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COLT PATENT FIREARMS CO.
Hartford, Conn. The first company organized by Samuel Colt for the manufacture of repeating fire arms under the Colt patent of Feb. 25, 1836, was the Patent Arms Mfg. Co., located at Paterson, N. J. The firm was active from 1836-42, when the company failed due to lack of public and government support and sales, the patents reverting to Samuel Colt.
The Mexican War created a demand for arms and obtaining a government contract for 1,000 army revolvers (Model 1847) Colt had them manufactured by Eli Whitney at Whitneyville, Conn. Upon receipt of additional contracts in 1847, Colt established the plants of the Colt Patent Fire Arms Mfg. Co., at its present location in Hartford, Conn.
The manufacture of the early dragoons was followed by subsequent government contracts continuing to the present day, the firm having supplied the government with all types of arms in peace and wars. It may be of historical interest, however, to mention that according to the firm's records, during the Civil War the Colt Armory furnished the Union forces with 386,417 revolvers, about 7,000 revolving rifles and carbines, and 113,980 muzzle-loading rifle muskets.
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