While it wasn’t invented in Texas, the Colt revolver would make its way to the Lone Star state soon enough.
On February 25, 1836, the same year of the Texas Revolution, Samuel Colt was granted a United States patent for the Colt revolver.
It was the first practical revolving-cylinder handgun. Colt, a Connecticut native, invented it in 1831. Texas quickly became a proving ground for the new firearm. In fact, it was nearly the only market for Colt’s revolutionary product.
The Republic of Texas ordered 180 of the .36 caliber Holster model revolvers for its navy in August 1839. Numbers of these rather delicate arms were issued to various Texas warships and served well in engagements against Mexico over the next four years.
Pleased by the Texas purchase and with the performance of his product, Colt had the scene of a famous Texas naval battle victory engraved on the cylinders of the 1851 Navy, 1860 Army, and 1861 Navy model Colts (in all, nearly 500,000 revolvers).
The scene depicted was of the naval battle fought off Campeche on May 16, 1843, by the Texas Navy.
Most significant, however, were those revolvers reissued to units of the Texas Rangers. Among these border horsemen the Colt revolver first won its reputation as a weapon ideally suited to mounted combat.
