The British Admiralty had ordered four thousand…
1855 CE
In 1855 the British Army places an order for five thousand of these revolvers for army issue.
Despite a following order later in the year for an additional nine thousand revolvers, Colt will fail to persuade the British to adopt his revolver as the issue sidearm for the army.
Colt has begun to realize that British sales are failing to meet his expectations.
Unable to justify the London factory's expenses, Colt will close the London factory in 1856.
Over the next few months his workmen will crate and ship the machinery and disassembled firearms back to America.
Though the U.S. is not directly involved in the Crimean War (1854–1856), Colt's weapons are used by both sides.
In 1855 Colt unveils new state-of-the-art armories in the Hartford and London factories stocked with the latest machine tools (some of which are of Colt's devising), many built by Francis A. Pratt and Amos Whitney, who will found the original Pratt & Whitney toolbuilding firm a few years later.
For example, the Lincoln miller debuts to industry at these armories.
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