july january american inventor industrialist connecticut founded patent fire arms manufacturing company today mass production revolver commercially viable business ventures producing firearms new_jersey making underwater mines ended disappointment business expanded rapidly texas_rangers ordered american war mexico american civil war factory supplied firearms north south later firearms prominent settling western frontier died wealthiest men america manufacturing methods forefront industrial revolution use parts helped exploit assembly line innovative use art celebrity endorsements corporate gifts promote pioneer fields advertising product placement mass marketing early years born connecticut farmer moved family city businessman born mother father major officer continental_army samuel earliest possessions maternal grandfather pistol sarah died tuberculosis samuel years old father remarried years later samuel sisters died childhood oldest sister margaret died tuberculosis later committed suicide brother james lawyer christopher textile merchant brother man killed new_york_city found guilty murder committed suicide day executed age farmer attended school introduced scientific encyclopedia preferred read bible studies articles gunpowder motivated life discovered accomplished things deemed impossible wanted later hearing soldiers talk success double rifle gun shoot times decided create impossible gun age began working father textile plant massachusetts access tools materials factory workers expertise following encyclopedia samuel built cell advertised fourth july event year blow underwater explosives missed explosion impressive sent boarding school classmates july accident caused fire ended schooling father sent learn trade voyage calcutta board brig noticed regardless way ship wheel spun spoke came direct line clutch set hold later said gave idea revolver wooden model revolver scrap wood differed time allow shooter rotate cylinder action hammer attached turning cylinder locked firmly alignment barrels bolt great improvement designs required rotating barrels hand hoping proper alignment returned united_states went work father financed production guns rifle pistol completed pistol exploded fired rifle performed father finance development samuel needed find way pay development ideas learned laughing gas factory chemist father textile plant took portable lab road earned living performing laughing gas demonstrations united_states canada billing celebrated london calcutta conceived man science thought people new idea like turn people receptive new idea concerning revolver started lectures street corners soon worked way lecture halls museums ticket sales declined realized museum lectures people wanted pay money dramatic stories salvation redemption public visiting brother john cincinnati partnered sculptor demonstrations theme based divine comedy powers detailed wax sculptures paintings based demons constructed fireworks complete success according historian lectures launched celebrated career pioneer madison avenue style public speaking skills prized thought doctor pressed service cure apparent cholera epidemic board giving patients dose having money saved keeping idea alive inventor opposed medicine man arrangements begin building guns proper baltimore maryland abandoned idea multiple revolver opted single fixed barrel design rotating cylinder action hammer align cylinder single barrel sought counsel friend father loaned advised perfect prototype applying patent hired build revolver years pearson fought money design improved ready apply patent superintendent advised file foreign patents prior patent filing patent great_britain august left england france secure foreign patent early revolver traveled united_kingdom following footsteps patented revolving achieved great popularity despite reluctance english officials issue patent fault found gun issued patent number return america applied patent revolving gun granted patent february later numbered instrument patent dated august protected basic principles revolving breech loading folding trigger named loan cousin letters recommendation formed corporation venture april bring idea market political connections venture new_jersey chartered new_jersey legislature march given commission gun sold exchange dam patent rights stipulated return rights company disbanded claimed invented revolver design practical adaption earlier revolving incorporating locking bolt cylinder line barrel invention percussion cap reliable faster safer older design great contribution use parts knowing gun parts machine envisioned parts gun machine later assembled hand goal assembly line shown letter wrote father said receive important parts pass add pass growing article complete arm revolver patent gave monopoly revolver manufacture practical revolver practical repeating progress percussion technology longer mere novelty arm revolver industrial cultural legacy contribution development war technology ironically company later innovations early problems failures end weapons sales following company reluctant fund new machinery needed parts went road raise money demonstrating gun people general stores generate sales volume needed loan cousin went washington demonstrated president jackson approved gun wrote note saying presidential approval hand pushed bill congress endorsing demonstration military failed obtain appropriation military purchase weapon promising order state south_carolina seventy pistols canceled company produce quickly constant problems provisions militia act stated arms purchased state militia current service act prevented state militias funds purchase experimental weapons foreign weapons undermined company reckless spending constantly corporate funds buy expensive wardrobe making lavish gifts potential clients twice cut company money spending liquor fancy thought getting potential customers generate sales company briefly saved war florida provided sale new revolving rifles soldiers florida praised new weapon unusual design years ahead time led difficulty training men exposed hammer guns consequently curious soldiers took locks apart resulted parts stripped screw heads guns soon reworked design leave firing hammer exposed problems continued late loss payment florida pistols plant closed public auction held new_york_city sell company liquid assets mines refrain long manufacturing turned selling underwater electrical cable invention soon failure teamed lobby government funds cable tar coated copper proved valuable ran telegraph lines lakes rivers bays attempts lay telegraph line atlantic_ocean battery mines transmit telegraph message manhattan battery weak send signal tensions great_britain prompted congress appropriate funds project end demonstrated underwater mines government devices destroy moving vessel satisfaction united_states_navy president opposition serving representative massachusetts 8th congressional district scuttled project fair honest warfare called setback turned attention originally designed use standard time powder ball contained paper skin envelope cartridge ease loading paper got wet ruin powder tried alternate materials rubber cement settled thin type samples army tests foil rounds fired musket cleaning breech plug removed barrel tin foil evident reception lukewarm army purchased thousand rounds testing army returned order packed box use muskets money turned cable ideas mines concentrated manufacturing telegraph cable believing business alongside invention began promoting telegraph companies create wider market cable paid mile tried use revenue secure funds investors family left time improve earlier revolver design prototype built new_york new improved revolver new revolver stationary trigger larger caliber submitted single prototype revolver captain texas_rangers acquired produced war seen hand effective use man unit defeated larger force texas walker wanted order use rangers mexican american war traveled new_york_city search met shop january placed order walker asked changes new hold shots instead power kill man horse single shot quicker large order allowed establish new business hired established arms business guns prototype walker improvements basis new design new design blake produced thousand piece order known walker company received order thousand took share profits pistol orders money sales loan cousin banker bought machinery blake build factory patent fire arms manufacturing company factory revolving breech pistols factory called popular word generic term revolver largely built walker parts known model transition walker series beginning contracts followed today known models based walker generations slight changes model showed rapid evolution design improvements inch barrels accuracy shorter chambers improved loading shorter chambers loaded grains powder instead grains earlier prevent occurrence cylinders finally positive catch installed end loading prevent dropping war mexico employed civilians soldiers key tool westward expansion revolver fire times helped soldiers settlers fend larger forces armed way introduced smaller versions pistols known civilian use general general lobbied secretary war president adopt military testified repeating arms efficient weapons world weapon enabled defeat mounted indian peculiar mode warfare served walker walker killed mexico stated rangers check followed design navy revolver larger large sized version gun standard military officers proved popular civilian buyers testimony houston issue quickly supply military war mexico sent agents south border sales mexican government patent extension period received extension patent collect early years gun makers patent sued companies court ordered warner cease revolver production threatened sue cylinder design double action revolver lawyers doubted suit successful case resolved settlement production allen continued patent fought patent extension congress launched special committee investigate charges government officials securing extension august story national news reported fault washington politicians virtual monopoly sold pistols europe demand high tense international relations telling nation buying pistols able large orders countries feared falling arms race key element success vigorous protection patent rights held patent revolver scores copied work found constantly litigation cases lawyer exploited patent system successfully shut competitors protection patents greatly firearms development united_states patent infringement suits slowed company transition cartridge system blocked firms pursuing revolver designs time policies forced competing greater innovation denying key features mechanism result created knew affordable death great high retail price fixed prices level competition maximize sales volume experience government officials knew numbers generate profit invest money improving machinery limiting ability produce comparable weapon lower price successful marketing strategies patent protection caused miss great opportunity firearms development dismissed idea white idea bored revolver cylinder allow use metallic fired white suggesting improvement revolver white took idea competitor patented invention kept able build cartridge firearms years purchased large tract land built factory larger factory called manor called employee housing established hour day employees installed washing stations factory mandated hour lunch break built charter oak hall employees enjoy games newspapers discussion rooms ran plant military like discipline fire workers sub par work suggesting improvements designs hired root chief mechanic setting plant machinery root successful earlier venture production axes bought improved fixtures profile machinery years developed specialized machinery stock turning cutting gun barrels credits root build special purpose machinery apply manufacture commercial product historian wrote root inventive genius dream mass production realized factory use concept known assembly line idea new successful industry time lack parts root machinery changed machines completed work parts required hand fitting filing machine insisted final hand finishing feel turned gun makers bavaria developed commercial use produce roll die steel particularly cylinders hired fine hand custom pieces attempt attract skilled european immigrant workers plant built village near factory away named modeled homes village effort stem flooding river planted german type willow tree mile long subsequently built factory manufacture furniture trees june married daughter lived wedding lavish featured ceremony steamship overlooking factory fireworks rifle couple children daughters son died infancy son born hart london soon establishing factory set establish factory europe chose london organized large display firearms great exhibition park london presenting engraved appropriate officials britain exhibit guns guns different parts different guns world leading proponent mass production techniques went deliver lecture subject london membership rewarded efforts awarding silver medal help ice secretary established london operation near bridge began production january tour factory impressed facilities recorded favorable comments edition factory machines mass produced parts completely assembly lines standardized patterns labor opposed england gun makers making hand london factory remained operation years unwilling alter open single action design solid frame double action revolver british asked scarcely sold british_army navy closed london plant machinery unfinished guns shipped marketing foreign heads state grant audience private citizen persuaded governor state connecticut lieutenant colonel aide camp state militia rank toured europe promote marketing techniques innovative time frequently gave custom engraved versions heads state military officers personalities king victor italy hungarian freedom fighter commissioned western artist produce series paintings depicting exotic scenes weapon prominently indians wild animals earliest form product placement placed numerous advertisements newspapers ran edition lastly hired authors write stories guns magazines travel guides biggest acts self promotion payment publishers standards run page fully illustrated story showing inner workings factory gained acceptance looked news stories containing mention guns excerpt reprint went far hire agents states territories find samples buy hundreds copies editor free revolver writing particularly story competition gave away gifts inscriptions col inventor engraved later versions contained entire signature advertisements centerpiece celebrity guarantee performance weapons eventually secured trademark signature later years death american_civil_war approached supplied north south firearms known sell weapons parties sides conflicts europe saw difference respect war america considered building south late sold confederate agent trade south restricted time newspapers new_york_times labeled southern traitor union response charges commissioned colonel state connecticut 1st regiment revolving rifles connecticut armed revolving rifle envisioned unit staffed men feet tall armed weapons unit took field discharged june died january buried cedar hill cemetery time death estate left wife year old son estimated valued million million standards professional responsibilities turned brother law person mentioned son brother john historian wrote married later married brother john scotland son bore later brother john biography based largely family letters edwards wrote marriage caroline way son real father felt fit wife industrialist divorce social stigma time john death took care child named financially large paid tuition described finest private schools correspondence namesake referred nephew quotes historians edwards said elder way letting world know boy son directly saying death left boy million standards widow brother contested caroline son sam produced valid marriage license showing caroline married scotland document rightful heir estate legacy estimated years manufacturing company produced death barrel stamped address col new_york america variation london address new_york london major cosmopolitan cities retained office new_york broadway based american manufacturer use art marketing tool hired prominently display firearms paintings awarded numerous government contracts making gifts highly embellished engraved exotic ivory pearl government officials trip constantinople gave custom engraved gold revolver sultan informing russians buying pistols securing turkish order pistols neglected tell sultan tactic russians order apart gifts bribes employed effective marketing program comprised sales promotion publicity product sampling public relations press advantage giving editors prompting report accidents occur arms listing incidents weapons bears indians etc firearms fare standardized military tests preferred written individual soldiers weapons relied secure government contracts felt bad press important good press provided received mention opened london posted foot sign roof parliament reading colonel publicity stunt created stir british press eventually british government forced sign historian wrote championed concept word coined pioneered use celebrity endorsements promote products introduced new improved advertising demonstrated commercial value brand recognition word revolver french professor history director wrote marketing techniques transformed object central symbol american identity tucker added tied american patriotism freedom asserting america technological supremacy europe widow elizabeth episcopal church designed built memorial children lost church architecture contains guns gun tools sculpted marble commemorate life arms maker parish house built site memorial son died listed national_register_of_historic_places set libraries educational programs employees seminal training grounds generations great influence manufacturing efforts half century prominent examples included inducted
Samuel Colt