Colt (Formal name: Colt's Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company) is a
American firearms company which manufactures
pistols,
rifles, and other firearms for use by private
individuals,
law enforcement, and the
military. Colt was first founded by
Samuel Colt in 1836 (as the Patent Arms Manufacturing Company), built upon the backbone of his
invention, the
revolving cylinder. Although the products were good, sales were slow, and the company
auctioned off most of its
hard assets and filed for
bankruptcy in 1842.
Colt was re-invented after, in 1845, U.S.
Dragoon and
Texas Ranger units attributed
successes in their battles against
Native Americans to the
efficacy of their Colt firearms. In 1846, Captain Samuel H. Walker of the U.S.
Army and Samuel Colt
collaborated to produce an
upgraded version of the original Colt revolver for use in the
Mexican-American War. Briefly thereafter, the government ordered a thousand of the new revolvers, thereby putting Colt back in business. Stuck without a
factory after the closing of the Paterson facility, Colt contracted with Eli Whitney Jr., son of the
cotton gin inventor, and completed the order mid-1847.
In 1851, Colt opened a factory in
England and began purchasing property in
Hartford,
Connecticut, where he built one of the first firearms factories to use new factory technology to precision-machine
interchangable parts.
By 1856, Colt had become a world-recognized manufacturer of firearms, reputed for its high
quality,
workmanship, and
reliability. By that time, Samuel Colt had become one of the ten richest businessmen in America. Colt
show guns and
presentation pieces were renowned for their beauty: Samuel Colt had always had a flair for design and detail.
Samuel Colt is also noted for being one of the first individuals to realize the full value of
marketing. His success was such that, at his death, his
estate was worth some fifteen million, approximately equivalent to three-hundred million today.
In 1864, the Colt factory in Hartford burned down, suspending most production for some three years. In 1867, the factory was rebuilt to be far more fireproof, and Colt resumed production. That same year, they first began manufacturing and selling Dr. R. J. Gatling's
machine gun, the first
gatling gun ever made, and the
precursor to modern
miniguns.
In 1872, Colt released its first
breech-loaded revolver: the world-famous
Single Action Army Model 1873, later to become known as the '
gun that won the West'.
As early as 1891, Colt was working with famous arms designer
John Browning, who would be responsible for the
air-cooled light and
water-cooled heavy machine guns used by the army starting as early as the Boxer rebellion all the way up to today. Browning would also be responsible for developing the
BAR, a
.30 caliber squad-support automatic rifle and the legendary
Model 1911A1 semi-automatic .45 caliber pistol, both of which helped make Colt a favored supplier to American armed forces.
As the company entered the mid-
20th century, it began to face troubles. For years, it had started to become more and more dependent on
government orders to
make ends meet. The presence or absence of a
war could make the difference in yearly profits: in 1942, as
World War II was entering its height, Colt was so well-emplaced that it could greatly
diversify its production lines. Conversely, as the war closed, Colt began to falter. When the
Korean War began, government orders again spiked, bringing profits: yet, as it ended, the company's
last legs finally gave out.
In September of 1955, Colt decided its final option was a merger with any party that would have them. The partner ended up being
Leopold D. Silberstein, whose company was the
Penn-Texas Corporation, one of the first
conglomerates. Colt became a wholly owned subsidiary. The conglomerate would later be taken over and its name changed to
Fairbanks Whitney.
In 1960, Colt revolutionized its business with the introduction of the
AR-15 rifle, followed by the
M-16. The
Vietnam War also greatly increased the number of orders Colt was receiving, bringing their profits back up.
In 1964, the parent company changed its name to Colt Industries, and Colt's Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company became Colt's Incorporated,
Firearms Division. Its business began to extend further into the civilian field, expanding its
commemorative products, including historical
blackpowder rifles.
In 1984, Colt suffered a blow as the
venerable yet beloved M1911A1 was replaced for general military use by the
Berretta M9. In 1988, Colt lost the government contract for M-16 rifles. These two strikes would prove a mortal blow for the beleaguered manufacturer: in 1990, Colt was sold to a coalition of private investors, the State of Connecticut, and Union employees. The company was renamed Colt's Manufacturing Company, Incorporated.
In 1992, Colt filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, simultaneously entering litigation with C.F. Intellectual Properties.
In 1994, the Hartford Armory was closed and all production was finally moved to the West Hartford factory. Colt also received a contract for 19,000
M-4 Carbines to be supplied to the Army and
Special Forces. September of that year, a new set of investors purchased the company, and Colt staggered its way out of bankruptcy once more.
In 1995, Colt began working with the
National Institute of Justice on
smart guns, weapons designed to only fire when used by the owner.
1997 turned out to be a major year for Colt. A new government contract for 6,000 M-4 Carbines was offered and accepted, and the contract for procurement of the M-16 rifle was returned. Additionally, the
Air Force contracted for the upgrading of some 88,000 M-16A1 rifles to the A2 variant. Finally, Colt acquired
Saco Defense, a
Marine corporation specializing in automatic rifles for military use.
The 21st century finds Colt poised for future success. Holding exclusive contracts for the procurement of M-4 Carbines until 2010, as well as a backlog of government orders amounting to approximately 59,000 units, its
financial security is all but
assured. Colt firearms are trusted and valued around the world, and its commemorative editions are selling strongly throughout the United States.
Despite Colt's rocky past, its present is good and its future looks bright. The M-16 rifle is not due to be replaced for years, and its
civilian and
law enforcement divisions are showing more success than ever before. Indeed, Colt is one American corporation than truly epitomizes the
indomitable spirit of American industry.