Colt Pocket Percussion Revolvers: Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 13:12, 13 November 2009
 | This article's lead section may be too long. |
| Colt Pocket Models | |
|---|---|
 Original Pocket Police(above) and Pocket Model of 1849 | |
| Type | Single Action Revolver |
| Place of origin | U.S. |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Samuel Colt |
| Designed | Baby Dragoon=1847,Pocket Model of 1849 =Actual Introduction 1850,Pocket Navy and Pocket Police=1861 (though popularly listed as models of 1862) |
| Manufacturer | Colt Firearms |
| Produced | c.1847-1873 |
| No. built | 325,000 .31 Pocket Models. 19,000 .36 Pocket Navy, 20,000 Pocket Police |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 26 oz (with 4-inch Barrel sans loading lever) |
| Length | 8.75 inches with 4-inch barrel |
| Barrel length | circa 3-inches to 6-inches |
| Caliber | .31 ball/conical bullet, ( 50-71-grain .320 in., dia.) |
| Action | single-action |
| Muzzle velocity | 7-800 feet per second |
| Effective firing range | 25 yards (accurate defense) |
| Feed system | 5-round cylinder |
| Sights | blade front sight, hammer notch rear sight |
The family of Colt Pocket Percussion Revolvers has its antecedents in the earliest of the commercial revolvers marketed by the Paterson Arms Company of Paterson, NJ. The smaller versions of Colt's first revolvers are sometimes called "Baby Patersons" by collectors and were produced in small calibers ranging from 24-31/100-inch. The 31 caliber carried over into Samuel Colts second venture in the arms trade in the form of the "Baby Dragoon"-a small revolver developed in 1847-48. This was to be Colt's entre into the civilian marketplace-a hedge against the unpredictable nature of military contracts. The "Baby Dragoon" was in parallel development with Colt's other revolvers and by 1850, it had evolved into the Revolving Pocket Pistol that collectors now name "The Pocket Model of 1849 (Wilson 1985.) It is a smaller version of the "Revolving Belt Pistol of Naval Caliber" Introduced the same year and commonly designated (again by collectors)as the "1851 Navy."
The Pocket Model came with and without attached loading levers and with barrel lengths ranging from three to six inches. Those without loading levers are frequently called the "Wells Fargo Model" though Wells Fargo records show no 31 caliber revolvers ever purchased by that company (Shumaker 1966.) All variations included, it was the single largest selling of the Colt revolvers until well into the 20th century (ibid Wilson.) Civilian demand for the original 31 caliber revolver remained substantial from 1850 until cartridge revolvers went into production in the early 1870s and remained popular even after introduction of the 36 caliber Pocket Navy and Police Models.
In 1860, after much experimentation aimed at reducing the size of the .44 Colt Holster Pistols, Colt took advantage of stronger mass-produced steel by rebating the frame of the Navy revolver to hold a larger diameter 44/100-inch chambered cylinder. The Colt factory applied the same technology to the 31 Caliber revolvers, configuring them to accept five shot cylinders of 36 caliber. Other changes including lightweight fluted cylinders, round barrels and a ratcheted loading lever resulted in the Police Model of 1862. The Pocket Navy retained the octagonal barrel and traditional loading lever of the earlier pocket model but was up-sized to .36 caliber just like the Pocket Police. Between 1862 and 1873, Colt records document production of 19,000 of the Pocket Navies and something over 20,000 Pocket Police revolvers (ibid Wilson.) Relative to the 31 Pocket Revolvers, the period of manufacture was short and overall numbers further limited by a fire at the Colt Factory in 1862 and War production concerns.
Period Use
One legend has it that the pocket models were popular with Civil War officers who did not rely on them as combat arms but as defense against battlefield surgeons bent on amputating a limb. Richard Francis Burton was a devote of Colt Revolvers and carried a selection of them on his mid-eastern journeys including the trip to Somalia and Ethiopia in 1855. A Pocket model receives prominent mention:
" My revolvers excited abundant attention, though none would be persuaded to touch them. The largest, which fitted with a stock became an excellent carbine, was at once named Abu Sittah (the Father of Six) and the Shaytan or Devil: the pocket pistol became the Malunah or Accursed, and the distance to which it carried ball made every man wonder."(Burton,Thomas 2003)
Other anecdotal accounts indicate that Bloody Bill Anderson, the Civil War raider, preferred the Pocket Police model.
Shooting Characteristics
The Pocket Revolvers, both original and Replica are somewhat more challenging to shoot at moderate range than the larger Colt-type revolvers. Point of impact is generally a foot or more above point of aim at 25 yards. Nevertheless by holding Kentucky windage or installing a taller front sight, the shooter may expect to make telling hits on a man-sized silhouette target at that range and very effective sustained fire at shorter distances.
See also
Colt model 1849 pocket pistol*[[1]]
References
<1. Bates, Johnny, Cumpston, Mike "Percussion Pistols and Revolvers, History Performance and Practical Use" Lincoln Nebraska, New York, London, iUniverse Publishing company, 2005/>
<2.Burton, Sir Richard Francis " First Footsteps in East Africa.." The University of Adelaide Library. HTML formatting by Steve Thomas, 2003/>
<3. Shumaker, P.L. “Variations of the Old Model Pocket Pistol 1849 to 1872.” Alhambra California: Borden Publishing Company, 1966/>
<4. Wilson, R.L. “Colt, An American Legend.” New York-London:Artabras, A division of Abbeville Publishing Group 1985/>