Samuel Colt buys the machinery and tooling…
1848 CE
The first revolving-breech pistols made at the factory are called "Whitneyville-Hartford-Dragoons" and will become so popular that the word "Colt" will often be used as a generic term for the revolver.
The Whitneyville-Hartford Dragoon, largely built from leftover Walker parts, is known as the first model in the transition from the Walker to the Dragoon series.
Beginning in 1848, more contracts follow for what is today known as the Colt Dragoon Revolver.
These models are based on the Walker Colt, and in three generations slight changes to each model show the rapid evolution of the design.
The improvements are 7 1⁄2-inch (190 mm) barrels for accuracy, shorter chambers and an improved loading lever.
The shorter chambers are loaded to 50 grains of powder, instead of 60 grains in the earlier Walkers, to prevent the occurrence of ruptured cylinders.
Finally, a positive catch is installed at the end of the loading lever to prevent the lever from dropping under recoil.
Besides being used in the war with Mexico, Colt's revolvers are employed as a sidearm by both civilians and soldiers.
Colt's revolvers are a key tool in the westward expansion.
A revolver that can fire six times without reloading helps soldiers and settlers fend off larger forces that are not armed in the same way.
In 1848, Colt introduces smaller versions of his pistols known as Baby Dragoons that are made for civilian use.
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