Browsing: March 5

A Brief History On March 5, 1836, Samuel Colt formed Patent Arms Manufacturing, the forerunner of Colt’s Firearms Manufacturing Company which in turn became today’s Colt’s Manufacturing Company.  (For a companion list for this article, please see our list of “The Top 10 Famous Pistols.”) Digging Deeper Digging deeper, we find the reason for the founding of this company was the invention and patenting of the revolver, a pistol with a revolving cylinder that can fire six times in rapid succession (originally five times, later changed to 6) compared to the single shot pistols of the time. Colt’s Paterson revolver,…

A Brief History On March 5, 1953, Joseph Stalin, one of modern history’s most evil world leaders, died.  His relationships with his children were downright disturbing at times.  Indeed, this family is proof that certain people should not reproduce for the safety and betterment of mankind.   At least we can be glad that some of history’s other idiots did not.  Here 10 people who either never reproduced or should not have are listed. (Note: We do not advocate eugenics!) Digging Deeper 10. Joseph Stalin. Stalin, the Soviet dictator who had the longest reign of any Soviet leader,  was a brutal…

A Brief History On March 5, 1836, Samuel Colt formed the gun-manufacturing company that would produce the pistols “that won the West.”  We have already written about Mr. Colt and his innovative and successful revolver, but this time around, we are going to discuss the problems with it. Digging Deeper Colt created his invention when percussion caps were replacing flintlock ignition systems, and the percussion cap is what made a revolving cylinder firearm practical.  When relying on flintlock ignition, powder could easily fall out of the individual pan or chain fire, with all cylinders going off at once.  (This could…

Dear readers, in March of 2014, we posted an article about Colt’s revolver, but what are some more famous pistols in history?  Read on to find out the top ten!  The order is not important, but their fame and renown is.  Television, movies, books and popularity use all factor into fame and notoriety with pistols.  What pistols and revolvers would come to your mind as famous?  (Or infamous, as the case may be?) 10. Smith & Wesson J-Frame (.38 S&W Special) The snub nosed .38 all the detectives used to carry in the movies from the 1940’s to the 1980’s…