Fun Holidays - Revolver Birthday (Pistol Patent Day)

The birthday of the revolver is clearly recorded in history and is beyond doubt - it is February 25, 1836 It is this date that dates the patent for the invention of a capsule revolver of an original design, suitable for mass production The “parent” of the birthday boy is also known - Samuel Colt, who became famous throughout the world and became fabulously rich thanks to his invention Since then, every year on February 25, everyone whose activities or hobbies are related to weapons celebrate the birthday of the revolver Although the legal relationship between Colt and his patented design is undeniable, debate continues among historians about who the real inventor was There is an opinion that Colt’s main abilities were not design, but entrepreneurial, and he only appropriated the fruit of other people’s labors And the first argument in favor of skepticism is age: in 1836, the author of advanced weapons was only 22 years old However, the young man, despite his young years, had already seen the world, was an experienced cabin boy and thoroughly understood the ship’s mechanisms The official legend says that it was among them that he came up with the idea of ​​a rapid-fire 6-round weapon The name Colt and the “drum pistol” he created have grown together and become synonymous, so many believe that there were no revolvers at all before Colt But that's not true Revolver-type firearms had existed since the late 16th century, but were either single-shot or extremely expensive handmade The principles patented by Colt simplified and reduced the cost of production, and also improved combat properties Therefore, his invention is considered the first functional, reliable model with primer ignition Based on the prototype, the talented entrepreneur produced three types of revolvers of different calibers and modifications Considering how innovative this model was for its time, it is natural that it made the developer rich However, this did not happen immediately Until the Mexican War, which began in 1846, mass production of weapons was not in demand, and Colt even went through bankruptcy But the military conflict corrected the situation, and the businessman was no longer in poverty The fortune he left behind is estimated at $300 million in today's equivalent! Who would have known that today those few surviving models of the first issues would be sold at auctions for fabulous sums, reaching up to a million dollars! Nowadays, Colt's brainchild is no longer a mass murder weapon, but a collector's item and an exquisite rarity The enterprising American was a pioneer, and after him other famous brands of revolvers appeared: • Smith-and-Wesson;• Remington;• Nagant;• Mauser;• Magnum, etc However, Colt's development is still considered iconic and arouses genuine respect For example, fans of the TV series “Supernatural” probably remember that it was the Colt, made by the master’s hand, that helped the Winchester brothers deal with any evil spirits This is the case when the name speaks for itself In many countries around the world, this date is marked by shooting competitions, thematic exhibitions of ancient weapons, reconstructions of fights and shooting duels, master classes and round tables Among collectors and historians, this is an important day, relating both to modern types of weapons and to the events of bygone days But to celebrate this holiday, you don’t have to belong to a narrow circle of specialists and experts Anyone can become interested in the evolution of weapons, for example, by visiting the interactive weapons museum in Moscow or the oldest collection of rarities in the homeland of gunsmiths - in Tula