The 1851 Colt replaced the three versions of dragoon revolvers that came before the 1851, as it was lighter making easier to carry on a man's belt. It remained in production until 1873 because of ...

The Model 1851 Navy was one of Colt’s most popular cap-and-ball “belt pistols,” and more than 250,000 were produced between 1851 and 1873. But approximately 42,000, bearing their own set of ...

The “Colt Revolving Belt Pistol of Naval Caliber,” as the 1851 Navy was originally called, was Colt’s first practical revolver, coming after its 4-lb., 8-oz., .44-cal. Dragoon and the less ...

Colt 1851 Navy Revolver. America’s economy had just been devastated by the Panic of 1837, the U.S. military wasn’t buying, and Colt was taking losses.

A steel engraving of Samuel Colt with a Colt 1851 Navy Revolver. Colt’s invention was a revolutionary one; however, it was met with hesitation and disinterest.

The guerrilla's principal weapon was the .36 caliber 1851 Navy Colt revolver. This gun was named for its inventor, Samuel Colt, a native of Hartford, Connecticut, who as a young man designed the ...