Original Item: One of a Kind. This is it! The revolver that started it all for Samuel Colt! This lovely Colt Ehlers Improved No. 1 Pocket Model Paterson Revolver was manufactured circa 1842-45, using many parts produced earlier. Known to collectors as the "Baby Paterson", these diminutive revolvers were the first handguns manufactured at Colt's Paterson, New Jersey factory, run by the Patent Arms Manufacturing Company. Powered by the Passaic River next to the "Great Falls" of Paterson, total production was approximately 500 pistols in 1837-1838, when the company moved onto larger revolvers and revolving rifles. In spite of good production, sales were poor, and after manufacturing 1,450 revolving rifles and carbines, 462 revolving shotguns and 2,350 revolving pistols, the business ultimately failed in 1842. The remains of the Colt Gun Mill sadly burned in 1983, but the fine revolvers it produced still survive.

After the company ceased operations, creditor and business associate, John Ehlers acquired Samuel Colt's Patent Arms Manufacturing Co.. As discussed on page 51 of "Colt Single Action from Patersons to Peacemakers" by Dennis Adler, Ehlers acquired an estimated 536 incomplete Colt Paterson No. 1 and No. 2 revolvers in December 1842 following the collapse of Samuel Colt's Patent Arms Manufacturing Company. Ehler's advertised "Colt's Patent Repeating Fire-Arms With the Latest Improvement of 1843 and 1844" in the New York newspapers in 1844 and 1845, and advertisements by him for five missing "Colt's Patent Repeating Pistols" appeared in January 1846.

This Ehlers improved Colt Paterson No.1 Pocket Model revolver, also called the "Fourth Model Ehlers Pocket revolver", is one of the 536 partially complete revolvers acquired, finished, and sold by Ehlers following the Colt closure. It has the distinctive Ehlers attached loading lever with retaining spring and the later production, round-back, five-shot, cylinder, which features pressed-in ratchet teeth rather than the cylinder turning ring found on early Colt Paterson revolvers. The original high gloss blued finish still relatively well retained on the surface, with no signs of heavy powder burn or other corrosion, though a good amount of the finish is now worn to a gray brown patina.

The revolver has serial number 93 fully legible on the rear face of the barrel lug, the barrel wedge, on the rear of the cylinder, on the lower frame under the grip, and on the grip frame. There are not really any records for the Paterson Colt revolvers, but it looks to be in exactly the correct configuration for when it was made. This revolver was lot 190 in the C. B. Richards Galleries catalog of Andy Palmer's gun collection in 1972, and a printed copy of the information relating to the sale of the revolver will be shipped with the revolver.

The top of the barrel still has the original roll stamped address marking partly legible, with the "Mg' Co." missing, probably due to wear / damage to the stamping die:-

Unlike almost all Colt Paterson revolvers we see, the cylinder on this example still has a clear "Centaur Fighting Four Horsemen" roll stamped cylinder scene, along with a clear round panel reading COLT in the "Four Horsehead" Colt trademark. As is correct the background on the scene is ribbed, and it really looks great.

Overall condition really is very good, still retaining the original bluing in areas, with the balance worn to a lovely plum gray patina. There is a bit if past peppering in areas, but no major oxidation or serious rust. The American black walnut grip is in great shape, showing a lovely red brown color. The grip still retains the original factory varnish, showing age checking and flaking, as expected form a revolver of this age.

Functionally, the revolver does still cycle, but the mechanics are definitely a bit worn, so it is a bit finicky. The fold-out trigger, which should extend once the hammer is fully cocked, does not pop out as it should anymore. The cylinder lock is present, but it no longer presents, so the cylinder can still be moved relatively easily at full cock. Parts were replaced with custom fabricated items at some point, so we definitely recommend cycling it with care. We checked the bore, and the 11 groove rifling is still in great shape, showing a mostly bright finish and crisp lands and grooves. It does not look to have seen much use during its life.

A great chance to pick up a lovely example of an exceedingly rare early percussion revolver design. This is one of the few times that we have had a Colt Paterson, and it is not likely that we will have another anytime soon, especially with such a great cylinder scene and bore. Ready to research and display!

Specifications:

Yearsof Manufacture: 1842-1845
Caliber: .28cal.
Ammunition Type: Cap and Ball
Barrel Length: 3 inches
Overall Length: 6 inches
Action: Single Action
Feed System: 5 Shot Revolver

The Colt Paterson revolver was the first commercial repeating firearm employing a revolving cylinder with multiple chambers aligned with a single, stationary barrel. Its design was patented by Samuel Colt on February 25, 1836, in the United States, England and France, and it derived its name from being produced in Paterson, New Jersey by the Patent Arms Manufacturing Company. Initially this 5 shot revolver was produced in .28 caliber, with a .36 caliber model following a year later. As originally designed and produced, no loading lever was included with the revolver; a user had to partially disassemble the revolver to re-load it. Starting in 1839, however, a reloading lever and a capping window were incorporated into the design, allowing reloading without disassembly. This loading lever and capping window design change was also incorporated after the fact into most Colt Paterson revolvers that had been produced from 1836 until 1839. Unlike later revolvers, a folding trigger was incorporated into the Colt Paterson. The trigger became visible only upon cocking the hammer.

A subsequent patent renewal in 1849, and aggressive litigation against infringements, gave Colt a domestic monopoly on revolver development until the mid 1850s.

Early Colt literature and later publications insist that Colt was inspired to design the revolver in 1830 by viewing the windlass mechanisms aboard the brig Corvo while bound from Boston to Calcutta. However, some believe he saw examples of the Collier Flintlock Revolver while touring the Tower of London after the Corvo docked on the River Thames. In any event, sometime while aboard the Corvo he produced a wooden model (the model is exhibited at the Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, Connecticut) and further developed the concept during the early 1830s.

Samuel Colt's first factory, the Patent Arms Company (Plant ruins site at 40°55′01.04″N 74°10′44.48″W) of Paterson, New Jersey, manufactured 1,450 revolving rifles and carbines, 462 revolving shotguns and 2,350 revolving pistols between 1836 and 1842, when the business failed. A creditor and business associate, John Ehlers, continued manufacture and sale of (approximately 500 of the total 2,850) pistols through 1847. Revolving pistols held five shots and varied from "pocket" to "belt" and "holster" designations based upon size and intended mode of carry. Calibers ranged from .28 through .36 inches. The model most identified with the "Paterson Colt" designation is the Number 5 Holster or Texas Paterson (1,000 units), which was manufactured in .36 caliber.

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