Sam Colt

Sam Colt’s design of a revolver

by Guy Lemieux © April 14, 2010

Let us dispel an historic fact on how Sam designed his revolver.  We are told from many sources that his study of a Sailing Ships wheel led to the design.  Just last week on the History Channel a narrator proclaimed the wheel had stops and this is the model he used.

Ships Wheel

The wheel was a wooden wheel with spokes leading to handles on the outside, where the Helmsmen could rotate the wheel to steer.  The wheel turned a cylinder with lines attached that would rotate the rudder to steer the ship in the direction it was turned.  There were no Stops, although I have read that some helmsmen attached lines to the handles to keep the wheel in place.  Sam became a seaman at age sixteen.  A junior member of the crew would not be assigned to the helm as his duties.  The Helmsmen would be a senior member of the crew with the learning and experience to not only steer a course, but read the ships compass and feel the action of the ship and sea.

Capstan

The Capstan was a proper duty station for a young strong seaman.  The Capstan with the anchor chain attached, rotated around a shaft withdrawing the anchor.  At the top were six mortised rectangular holes.  When the anchor needed to be raised, handles were fitted into those holes and the crewmen turned the Capstan raising the anchor. 

If there was an accident of a crewmen falling or handle braking, the anchor could quickly fall back to the bottom.  To prevent this a ratchet at the bottom of the Capstan had a pawl or hook engaged.  It would rise over each step in the ratchet and fall again as it rotated.  If there was an accident, the pawl would catch and hold the rotation holding the anchor in place until the problem was solved. 

This is the example I say Sam used in his design.

This is the Cylinder from the Navy Colt Revolver and as you can see it is the Capstan.  It revolves around a center post and the Ratchet provides in this case motion.  Attached to the Hammer is the Hand that as the Hammer is “cocked” the Hand comes up through the frame and engaging the Ratchet rotating the Cylinder to place the chamber in line with the Barrel.  Then the Cylinder Lock pops up from beneath into the Slot locking the Cylinder in place.

Now using logic and common sense you decide, did Sam use the ship’s wheel or the capstan as his example for the design?

let us know what you think.

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