Collection Guide
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Colt Industries Museum Collection Archives
87.118
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Contributing Institution:
Library and Archives at the Autry
Title: Colt Industries Museum Collection Archives
Creator:
Colt's Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company
Creator:
Colt Manufacturing Company
Creator:
Gatling, Richard Jordan
Creator:
Colt, Samuel
Identifier/Call Number: 87.118
Physical Description:
8.7 Linear Feet
(22 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1848-1949
Abstract: Samuel Colt patented his revolver with a mechanically rotating cylinder in 1835 and 1836. It revolutionized the firearms industry
and was the first truly global manufacturing export in American history. The success of the revolver ultimately allowed Samuel
Colt to incorporate Colt's Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company in 1855. The Colt Industries Museum Collection records span
from 1848-1949 and include blueprints, catalogs, price lists, and patents for Colt's Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company
products.
Language of Material:
English
, French
.
Appointments to view materials are required. To make an appointment please visit
https://theautry.org/research-collections/library-and-archives and fill out the Researcher Application Form.
Copyright has not been assigned to the Autry Museum of the American West. All requests for permission to publish or quote
from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Research Services and Archives. Permission for publication is
given on behalf of the Autry Museum of the American West as the custodian of the physical items and is not intended to include
or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.
Colt Industries Museum Collection Archives, Autry Museum of the American West; 87.118.[item number]; [date].
This collection was purchased by the Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum in September 18, 1987.
A revolver with a mechanically rotating cylinder had eluded gunsmiths for centuries. Finally, in 1831, sixteen-year-old Samuel
Colt constructed the first rudimentary model of such a revolver. Over the next five years, he worked with several gunsmiths
to manufacture prototypes. Colt patented his invention around the world over the course of several months in 1835 and 1836.
The Colt revolver was extremely popular, especially on the American frontier, because it was the first practical revolving
firearm capable of firing more than one shot without having to be reloaded. It revolutionized the firearms industry and was
the first truly global manufacturing export in American history. The success of the revolver ultimately allowed Samuel Colt
to incorporate Colt's Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company in 1855. The company was a pioneer in the use of research and
development. It also benefitted from the use of state-of-the-art machinery and interchangeable parts. Still in existence to
this day, Colt's continues to produce revolvers and a variety of other firearms.
The bulk of this collection is catalogs, patents, and price lists for Colt's Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company products
from 1848-1949. Patent papers in this collection are held by Colt's Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company or relate to improvements
in firearms by various individuals, such as John Browning, Samuel Colt, Carl Ehbets, William Franklin, Richard Gatling, Samuel
G. Green, William Mason, and E. K. Root. Other items include advertisements, blueprints, books, correspondence, item lists,
and notes.
Initial inventory, physical processing, and cataloging by Autry Museum of the American West staff. Finding aid completed by
Holly Rose Larson, NHPRC Project Archivist, March 6, 2012, made possible through grant funding from the National Historical
Publications and Records Commission.
This collection was assembled for Colt Industries by R. L. (Larry) Wilson, who also assembled extensive documentation for
it. Said documentation was archived by Colt Industries in special document boxes made by R. L. Wilson's father-in-law, a professional
bookbinder. The document boxes with documentation enclosed were part of the purchase made by Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum.
The document boxes were entitled as follows:
No. 1 Colt Museum Collection
No. 2 Governor Moore of Alabama from Col. Colt, No. 108
No. 3 Colt Ephemera, No. 139-162
No. 4 Colt, Museum Collection, No. 79-103
No. 5 Colt Museum Collection I, No. 1-16
No. 6 Colt, Museum Collection II, No. 17-42
No. 7 Colt Museum Collection, Nos. 104-138
No. 8 Colt Museum III, Nos. 43-78. Colt firearms
Arranged by item type, and chronologically within item type.
- Colt's Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company Collection, Autry Museum of the American West; 89.62.
- Colt's Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company records, 1810-1980, Connecticut State Library, RG103.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Correspondence
Revolvers
Colt firearms
Colt revolvers
Firearms -- United States
Weapons
Commercial catalogs
Advertisements
Patents
Blueprints
Firearms
Firearms industry and trade -- United States