revolvers. SA in the US continued until lat 1800's

1900: Colt SAA certified for use with smokeless powder at serial # 192,000

1873 Colt SAA Replaced by the Colt M1892 DA

Cattleman .45 LC / .45 Colt Old Model: Has a screw in front of trigger guard. Circular ejector plunger. (more info) New Model: spring loaded cylinder pin retainer button on left side. Oval ejector plunger. Higher front sights (more info) Colt Cowboy: Modern Day version of the 1873 SAA. In production by Colt 1999. Initially offered only in 45 Colt chambering with 5 1/2-inch barrel and blued finish. Single Action Army differing from the 1873 SAA features an investment-cast steel grip frame (compared to the forged original), a down scaled yet still classic-type finish, and a modern transfer bar ignition system.

Main difference..transfer bar. absence of the firing pin from the face of the hammer, and the handpiece that engages the ratchets on the rear of the cylinder has a different shape. There is no separate hardened firing pin bushing around the pin hole in the firewall of the frame. And, of course, the classic four clicks always heard when cocking a true Colt Single Action Army are now just three clicks on the Cowboy, as the initial slight “safety notch” on an SAA hammer just rearward from full-rest position is no longer there. Purists will miss it.

Colt Cowboy Colt Single Action Army Colt Single Action Army Wikipedia

1874: Sharps 1874 "buffalo gun" reference Sharps 1850

1875: Remington 1875: True metalic fired cartridge revolving cylinder pistol based on the 1858 Remington “cap and ball” design

1877: Colt's first attempt at a double action revolver to compete with the European manufacturers was the Colt Model 1877 , which earned lasting notoriety for its overly complex, expensive and fragile trigger mechanism, which in addition to failing frequently, also had a terrible trigger pull unless given the attentions of a competent gunsmith.

1878: The Colt 1878 Lightening/Thunder models in 38 and 41 Colt calibers may have been the first DA ????????????????????? I believe the first S&W DA revolvers would be the 1st model DA . 32 & .38 revolvers circa 1880, closely followed by the 1st model .44 DA in 1881.

The S&W Hand Ejector of 1896 was arguably the first modern double action revolver to gain widespread popularlity.

(This information to be verified}

://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/when-did-double-action-revolvers-become- common.190836/

1886: Smokeless Powder. France introduced a usable smokeless powder for their 8 mm Lebel. It produced more velocity, which increased the range and power of a weapon. It produced a lot less smoke so a shooter’s position wasn’t advertised as it would be using black powder. It was cleaner, reducing the amount of time necessary to clean and maintain a weapon. Small rounds could be utilized, saving space and allowing soldiers to carry more ammo. Befor smokless powder came into use "black powder" was known as "gun powder".

When smokeless powder was put into production, it became evident that the designs of guns had to be changed since smokeless powder burns at higher pressures. The three main ingredients of black powder are sulphur, saltpeter, and charcoal. Over time, the ratio has changed and today different makers use their own blends. The way they regulate burning is by grain size and a coating. Black powder is extremely easy to ignite. See 1781 Gunpowder Ratio.

The two main ingredients in smokeless powder are nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine. The double base type includes both ingredients while the single base type lacks nitroglycerine.

Advantages of smokeless powder over black powder. First, smokeless powder is about three times as powerful as black powder, which extends its range and allows for small caliber ammo. Secondly, a soldier can carry more rounds and does not need to worry much about smoke giving his position away.

Black Powder is measured and loaded by volumn and smokeless by weight. Black Powder very "crudy" or "dirty" Burns less efficiently than Smokeless. 1 gram of Black Powder when burned will leave c. 1/2 gram of solid residue, a lot of that accumulating in the barrel and chambers of a revolver. Important to use grease helping to prevent the residue from forming "hard crude"

Black Powder and Smokeless Powder https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fNxHeM3OQI Black Powder v. Smokless Powder

1889: Colt introduced the Model 1889, the first truly modern double action revolver, which differed from earlier double action revolvers by having a "swing-out" cylinder, as opposed to a "top- break" or "side-loading" cylinder. Swing out cylinders quickly caught on, because they combined the best features of earlier designs. Top-break actions gave the ability to eject all empty shells simultaneously, and exposed all chambers for easy reloading, but having the frame hinged into two halves weakened the gun and negatively affected accuracy, due to lack of rigidity. "Side-loaders", like the earlier Colt Model 1871 and 1873 , gave a rigid frame, but required the user to eject and load one cylinder at a time, as they rotated the cylinder to line each chamber up with the side-mounted loading gate. Smith & Wesson followed 7 years later with the '' Hand Ejector, Model 1896 '' in .32 S&W Long caliber, followed by the very similar, yet improved, Model 1899 later known as the Colt Model 10.

1892: Colt M1892 . DA .38 Long Colt. Replaced the 1873 Colt SAA

1896: '' Hand Ejector, Colt Model 1896 '' in .32 S&W Long caliber. DA Arguably the first modern double action revolver to gain widespread popularlity. It became the military & police and later the Colt Model 10 of 1899. These were beefed up with the advent of the .38 Special at the end of the century.

1899: Model 1899 later known as the Colt Model 10. Similar to the Model 1896 , yet improved. Introduced the new .38 Special cartridge. The Model 10 went on to become the best selling handgun of the 20th century, at 6,000,000 units, and the .38 Special is still the most popular chambering for revolvers in the world. These new guns were an improvement over the Colt 1889 design since they incorporated a combined center-pin and ejector rod to lock the cylinder in position. The 1889 did not use a center pin and the cylinder was prone to move out of alignment.

3rd Gen 1873 2nd gen 1873 Bisley model colt frontier 6 shooter

Time Line Synopsis 1798: Eli Whitney established an arms production business 1807: Precursor to the percussion cap by Reverend A. J. Forsyth 1808: First integrated cartridge invented in Paris by Swiss gunsmith Jean Samuel Pauly with French gunsmith Francois Prelat. 1818: Elisha Collier Patent : flintlock revolver invented c. 1814 1820: First Percussion Revolver was made by Lenormand of Paris in 1820 verify 1833: First percussion cap revolver was invented by the Italian Francesco Antonio Broccu verify 1836: Colt Revolving Cylinder Patent . February 25, 1836. Expired 1857 1836: Colt Paterson . Patent February 25, 1836 “cap and ball” .36 caliber in service 1836 - 1847 1841, 1844 ? Battle of Bandera Pass , *1849: Colt 1849 Pocket Revolver. 1850: Sharps 1850 1842: C opper Percussion Cap (percussion caps were in use befor this. Document such) 1847: A Frenchman, M. Houiller, introduced the first fully contained all-metal bullet cartridge. *1848: Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company established. 1849: Minnie Ball adapted by US Military *1851: Colt 1851 Navy . .36 caliber “cap and ball” Some later converted to .38 caliber cartridge 1852: Smith & Wesson founded in Norwich Connecticut. 1854: The first cartridge revolvers were produced by Eugene Lefaucheux. verify 1855: Rollin White Patent . April 3rd, 1855 1855: Root Revolver. First solid frame revolver by Colt 1856: Daniel B. Wesson and Horace Smith, on November 17, 1856, signed an agreement for the exclusive use of the Rollin White Patent 1856: Bessemer Process was the first inexpensive industrial process for the mass-production of steel from molten pig iron 1857: Colt Revolving Cylinder Patent . Expired 1857: Smith & Wesson .22 short Model 1 first metallic cartridge *1858: Remingtom 1858. .44 caliper “cap and ball” other calibers also. Aka the Remington-Beals 1860: Spencer Lever Action Patent . Out of business 1869. ,56-.56 spencer rimfire *1860: C olt Army 1860. .44 caliber. “cap and ball” 1861: Colt Navy 1861: .36 caliber, cap and ball. Some later converted to .38 caliber cartridge 1861: Whitney 1861 Navy : .36 caliber, cap and ball. 1861: 1861 Springfield. 1862: Griswold 1864: Colt factory burned down 1868: Remington began offering five shot metallic cartridge conversions in .46 rimfire, 1869: Rollin White Patent . Expired April 3rd, 1869 *1870: Smith & Wesson Model 3 . .44 metalic cartridge. 1871 & 1872: Richards- Mason Conversions Colt 1851 Navy and the Colt 1861 Navy to .38 caliber as an example 1871-73: 1872 Colt Open Top Army using the Rollin White expired patent. *1873: 1873 Colt SAA , 1873 - 1892: .45 Long Colt cartridge. Single Action Army, aka “Peacemaker” 1874: Sharps 1874 *1875: 1875 Remington . True metalic fired cartridge revolving cylinder pistol based on the 1858 Remington design 1875: Schofield of S&W contracts with US Military for the Schofield 1877: Colt Model 1877 , overly complex, expensive and fragile and frequently failing trigger mechanism. 1883: Schofield commits suicide with his own Schofield revolver. 1886: S mokeless Powder . First usable smokeless Introduced in France 1889: Colt Model 1889 first truly modern double action revolver with a “swing out” cylinder. 1892: Colt M1892 DA. Replaced the Colt SAA *1899: Model 1899 later known as the Colt Model 10. Introduced the .38 special\ Best selling handgun of the 20 th century. 1900: Colt SAA certified for use with smokeless powder serial # 192,000

*a top seller

Document Kentucky Rifle. Important for what lead up to rifle development in the 19 th century Henry Winchester (.44-40) 1860: Spencer Lever Action Patent . March 6, 1860, .56-.56, tubular magazine bored through the buttstock. 7 round tube, 500 yard range, 931 to 1,033 ft/s. c. 200,000 manufactured. 1861: Springfield Rifle: .58-caliber muzzleloading Minie, 500-grain bullet, 60 grains of powder, muzzle velocity of 950 fps, muzzle energy of 1,000 ft-lbs state-of-the-art .58-caliber Sharps Remington

Cartridge Notes 19 th and 20 th Century: 10 mm: 1983 FBI wanted a more powerful cartridge than the 9mm. They were previously using the .38 special and the .357 magnum and went to the 9mm. After shoot out on Miami, 2 bad guys killed, 2 FBI killed and 5 wounded out of 8. Bad guy shot many times but just kept on shooting. FBI wanted a more powerful cartridge. 10mm was developed. Bren Ten pistol. This as a failed pistol and never cut the bacon. 10 mm was to big to handle recoil etc for some agents, was decommissioned. They moved to the .40 caliber, a shorter version of the 10 mm. Known as the .40 S&W once known as the .40 super.

.40 S&W once known as the .40 super. Shortened 10 mm

9 mm = .356 inches of caliber

44 special and 44 magnum .357 magnum vs. 38 special same diameter but .38 special shorter. First made for the Colt Model 10 (Colt Model 1899)

.45 Schofield, AKA .45 S&W. Shorter version of the Colt .45 LC S&W lost contract with Army as was not interchangable with the .45 Colt post civil war

.45 LC Long Colt. (not to me confused with the .45 ACP Could use the .45 Schofield.

Speed of sound = 980 feet second

Barrel Loading of Revolvers A: Front Loading (muzzle end) chambers “cap and ball” type. Colt 1851 Navy. A bit like loading a musket. B. Breech Loading cartridge. Barrel fixed with right side breech loading such as the Colt SAA 1873 , or removable barrel such as the Remington 1858. Many conversions of “cap and ball” to cartridges. Rod under barrel for ejecting spent casings C: Top Break. Such as S&W Schofield . hinged at the top in front of barrel, opening frame up at the top. Extractor automatically removes spent casings upon opening the frame. D: Tip up. Such as the S&W Model 1. hinged on the top in front of the barrel, opening frame up at the bottom E. Swing Out Cylinder. Colt Model 1889 first truly modern double action revolver with a swing out cylinder. Swings out and down to left in most cases. Extractor is a rod projecting from the front of the cylinder, pushes all fired rounds out at same time. Most common today.

19 th Century American Wars War of 1812: Mexican American War: 1846 - 1848 Civil War: 1861 - 1865 Indian Wars: Through out the history of the colonies and the US. Spanish American War: 1898

History of American Wars Military Factory 19th Century Small Arms