For most people, the word "Western" is associated with the legendary Colt. In fact, this model of a rifle unit is far from the only one. At one time, American gunsmiths developed quite a few rather lethal models of handguns. For information on the best Wild West revolvers, see this article.
A bit of history
According to one version, in 1836, Samuel Colt was inspired to develop his Wild West revolvers by the rotating mechanism of the Corvo ship, which followed to Calcutta from Boston. Whether this is actually the case is unclear. However, during his journey, the designer made the first wooden model of a weapon, which later became known as a revolver. Since Colt had business acumen and enterprise, when he returned to the United States, the first thing he did was patent his invention. This document 1304 describes the basic principles of this drum weapon.
Colt Paterson
The production of five-shot capsule revolvers of the Wild West began underlate 1836 in Paterson, New Jersey. The place of manufacture of these rifle units was the Colt's Patent Firearms factory. By 1842, 2,350 units had been made. The first 28-caliber samples had an imperfect design. In addition, the Wild West revolvers turned out to be unreliable and unsafe to operate. This explains why the US government was not interested in this model. In an attempt to rectify the situation, the factory started producing more powerful.36 caliber revolvers, namely the Holster No. 5. These weapons were purchased mainly by the Texas Rangers. In total, 1 thousand units were manufactured. The five-shot capsule revolver had an open frame and a single-action trigger. The trigger hook folded into the body. To make a shot, it was necessary to cock it every time. Sights are represented by the front sight and the whole, located on the trigger. Within a second, the projectile covered a distance of 270 m. The revolver weighed 1.2 kg. Its total length was 35 cm. Colt Paterson's aiming range was 60 m.
Colt Walker
These Wild West revolvers (weapon photo in the article) were developed in 1846. The model was designed by Samuel Colt and Ranger Captain Samuel Walker. The new model.44 caliber was going to replace the imperfect Colt Paterson. Unlike the previous model, this revolver is equipped with six rounds of ammunition. It also has an open bezel, but a trigger guard has been added to it. Weapon weight increased to 2.5 kg. It was possible to increase the aimingrange from 60 m. to 100. The total length of the Colt Walker is 39 cm. The fired bullet has an initial velocity of 370 m/s.
Colt Dragon
In 1848, S. Colt received an order from the US government to create a new model of a revolver for dragoons. Wild West revolvers used by mounted mountain shooters are designated Colt Dragon Mod.1948 in technical documentation. In the new model, the designer eliminated the shortcomings of the Colt Walker. The new revolver turned out to be lighter and comes with an additional clamp for the ramrod. Revolvers of the Wild West were produced in three stages, in each of which certain improvements were made to the firing mechanism. From 1848 to 1850 produced 7 thousand units, from 1850 to 1851. – 2550 pcs. The third issue lasted from 1851 to 1860. During this time period, 10 thousand revolvers were made. Of these, 8 thousand were purchased by the US government, the rest - by civilian consumers. Weighed a revolver 37.5 cm long. No more than 1.9 kg. Aimed shooting from it was possible at a distance of up to 75 m. The fired projectile flew towards the target at a speed of 330 m/s.
Colt Navy
This 36-caliber revolver began to be produced in 1851 for the officers of the Navy. According to experts, the Colt Navy design turned out to be quite successful. Therefore, the release of this rifle model lasted until 1873. In total, the arms industry produced 250 thousand units. The revolver was with an improved percussiontrigger mechanism. The improvement consisted in the fact that the drum breech between the chambers is equipped with a special peg. As a result, if the drum is not fully tightened, the trigger will not work and will not initiate ignition of the primer.
The octagon barrel revolver weighs only 1.2 kg. The total length does not exceed 33 cm. Aimed shooting from this weapon is possible at a distance of up to 75 m. The projectile travels 230 m per second.
Remington M1858
The developer of this shooting model is the American weapons company Eliphalet Remington & Sons. The revolver is presented in two versions, namely the 36th and 44th calibers. Production lasted until 1875. A total of 132 thousand rifle units were manufactured. The production took place in three stages. The revolvers differed in the appearance of the triggers, the arrangement of drums and underbarrel levers. The Remington M1858 is a six-shot primer revolver with a one-piece frame and a single trigger mechanism. The presence of fuses in this weapon was not provided. The length of the revolver is 33.7 cm, weight - 1.2 kg. The bullet developed a speed of up to 350 m / s. Sighting range indicator in the range from 70 to 75 m.
Colt Army Model 1860
Designed a revolver in 1860 specifically for the military. Serial production lasted until 1873. During this period, 200 thousand units were manufactured. Of these, 130,000 were purchased by the United States government. Due to the fact that these revolvers were relatively inexpensive (at that timeone revolver could be bought for as little as $20), they were also in great demand among the civilian consumer. The weapon weighed no more than 1.2 kg. The length of the revolver was 35.5 cm. The aiming range was increased to 90 m. However, the bullet speed was reduced to 305 m/s.
Peacemaker
In 1873, the famous Colt Company began producing the M1873 Single Action Army. In history, this weapon is also known as Peacemaker, which means "Peacemaker" in Russian. Despite the fact that today this model is considered a cult and has a lot of fans, at that time its serial production lasted only until 1940. For the US armed forces, revolvers were made for only 9 years, in 1892 - the "Peacemaker" was withdrawn from service. For all time, 358 thousand units were produced, of which the US Army bought 37 thousand
The six-shot revolver has a solid frame, and on the right side there is a hinged drum door through which loading is carried out. Removal of spent cartridges is carried out by means of a spring-loaded extractor. It is located under the barrel on the right. The trigger can be mounted on a safety half-cock. Unlike the previous versions, this model weighs up to 1 kg, and its length is only 31.8 cm.
About non-combat options
Judging by the numerous reviews, recreational shooting from "pneumats" has become very popular today. To purchase a blowgun, you do not need to go through a complicated procedureregistration, and in order to shoot, it is not necessary to look for a specially equipped shooting range. According to the owners, outwardly air pistols, like revolvers of the Wild West. One of the rather bought wind models was the Colt Single Acrion Army 45 from Umarex. The basis for this "pneumat" was the legendary "Peacemaker". The energy source in the wind model is a 12-gram can of CO2. Shooting is carried out with 4.5 mm steel balls, which develop a flight speed of up to 120 m / s. Pistol with non-adjustable front sight and whole, automatic safety. Since the trigger mechanism is single action, the shot is possible only when the hammer is cocked. “Pneumatic” weighs 950 g.
In conclusion
In addition to combat samples and "injuries", various models of Wild West revolvers are also sold in specialized stores. Their price varies from 4 to 6 thousand rubles. These accessories will be a good gift for men.
