Weapons History Made on February 25, 1836

On this day in 1836 Samuel Colt was granted his U.S. patent for the revolver. At 16 Colt was a sailor. Some part of the ship inspired him to make a chamber the rotated. He whittled a model out of wood and once his sailing days were over he built working models. He traveled in Europe and gained patents for his revolver in England and France. When he returned to the U.S. he received his patent in which he noted the quickness in which multiple shots could be made. It took ten years for Colt to make a profit but the Colt revolver soon became the gun of the Wild West.