Samuel Colt patents the Colt revolver (1836)

Samuel Colt secured a United States patent on February 25, 1836, for his revolving-barrel multishot firearm, known as the Colt Paterson. This design featured a revolving cylinder with multiple chambers aligned to a single stationary barrel. The patent established the basis for commercial repeating firearms, though initial production efforts in Paterson, New Jersey, faced significant financial challenges and limited sales.

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Background and detail

Background. Samuel Colt, an American inventor and industrialist, sought to create a firearm capable of multiple shots without reloading. After hearing soldiers discuss the impossibility of such a gun, he decided to build the 'impossible gun.' Over several years, he refined his design, eventually preparing to apply for patents in the United States, England, and France.

Patent Details. Colt was granted a U.S. patent on February 25, 1836, for a 'revolving gun,' later numbered 9430X. A subsequent patent, number 1304, dated August 29, 1836, protected the specific principles of his revolving-breech loading, folding trigger firearm named the Colt Paterson. These patents covered the design of the first commercial repeating firearm with a revolving cylinder.

Commercial Context. To bring his idea to market, Colt formed a corporation of venture capitalists in 1836, aided by political connections. This led to the chartering of the Patent Arms Manufacturing Company in Paterson, New Jersey, on March 5, 1836. Despite producing over 1,000 weapons by the end of 1837, the company initially struggled with sales and funding.

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