Evening star., 1936-06-07
Centenary of the
Colt Revolver
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

The year 1886 marks the passage Of
100 years since Samuel Colt invented
the revolver, a weapon which represents
one Of the most important advances IN
the art of firearms manufacture. The
pistol might be called the mechanical
ancestor Of the revolver, and it is inter-
esting to note what long period elapsed
between its invention and the invention
Of the revolver or six-Shooter.
Caminelleo Vitclli is accredited with
the invention of the pistol about 1870.
He fourished in the Italian city Of Pts
toia. The invention started new in
dustry. The times were not peaceful
either as between armies or individuals.
The sword did not lost its caste, being
preferred by most duellists as a more
elegant and spectacular weapon, but the
effectiveness of the piSto! was its con-
slant recommendation.
The early pistols look clumsy today,
They had thick short barrels and heavy
butts. With the passage Of the years
and the advance Of the art, the size and
shape of the weapons were fined down,
and an increasing amount Of attention
was given to the decoration, especially
OIL GIlG UuLJS. OOllle IldQ 4hOiy UulIS.
Silver and gold inlayS were employed
with elaborate chasing. Mechanically,
these early pistols would appear very
crude today. There were various types.
For a long time they all had fashholeS
through which the powder was ignited.
Then there developed wheel-lock, flint
lock and other types, but loading and
printing remained at approximately the
Of Ioua1onT1ant rlU
pistols had two barrels, one curious type
having one barrel on top of the other.
Even so, time was required to reload
and in action the piStol-armed man
was at a disadvantage when he had
fired his one or two shots. Many types
of horse pistols, dueling pistols and
derringers had come into use a century
ago, but still there remained the same
disadvantage. The revolver is peculiarly
American and American conditions were
largely responsible for its inspiration.
Just 100 years ago, in 1886, the great
est military activity in the United States
was taking place in the Southwest.
Texas was a wild country and the Amer
leans who lived there were almost con-
stantly engaged in a desultory warfare
with Mexicans and Indians, largely the
warlike Comanches. 1t was about this
period that the Texas Rangers, still in
existence and still famous, came into
being. They we're organized as peace
officers, whose duties consisted of putting
down cattle thievery, keeping the ma
rauding Mexcans at bay, and holding
off the Indians. Actually these peace
officers were constantly at war with
some foe.
They were heavily armed with rifles,
double -barreled shotguns and horse pls-
tolls, but, strange as it may seem today,
they found themselves too often at a
disadvantage in fighting the Indians.
The MeXicans were more easily handled
because they fought with much the same
weapons that the Americans used. OF
all the savage Indians Of those days no
tribes were more ferocious than the
Comanches. They were amazingly skill
full as horsemen and with their weapons,
which consisted of lances and bows and
arrows. They Scorned firearms for
fighting, although they might use the
rife for bringing down game.
The testimony of the period goes to
prove that they were well advised IN
preferring their primitive weapons. A
Comanche warrior would circle around
his enemy at breakneck speed. He would
throw himself entirely down on the
side of his mount and discharge arrows
with incredible rapidity from beneath
the galloping horses neck. The horse
acted as a shield for the warrior and
also constituted a rapidly moving target,
difficult to hit at distance. A band Of
these Comanches, employing these tactics,
could take an equal number of Texas
rangers at a disadvantage. The rangers
could fire, but then would have 10 stop
to reload and as they did this the
circling Comanches would do tremendous
execution upon them.
1t was this situation which suggested
to Samuel Colt the necessity for a
weapon which would discharge shots
with a rapidity comparable to that the
Indians displayed in diScharging their
arrows. The revolver was the result.
The first model was crude, compared
to the modern gun, but it was a six
shooter. Because Colt had invented the
piece to meet the Southwest emergency
and because it was Immediately adopted
by the rangers and others, for many
years LIle SOlG IeNOlNcI NdS hIlONH Do
the Texas.
A great many interesting yarns are
spun about the first introduction OF
Colts revolver in the Southwest. The
Comanches were astonished. In their
encounters with the Texas rangers they
discovered that no longer did these
men have to stop to reload. whitening,
uninterrupted fire was poured into their
ranks. The gun played an important
part in the subjugation of this wild
country. 1t was said that. within a
short time after the invention of the
revolver, the number of them in Texas
was greater than the number of adult
men.
When the Mexican War came along
regiment of Texas rangers was organized
under the colonelcy of John c. Hays,
who had been a captain of rangers.
This regiment joined Gen. Zachary
Taylor and saw some of the fiercest
fighting of that war. They were at
Monterey and at Mexico City and, after
the capitulation, were given the task
of putting down marauding bands of
Mexican guerrillas. They were the only
regiment equipped with Colt revolvers,
and Gen. Taylor was so impressed with
the efficiency Of the gun that ne re-