Colt The Revolver of the American West

by Richardson, Jeffrey; Keys, William M.; Haynes, Beverly

• ISBN13: 9780785836940
• ISBN10: 0785836942
• Edition: Revised
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2019-03-05
• Publisher: Chartwell Books

Summary

From the world’s finest collection, the 100 most significant Colt revolvers are presented for the first time in this handsome volume.
 
The Colt Single Action Revolver “won the West” by being the gun of choice on the American frontier—from settlers and Native Americans to law-enforcement officers and outlaws. As a result of their shared history, the Colt revolver and the American West will forever be connected.
 
Over its twenty-five-year history, The Autry National Center has compiled the finest assemblage of more than 500 Colt revolvers in the world—including the Colt Industries corporate collection. The Autry’s curator has selected the 100 most important examples to document and celebrate the history of Samuel Colt’s revolutionary invention. The revolvers include pieces of historical significance, opulently engraved specimens, and extremely rare models.
 
Featured are an early prototype revolver, Wyatt Earp’s and Theodore Roosevelt’s favorite guns, and the first modern revolvers designed by Tiffany & Co. Each gun is described in a detailed essay, and additional artifacts—historical photographs and art, uniforms, hats, and holsters—are featured to place the revolvers in their proper historical context.
 
This handsome volume is ideal for the collector or enthusiast of the American West.
 

Author Biography

Jeffrey Richardson has served in a variety of roles, the most recent being at the Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles for eight years.  Currently, he’s the curator of exhibits for the Farmington Museum system.  This includes the Farmington Museum at Gateway Park, the E3 Children’s Museum & Science Center, and the Riverside Nature Center.

In his last role at that Autry Museum, Richardson served as the Gamble curator of Western history, popular culture, and firearms. It was a high-visibility position that resulted in his making numerous television appearances on PBS, the Travel Channel, the History Channel, the Outdoor Channel, and A&E. Richardson also used the expertise he gained there to write a number of books and articles for various publications.
 

William M. Keys is a retired U.S. Marine Corps general and is president and CEO of Colt’s Manufacturing, LLC.

Beverly Haynes is the corporate historian of Colt’s Manufacturing, LLC.