Videos tagged with Colt History

This expert guide details the mechanical innovations behind the Colt 1860 New Model Army's larger .44 caliber bore. It explains how Colt utilized a rebated cylinder, frame notching, and an enlarged forcing cone to fit the bigger chamber onto a frame similar to the .36 caliber 1851 Navy model. The information highlights Colt's engineering solutions and contrasts the physical differences between the Army and Navy models.

This video showcases a rare 1912 commercial Colt 1911, serial number C943, featuring a highly desirable Niter Blue finish and early production characteristics. The expert presenter details unique features like the circled stallion logo, smooth mainspring housing, and a specific half-moon rear sight, referencing authoritative texts. The pistol's special order inscription 'C.L. Stockdell From the Bunch' is explored, highlighting its historical significance and potential connection to a competitive shooter.

This video delves into the Colt OICW Mark II LMG prototype, a sophisticated but ultimately unadopted weapon system. It highlights the advanced LE1020 external piston system, designed with lessons from the SCAR program, featuring user-accessible gas systems and carrier tilt mitigation. The LMG variant showcased a quick-change barrel and a robust bolt carrier group engineered for sustained fire, representing a significant, albeit obscure, development in Colt's history.

The Colt Monitor, officially the R80, was a 1931 development of the BAR tailored for law enforcement. Modifications included removing military features, shortening the barrel to 18 inches, and adding a pistol grip and Cutt's Compensator for recoil management with the .30-06 cartridge. Its high cost limited adoption, with the FBI acquiring around 90 units.

The Colt Model 1839 Paterson Revolving Rifle was Samuel Colt's second attempt at a revolving rifle, improving upon the 'ring trigger' model with a more powerful .525 caliber and a simpler exposed hammer mechanism. Despite its advancements, including a 6-shot capacity and a 24-inch barrel, it suffered from high cost and issues like chain fires, leading to Colt's company bankruptcy in 1842. This rifle saw limited military adoption, with contracts for the U.S. War Department and the Republic of Texas.

This expert guide details the Colt King Cobra Target .22 LR, highlighting its features as an affordable rimfire training tool. It covers the revolver's history, ergonomics, controls, sights, and range performance, emphasizing its utility for both new and experienced shooters. The guide also touches on the advantages of the .22 LR platform for practice and the revolver's reliable operation.

This video compares the rare Colt 1907 and its improved 1907-09 trials variant. Key differences lie in the hammer mechanism; the 1907 requires two hands to safely lower the hammer, a significant ergonomic flaw. The 1907-09 addresses this with an extended hammer, allowing one-handed operation of the grip safety and hammer.

This review delves into Colt's first double-action revolvers, the 1877 Lightning and Thunderer, designed by William Mason to compete with British imports. Despite a reputation for fragility and repair difficulty, these DA/SA revolvers, chambered in .38 and .41 Colt respectively, were produced in significant numbers and favored by historical figures for their concealability. The 1877 series shared aesthetics with the Single Action Army but featured a distinct bird's head grip.

This review details Colt's rare post-war 'New Model M' prototype, a modernized successor to the 1903/1908 Pocket Hammerless pistols. It highlights design changes like a 1911-style magazine release and safety, and discusses the challenges Colt faced in resuming production after WWII. The prototype, marked 'GX 2501-1', never reached mass production, representing a unique piece of Colt's experimental history.

The Colt Z40, a rare collaboration between Colt and CZ, was designed in the 1990s to comply with the Assault Weapons Ban by resembling a 1911 while incorporating CZ 75 internals. Despite its high-quality construction and good trigger, the project was abandoned due to public backlash against its 'smart gun' technology prototype. Serial number one, manufactured in 1998, showcases Czech proof marks and a unique disassembly process.

The Colt House Pistol, also known as the Cloverleaf or Jim Fisk model, was a 4-shot, .41 rimfire revolver designed for home defense in 1871. It featured a solid frame and a unique cloverleaf cylinder with recessed chambers for safety. Approximately 2,500 were produced, often with brass frames and silver plating.

The Colt-Burgess 1883 lever-action carbine, a rare firearm, is examined for its unique features and historical context. It boasted a mechanically superior toggle lock action and a distinctive sliding loading gate, outperforming the Winchester 1873 in some aspects. Its short production run, attributed to a 'gentleman's agreement' between Colt and Winchester, makes originals highly collectible, with Uberti offering modern reproductions.