![Picture](/uploads/1/7/8/5/17855555/9804415.jpg)
How It Works?
(http://www.history.com/topics/inventions/samuel-colt)
- Bullet and gunpowder placed inside revolving cylinder.
- A strike plate has primer placed on top of it.
- When the trigger is pulled, a hammer inside of the barrel is released onto the strike plate.
- Combustion takes place inside of the gun and the bullet is fired.
- This gun could shoot six bullets repeatedly without reloading.
(http://www.history.com/topics/inventions/samuel-colt)
Inventor:
Samuel Colt (http://www.biography.com/people/samuel-colt-9254072)
(www.jacanaent.com/biographies/pages/coltsam.htm) |
Biography:
Samuel Colt was born to Christopher Colt and Sarah Cadwell Colt on July 19, 1914 as one of eight children. He grew up in Hartford, Connecticut and Ware, Massachusetts where he worked in his father's textile plant. Eventually, Colt left to study navigation at Amherst Academy. In 1832, he was sent to sea as part of a crew. |
Inspiration:
The Colt Revolver is not as much of an invention than it is an innovation. If you look closer, you will find that it is really just a modified version of the revolving flintlock. However, Colt shared interests in many areas such as mechanics (how the wheel turned the boat) and was challenged to create the "impossible" gun. |
Earlier Technology:
Examples of earlier technology include the revolving flintlock and the horse pistol. |
Similarities:
The idea for the revolving flintlock and the Colt Revolver is basically the same. They were both guns with rotating chambers instead of barrels. Both the horse pistol and the revolving flintlock had the same mechanism that fired the bullet. |
Differences:
The differences between the Colt Revolver and the revolving flintlock is that the Colt could shoot six bullets before having to reload where as the revolving flintlock could not. The other difference is that the Colt Revolver used the percussion system instead of the flintlock. |
Future Inventions/Innovations:
Future inventions include the Colt Walker and the Colt Python. |
Similarities:
The Colt Walker and the Colt Revolver were very closely related with the same way of reaching combustion and firing a bullet. The Colt Walker was a collaboration between Samuel Colt and Captain Samuel Walker (a Texas Ranger). On the other hand, with the Colt Python, the revolving chambers held the exact same amount of bullets. (http://www.militaryfactory.com/smallarms/detail.asp?smallarms_id=550) (http://www.militaryfactory.com/smallarms/detail.asp?smallarms_id=509) |
Differences:
The differences between the Colt Revolver and the Colt Walker were that the Colt Walker was designed to be a more powerful gun and that the bullets were more compressed and the appearance was somewhat altered. For the Colt Python, it was a much newer gun with improved functions and an intricate exterior. The Colt Python also weighed more than the Colt Revolver since part of them were designed of different materials. |
Short Term Effects
1. The Colt Revolver was used in the war (Texas Rangers) and helped make it faster to take out opponents.
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2. The Colt Revolver allowed Westward expansion and Westward expeditions could fend off multiple attackers (Native Americans).
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3. The Colt Revolver affected the way that wars were fought. They were now fought with more advanced guns.
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Long-term Impacts
1. The Colt Revolver has changed the face of armed combat by altering ways that wars were lost or won (casualties).
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2. The Colt Revolver is portrayed and introduced in many forms of entertainment today such as movies, television shows, and even video games.
In the show Supernatural, the Colt is portrayed as a gun that can kill anything (including the supernatural), yet there are five exceptions.
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3. Due to the danger of guns, there are still debates to this day about whether or not citizens should have the right to bear arms.
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Quotes about the Colt Revolver:
"The good people in this world are very far from being satisfied with each other, and my arms are the best peacemaker." Samuel Colt (inventor) 1852
(http://seethesouthwest.com/3452/colt-peacemaker-%E2%80%93-the-gun-that-won-the-west/) "Your pistols...[are] the most perfect weapon in the world...to keep the various warlike tribes of Indians and marauding Mexicans in subjection." Captain Samuel Walker (Texas Ranger) (http://pbs.org/wgbh/theymadeamerica/whomadeit/colt_hi.html) "I've heard it said that God made all men, but Samuel Colt made all men equal." Cherie Priest (author of Dreadful Skin talking about the slogan used as promotion for the Colt. (http://www.notable-quotes.com/g/guns_quotes.html) |
Questions:
1) Why did you choose your topic? 2) What was the most interesting thing you learned? 3) Fun facts? 4) How can your topic relate to other subjects besides history? 5) In the end, were you happy with your choice? Why or why not? |
Answers:
1) To be completely honest, the main reason I chose my topic was because it is a big part of Supernatural (which is my favorite show) and it just seemed like a cool topic to research. 2) The most interesting thing I learned was probably all of the effects that the Colt Revolver had on the way battles were fought. 3) -The Colt Revolver is one of the most used revolvers and can have many adjustments (such as barrel length and finishes) altered. - Most of Samuel Colt's siblings died at a young age. -Samuel Colt had five children and only one survived past being an infant. -Colt died at the age of 47 and his estate was worth 15 million dollars. 4) Really, the only way that my topic can relate to other subjects besides history is the scientific portion of creating the gun and just the way that energy is released and combustion occurs. 5) I would say that I was content with the choice I made choosing this topic because there is a lot of interesting information to be shared, although at times it can become boring. The only thing I was frustrated and had trouble finding was quotes about the invention. |
(All images were taken from www.google.com/images)
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[The websites cited above were used for more information than just the categories in which they are placed]