peacemaker weapons. Colt revolvers. Air model colt

According to the most common version, Colt's idea of ​​​​creating a revolver was prompted by observations of a rotating mechanism on the ship "Corvo", on which the great inventor traveled from Boston to Calcutta. One way or another, but it was on board the "Corvo" that Colt first made a model of wood, later called a revolver. Upon his return to the United States, Colt, who was distinguished by business acumen and enterprise, applied to the patent office and issued patent No. 1304 of August 29 (according to other sources, February 25), 1836, which described the basic principles of the weapon with a rotating drum.

Colt Paterson

In late 1836, the Colt's Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company factory in Paterson, New Jersey, began production of Colt's cap revolvers - then still five-shot, .28 caliber, sold under the name Colt Paterson. In total, until 1842, 1,450 revolver guns and carbines, 462 revolver shotguns and 2,350 revolvers proper were produced. Naturally, all weapons were capsule. The first samples were distinguished by low reliability, regular breakdowns and a very imperfect design, not to mention the extremely unsafe and inconvenient reloading process. Not surprisingly, the US government showed little interest in the new weapon. The army acquired only a few revolver carbines for testing. Colt's largest customer was the Republic of Texas, which bought 180 revolver shotguns and ranger guns, and about the same number of revolvers for the Texas Navy. A number of revolvers (a more powerful caliber - .36) were ordered with their own money by the Texas Rangers themselves, in private. Low demand in 1842 led to the bankruptcy of the factory.

Colt Paterson 1836-1838 issue (still without a ramrod for loading)

Thus, the most massive of the Colt Paterson revolver models produced in Paterson was the No. 5 Holster, aka Texas Paterson - a .36 caliber revolver. They were released about 1,000 units. Of these, half - in the period from 1842 to 1847, already after bankruptcy. Their production was established by the lender and former partner of Colt, John Ehlers.

Colt Paterson of 1836-1838 with the trigger stowed in the body

One of the most significant conflicts with the use of Colt Paterson revolvers was the Battle of Bander Pass between the Mexican army and the Texas Rangers, among whom was US Army Captain Samuel Walker. Later, during the Mexican-American War, Walker met Colt and with him modified the Colt Paterson revolver, called the Colt Walker. It was in good demand, as the Colt Walker was much more reliable and comfortable than its predecessor. Thanks to this, Colt returned to the development of weapons in 1847.

Texas Ranger. 1957 The Colt Company owes much of its success to the Rangers.

From a technical point of view, the Colt Paterson is a capsular five-shot open-frame revolver. Single action trigger mechanism (English Single Action, SA) with a trigger that folds into the body. You have to cock the trigger each time you fire. The revolver is loaded from the muzzle of the chambers - with gunpowder and a bullet (round or conical) or a finished cartridge in a paper sleeve containing a bullet and gunpowder.

.44 paper cartridges and loading tool

Caps (produced in our days - for lovers of such weapons)

Then a capsule is placed on the brand tube in the breech of the drum - a miniature cup made of soft metal (usually brass) with a small charge of explosive mercury that is sensitive to impact. Upon impact, the charge explodes and creates a jet of flame, which ignites the powder charge in the chamber through the brand tube. You can read more about this here:. All that has been said about the principles of operation of such weapons applies to all other capsule revolvers.

Sights consist of a front sight and a rear sight on the trigger. The loading of the early models of Colt Paterson revolvers, produced before 1839, was carried out only with its partial disassembly and removal of the drum, using a special tool - essentially a small press for pressing bullets into the drum chambers.

This process was long and inconvenient, especially in the field. Not only was it unsafe to reload the Colt Paterson, but also to carry it, as there were no manual safety catches. To speed up reloading, gunfighters usually carried several preloaded drums with them and simply changed them as needed. In later models, from 1839, a built-in ramrod pressing lever and a special hole in the front of the frame for it appeared in the design. This mechanism made it possible to significantly speed up and simplify reloading - now it was possible to equip the drum without removing it from the revolver. This improvement made it possible to get rid of an additional tool, and since that time the ramrod lever has become an integral element in the design of almost all Colt capsule revolvers.

Colt Paterson issue 1842-1847 with a short barrel and a ramrod for loading

Some performance characteristics of Colt Paterson caliber .36 with a barrel length of 7.5 inches (note that even for the same model of primer weapons they may differ slightly):
- muzzle velocity, m/s - 270;
- sighting range, m - 60;
- weight, kg - 1.2;
- length, mm - 350.

So, the first Colt Paterson revolvers were actively used by the Rangers and the Navy of the Republic of Texas, and very limitedly used by the US Army. Colt Paterson was used in the clashes between the Republic of Texas and Mexico, in the Mexican-American War, in the US war with the Seminole and Comanche tribes.

Such revolvers are highly valued today. Colt Paterson in original box with all accessories sold at auction in 2011 for $977,500

Colt Walker

The Colt Walker was developed in 1846 by Samuel Colt and Texas Ranger Captain Samuel Hamilton Walker. According to the widespread version, Walker suggested that Colt develop a powerful .44 caliber army revolver instead of the relatively weak and not very reliable .36 caliber Colt Paterson revolvers that were then in service. In 1847, the newly formed Colt's Manufacturing Company in Hartford, Connecticut (where it still resides), produced the first batch of 1,100 Colt Walker revolvers, which was also the last. In the same year, Samuel Walker was killed in Texas during the Mexican-American War.

The Colt Walker is an open-framed six-shot revolver with an added trigger guard. Colt Walker - Colt's largest black powder revolver: its weight is 2.5 kilograms. From that moment on, all "non-pocket" models of Colt's capsule revolvers become six-shot.

Some performance characteristics of Colt Walker caliber .44:
- muzzle velocity, m/s - 300-370;
- sighting range, m - 90-100;
- weight, kg - 2.5;
- length, mm - 394.

The Colt Walker was used by both sides in the North-South War.

Confederate Army soldier with Colt Walker

Colt Dragoon Model 1848

The Colt Model 1848 Precision Army revolver was developed by Samuel Colt in 1848 by order of the US government to equip mounted mountain shooters (U.S. Army's Mounted Rifles), better known in the US as dragoons. Hence its name, under which the revolver entered - Colt Dragoon Model 1848. In this model, a number of shortcomings of the previous Colt Walker model were eliminated - the Colt Dragoon had less weight and a ramrod lock was added.

Colt Dragoon Model 1848

Holster and belt for Colt Dragoon Model 1848

In total there were three releases of the Colt Dragoon model, differing from each other by minor improvements in the firing mechanism:
- first issue: from 1848 to 1850, about 7,000 were produced;
- second issue: from 1850 to 1851, about 2,550 were issued;
- third issue: from 1851 to 1860, about 10,000 Colt Dragoon revolvers were produced, of which the US government purchased more than 8,000 units.

Thus, Colt Dragoon was produced for 12 years. The Colt company produced about 20,000 of these revolvers. Colt Dragoon turned out to be a very successful revolver.

Separately, it is worth noting the release since 1848 of his pocket version of the Colt Pocket Model 1848 caliber .31, better known as the Baby Dragoon, especially popular with civilians.

Colt Pocket Model 1848 Baby Dragoon

Some performance characteristics of the Colt Dragoon Model 1848 in .44 caliber, with a barrel length of 8 inches:
- muzzle velocity, m/s - 330;

- weight, kg - 1.9;
- length, mm - 375.
Colt Dragoon Model 1848 was used by the US Army and the Confederate Army in the War of the North and South. A significant part was sold to civilians.

Confederate Army soldiers with Colt Dragoon Model 1848

Colt Navy 1851

The Colt Revolving Belt Pistol of Naval Caliber (caliber 36), better known as the Colt Navy 1851, was developed by the Colt company specifically for arming US Navy officers. Colt Navy turned out to be such a successful model that its production continued until 1873 (since 1861 - Colt Navy Model 1861), when armies around the world massively switched to a unitary cartridge. Colt Navy of various models was produced for a record 18 years, and in total about 250,000 of them were produced in the USA. Another 22,000 units were made in the UK at the London Armory factory. Colt Navy is considered one of the most advanced and beautiful primer revolvers in history.

The trigger mechanism has been improved: a special pin is made in the breech of the drum between the chambers, thanks to which, in the event of a drum underturn, accidental operation of the trigger does not cause ignition of the capsules. Colt Navy has an octagonal barrel.

Colt Navy 1851 revolvers were in service not only with the US Army, where the Remington M1858 revolver became their main competitor, but also with officers of the army of the Russian Empire (which ordered a large batch from Colt), Austria-Hungary, Prussia and other countries.

Some performance characteristics of Colt Navy 1851 caliber .36:
- muzzle velocity, m/s - 230;
- sighting range, m - 70-75;
- weight, kg - 1.2-1.3;
- length, mm - 330.

Colt Navy was actively used by both sides in the war between the North and the South. It became the first capsule revolver to be massively converted - converted to a unitary cartridge.

Rimfire cartridges on black powder caliber .44 Rimfire from Winchester

Conversion Colt Navy Model 1861

The differences from the Colt Navy primer are clearly visible: a new drum with a door in the rear for loading, the ramrod lever is removed and a spring-loaded extractor is installed instead to remove spent cartridges, the depth of the notch is increased behind the drum for ease of loading cartridges.

Remington M1858

The Remington M1858 capsule revolver, also known as the Remington New Model, was developed by the American company Eliphalet Remington & Sons and was produced in .36 and .44 calibers. Due to the fact that the patent holder was Colt, Remington was forced to pay him royalties on each revolver released, so the price of Remington revolvers was significantly higher than similar Colt revolvers. The Remington M1858 revolver was produced until 1875.

Over 17 years, about 132,000 Remington M1858 revolvers were produced in .44 caliber (military model with a barrel length of 8 inches) and caliber .36 (marine model with a barrel length of 7.375 inches). There were three large releases in total, which were almost identical - small differences were in the appearance of the trigger, the arrangement of the underbarrel lever and the drum.

From a technical point of view, the Remington M1858 is a six-shot capsular revolver with a solid frame, which is loaded by placing finished cartridges in a paper sleeve or bullets with black powder into the drum chambers from the muzzle side, after which primers were placed in the drum breech.

The trigger mechanism is single action (eng. Single Action, SA), manual fuses are absent.

Some performance characteristics of the Remington M1858 caliber .44, with a barrel length of 8 inches:
- muzzle velocity, m/s - about 350;
- sighting range, m - 70-75;
- weight, kg - 1.270;
- length, mm - 337.

Remington M1858 revolvers were in service with the army in the United States, the British and Russian empires, Japan, Mexico, etc.

Northern army cavalry soldier with three Remington M1858

The Remington M1858 was actively reworked for a unitary cartridge. Since 1868, the company itself began producing a conversion version of the Remington M1858 revolver chambered for caliber .46 rimfire on black powder.

Remington M1858 conversion

Colt Army Model 1860

The Colt Army Model 1860 revolver was developed in 1860 and became one of the most common revolvers during the American Civil War. Produced for 13 years. In total, up to 1873, about 200,000 Colt Army Model 1860 revolvers were produced, and about 130,000 of them were made by order of the US government.

It had a modification with longitudinal grooves on the drum and less weight - Texas Model, so named due to the fact that most of these revolvers were bought by the Texas Rangers after the Civil War.

The Colt Army Model 1860 revolver, along with the Colt Navy 1851 and Remington M1858, became one of the most beloved revolvers of its era. It was actively bought not only by the military, but also by civilians. Moreover, revolvers were then relatively inexpensive. For example, the Colt Army Model 1860 cost $20 (for comparison: the price of an ounce of gold on the New York Stock Exchange in 1862 was $20.67).

1873 was a significant year for Colt. She began production of the most famous revolver in history - the Colt M1873 Single Action Army, better known as the Peacemaker ("Peacemaker"). Along with the Smith & Wesson's .44 Magnum revolver, the Peacemaker has become a cult weapon, and today has a whole community of fans. Suffice it to say that the release of the first generation Peacemakers for the civilian arms market continued until ... 1940!

Colt М1873 Single Action Army "Peacemaker"

The Peacemaker was originally produced in the powerful black powder .45 Long Colt caliber with a 7.5" barrel, soon followed by 5.5" and 4.75" models. Later, revolvers of calibers .44-40 WCF and .32-20 WCF (Winchester) appeared, and in the twentieth century, options were added to them chambered for .22 LR, .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .44 Special, etc. - more than than 30 calibers!

Peacemaker for the US Army was produced for 9 years - until 1892, when the "peacekeepers" were withdrawn from service (the artillery model continued to be used until 1902) and replaced by the Colt Double Action M1892. And in total, until 1940, 357,859 first-generation Peacemakers were produced, of which 37,000 revolvers were purchased for the American army.

The Peacemaker is a six-shot, solid-framed revolver that is loaded through a hinged door in the drum on the right side of the revolver. There is a spring-loaded extractor for removing spent cartridges, located below and to the right of the barrel. The design provides for setting the trigger on a safety half-cock.

Peacemaker, the Buntline Special variant, with a 16" (almost 41cm) barrel!

Some performance characteristics of the first generation Peacemaker, chambered for .45 Long Colt black powder rimfire, with a 7.5-inch barrel:
- muzzle velocity, m/s - more than 300;
- sighting range, m - n / a;
- weight, kg - 1.048;
- length, mm - 318;
- bullet energy, J - 710-750.

Colt Peacemaker took part in the Spanish-American and Philippine-American wars, in the Great Sioux War, in the US wars against the Cheyenne and other Indian tribes.

It should also be said that the Colt Peacemaker... is actually still in production today! In 1956, Colt resumed production of the second generation Peacemaker revolvers, which continued until 1974. During this time, 73,205 of these revolvers were produced.

In the early 1970s The US Congress passed a law prohibiting the sale of firearms without special fuses - none of the 19th century single-action revolvers met this requirement. Colt made the necessary changes to the design and in 1976 resumed production of the third generation Peacemaker, which continued until 1982. In total, 20,000 pieces were produced during this period. In 1994, the production of Peacemakers was again resumed under the name Colt Single Action Army (Colt Cowboy), which continues to this day.

Colt Single Action Army. Modern chrome version with hunting knife included

Features Colt Peacemaker M1873:

Manufacturer:	Chiappa firearms (Italy)
Caliber:	5.6 mm (.220 Long Blanc)
Combat prototype:	Colt Single Action Army (Colt M1873 Peacemaker), USA
Ammunition:	Hilti 0.22NC cartridges (5.6x16mm)
Drum capacity:	6
Material:	steel body
Trigger mechanism:	single action
Shooting mode:	semi-automatic
Fuse:	No
Length:	260 mm (barrel - 120 mm)
The weight:	950 g
Equipment:	revolver, ramrod, passport (instruction), box
Certificate:

Description of Colt Peacemaker M1873 Single Action, black (340.209):

New for 2015! Colt Peacemaker(Peacemaker) M1873 - a copy of the legendary, first revolver adopted by the US Army Colt. It was a combination of the design of the previous Colt capsule revolvers - the trigger mechanism, the design and construction of the handle and partially the trigger, with a more modern monolithic closed frame and the use of unitary center-fire cartridges.

Loading the signal revolver Colt Peacemaker M1873 with scrolling of the drum is made only on the half-cock of the trigger. Accommodates 6 rounds caliber 5.6 mm (for example, Hilti cartridges). Body material - steel, provides this revolver with strength and great similarity with its combat counterpart.

signal revolver Colt Peacemaker M1873 is manufactured by " Chiappa firearms», Italy. The revolver is the prototype of Colt's legendary combat model, nicknamed the "Peacemaker", which is considered the first revolver of this company. This model is used when giving sound signals at sporting events, as well as in self-defense from animals or bandits.

The external design and internal parts of the revolver are made of steel, and therefore the weight of the product is quite decent - 950 grams, which gives it strength and brings it even closer to its combat counterpart. The handle has plastic overlays. The revolver drum is removable, which is convenient when disassembling the device or cleaning it.

Fits in the drum of a revolver 6 rounds. For the place of ammunition in the Colt Peacemaker M1873, blank cartridges with a caliber of 5.6 mm are used. These can be light and sound cartridges, assembly cartridges - Hilti or Long Blanc .22. At the same time, the sound during firing is similar to the shot of a combat analogue and is quite loud. And charging of this model is carried out on a half-cock of the trigger when the drum is scrolled.

This model is equipped with a single-action trigger mechanism, and therefore, before each shot, it is necessary to cock the trigger, and then press the trigger. After firing 5 rounds, empty the drum and remove the shells. The body of the revolver and the drum are also cleaned with a brush, which is included in the package. It is recommended to clean the revolver after each use.

In addition to the product itself and the ruff in the package Colt Peacemaker revolver M1873 includes ramrod and passport. Delivery of this set is made in a plastic case or a cardboard box.

Loading:

• Pull the hammer to the "pre-cocked" position and open the drum cover on the right side of the revolver
• Scrolling the drum manually, place the cartridges in the drum chambers one by one
• Close the lid of the drum and cock the hammer to the end to fire a shot by pulling the trigger

Video review of the starting revolver Colt Peacemaker M1873:

Information about the characteristics, configuration, appearance and color of the product is introductory; they are subject to change by the manufacturer without notice.

In the online store site you can buy the Colt Peacemaker M1873 signal revolver, black with convenient delivery throughout Russia by courier, transport company or Russian Post. We also deliver to Kazakhstan and Belarus. You can check the price and order the goods on the website, by phone or write an e-mail.

It is believed that the first pistol was invented by the Italians in the city of Pistoe, from the name of which the word “gun” itself came from. Hand firearms in the form of all kinds of squeakers, arquebuses and muskets were created much earlier, but they were suitable for use only by foot soldiers. For cavalrymen, a lighter and more compact type of weapon was required. The pistol became such a weapon. Today we will talk about the most outstanding samples.

Grandpa Colt "Peacemaker"

“God created people different, and Colonel Colt equalized them in rights” - something like this says one of the versions of the catchphrase. There were attempts to create a multi-shot pistol before, but it was the Colt revolver that became the next starting point in the development of firearms. In 1836, Samuel Colt made and patented his first revolver, called the Colt Paterson.

It was a 36-caliber pistol with a rotating drum for five capsule charges. Moreover, the drum did not rotate manually, but with the help of a mechanism, which made the revolver truly semi-automatic. USM (trigger mechanism) - single action, i.e. the trigger had to be cocked before each shot. The Paterson was followed by a number of capsule revolvers (Walker, Dragoon, etc.). But they all had a significant drawback - a very long reload time (the primer was charged first, then the powder charge, then the bullet), which, in fact, made the revolver useless after five shots in battle. More advanced weapons were needed.

In 1873, a revolver was created that became a real legend, a symbol of the Wild West and the most popular weapon in Westerns. He received the name Colt Single Action Army, Model 1873, or in the common people - "Colt Peacemaker". And it was about him that the catchphrase was coined. Unlike earlier capsule models, the Peacemaker was a centerfire revolver, loaded with metal cased unitary cartridges. The revolver was adopted by the US Army as a service weapon and remained the main army pistol until 1892.

Characteristics:

• Weight - 1.021 kg uncharged.


• Length - from 260 to 330 mm, depending on the model.


• Caliber - 45 Colt (11.43 mm).


• Drum capacity - 6 rounds.

"Peacemaker" was distinguished by high power, rate of fire (for that time) and reliability. Therefore, following the army models, the revolver also received a civilian, lightweight version for a smaller caliber. The 1873 model became so popular that it was produced until 1941 and sold a total circulation of more than 357 thousand pieces. It is still produced in limited batches on special orders.

hard worker revolver

At the end of the 19th century, a massive rearmament of the army began in Russia. In parallel with the choice of a rifle (the famous Mosin three-line model of 1891 became the winner of the competition), a competition was announced for a new revolver. The weapons factory of the Nagant brothers, located in the Belgian city of Liege, won it.

The Russian military made a number of demands. So, the caliber of the pistol had to correspond to the rifle - 7.62 mm. At the same time, the revolver had to have sufficient lethal force, good accuracy of fire and weight in the range of 800-900 g. And also, be easy to use, technologically advanced in production and reliable in operation. Surprisingly, all these requirements were implemented in the revolver of the Nagant system.

In 1893, the revolver was adopted by the Russian army in two versions - soldier's and officer's. In the latter, self-cocking was implemented, while in the first it was not (to simplify the design and reduce the consumption of cartridges).

Characteristics

• Weight - 0.795 kg unloaded, 0.880 kg with cartridges.


• Length - 220 mm.


• Caliber - 7.62 mm.


• Drum capacity - 7 rounds.


• The initial speed of the bullet is 272 m / s.

Revolvers of the Nagant system turned out to be so successful that they were distributed all over the world - from Argentina to Vietnam. Nagans were produced both in Belgium itself and in Russia, Poland and other countries. The total circulation of the pistol was more than 2 million pieces, the largest number of which was used in Russia and the USSR.

Even after the advent of more powerful, faster-firing and advanced semi-automatic pistols, the revolver enjoyed well-deserved love for its unpretentiousness, reliability, the ability to fire after a misfire, and high accuracy for a long time. During the Second World War, revolvers were produced in parallel with the TT and were widely used by both the Red Army and the Wehrmacht in the form of trophies.

Comrade Mauser

It is difficult to find a more brutal and charismatic example of hand weapons than the Mauser K96 self-loading pistol, the main competitor of the revolver as a symbol of the Civil War. The integrity of the image of a red commissar in a black leather jacket or a bearded basmach was complemented by a huge Mauser in a polished wooden holster.

The pistol was created by the Federle brothers, who work for the Mauser arms company. In 1895, it was patented for one of the owners of the company, Paul Mauser, under the index "Mauser K96" (Eng. Mauser C96).

Initially, the pistol was developed under the powerful cartridge "Mauser 7.63 × 25". Subsequently, the K96 received many modifications for various types of ammunition, including the 9 × 19 Parabellum. There were modifications capable of fully automatic fire! The pistol itself came with a wooden holster made of walnut. It could be used as a stock, turning the pistol into a lightweight carbine with considerable accuracy and range.

Characteristics:

• Weight - 1,250 kg without cartridges.


• Length - 312 mm with a 140 mm barrel.


• Caliber - 7.63 mm (9 mm and others).


• Magazine capacity - 10 rounds.


• The initial speed of the bullet is 425 m / s.

Heavy, complex and very expensive weapons were not particularly interesting to the military as a mass army pistol. For example, a Belgian-made revolver cost about 30 rubles, Russian - 22 rubles. With a Mauser K96 price of more than 100 rubles, it was a very prestigious and, to some extent, status weapon. Only wealthy military and civilians could afford it.

Why did the Mauser gain such popularity, despite the huge cost? The answer lies on the surface: for their fighting qualities. A bullet fired from a Mauser flew one and a half times faster than a Nagan one (425 m / s versus 272). The effective range of the Mauser, especially with the butt attached, was more than 100 m and was not available to any other pistol of that time. In addition, the magazine capacity of 10 rounds exceeded the standard 6-7 for revolvers. A well-trained gunner with a Mauser was a very dangerous opponent.

There were also disadvantages (besides the high price): large mass and dimensions, rifle reloading, manufacturing complexity. Nevertheless, the Mauser has become a true legend. In the USSR, he was a favorite type of award weapon and often starred in films ("White Sun of the Desert", "Elusive Avengers").

The K96 model was produced until 1939, in total, more than a million pistols were manufactured by the Mauser company.

Mister luger, or maestro parabellum

"Si vis pacem, para bellum" - "If you want peace, prepare for war." So says the well-known Latinism, which has become the second name for another legend of small arms - the Luger pistol. And if the Mauser attracted the eye with a rough, awesome beauty, then the parabellum was the complete opposite. Elegant in execution, perfect in lines, it still remains one of the standards of weapon beauty.

In 1893, the German gunsmith Hugo Borchard created a pistol model with an original crank (crank-rod) locking mechanism. On the basis of this pistol in 1898, another German designer Georg Luger created his much more compact and convenient 7.65 mm pistol. In 1902, a competition began to select a pistol for the Kaiser's army, the winner of which in 1904 was a modernized Luger pistol for 9 mm caliber, which overtook such serious competitors as the Mauser and Browning. Especially for the pistol, a new cartridge was developed in the size of 9 × 19 mm, called 9 × 19 luger, or 9 × 19 para (short for "parabellum"). It is still used today in most self-loading pistols. 9×19 pair is the most massive and widespread pistol cartridge in the world.

Why was parabellum so good? Firstly, a successful cartridge that combines a strong penetrating and stopping effect. Secondly, the gun was light, compact, convenient and reliable. Thirdly, the Luger is amazingly accurate. One "but": it was expensive and difficult to manufacture. A large number of spare parts and the complexity of the mechanism required a lot of metal. In addition, this reduced the reliability of the pistol when used in harsh military conditions.

Specifications (for 9mm):

• Weight - 0.88 kg without cartridges, 1 kg with cartridges.


• Length - 217 mm.


• Caliber - 9 mm (7.65 mm in earlier versions).



• The initial speed of the bullet is 320 m / s.

The P08 Luger pistol was the main army pistol of the German army in the First World War and remained so in the Wehrmacht until the appearance of the simpler and cheaper Walter P38. During World War II, Walter and Luger pistols were produced in parallel for some time. In total, from the beginning to the end of mass production, about 3 million pieces of various modifications of the Luger were produced.

"Colt 1911"

The military in the United States, despite the historical love for revolvers, understood that self-loading pistols had a number of undeniable advantages. Therefore, before the First World War, the question arose of replacing army revolvers with semi-automatic pistols. A feature of the American competition for a new pistol was that the US military certainly wanted to get a large, 45-gauge (11.43 mm) caliber pistol.

Browning, working for the Colt company, finalized his 38-caliber (9 mm) model for the competition under the cartridge so desired by the Americans. In 1911, the Browning self-loading pistol was adopted under the designation "Colt mod. 1911" (Eng. Colt M1911). This is how the legendary pistol was born, which served in the richest army for more than 70 years, sold around the world with a total circulation of more than 3 million pieces and is actively produced to this day by many arms companies.

Structurally, it was a pistol with an open single-action trigger, food was supplied from a 7-round magazine placed in the handle. There was an additional fuse on the back of the handle.

Characteristics

• Weight - 1.106 kg unloaded, 1.256 kg with cartridges.


• Length - 206 mm.


• Caliber - 45 (11.43 mm).


• Magazine capacity - 7 rounds.


• The initial speed of the bullet is 246 m / s.

The Colt did not have the aesthetics and accuracy of a parabellum or the range of a Mauser, but in the aggregate of all the characteristics it was the best army pistol of the First World War, and also very powerful. In addition to the US Army, the 1911 Colts were used by all warring parties. And this is despite the strong recoil, limited ammunition and a short firing range.

In 1926, the M1911 was slightly modernized. The new model received the index "M1911A1" and without any changes served as the main pistol of the US Army until the mid-1980s. Until now, it is actively used in many special forces of the army and police around the world.

Browning "Hi-Power"

Another famous creation of the ingenious Browning was the brother of the Colt M1911, the Browning High-Power (English Browning High-Power, HP). They say that death overtook the designer (John Browning died of a heart attack) at the workbench when he "sawed" this particular pistol.

After creating the M1911, Browning worked on a pistol for the French army. Due to patent restrictions, he could not simply copy the M1911, so there are some changes in the High Power design compared to the Colt. Nevertheless, both pistols are made according to the same scheme and are similar both externally and structurally.

After the death of John Browning, his colleague Didier Savon, the chief designer of FN, completed work on the pistol. It was he who developed the 13-round magazine for the new Browning, because of which the Browning of the 1935 model received the nickname High-Power - “great power”.

In addition to some technical details, the main differences between the Browning HP and the M1911 Colt was the use of a successful Luger cartridge 9 × 19 pairs, due to which the HP was slightly smaller and lighter than the progenitor. Now we can say with confidence that it was with the advent of the Browning of the 1935 model that the formation of the appearance of the modern pistol was completed. And at present, most full-size army and police pistols are made according to the Browning scheme chambered for 9 × 19 pairs and have a large-capacity magazine.

Characteristics

• Weight - 0.885 kg uncharged.


• Length - 200 mm.


• Caliber - 38 (9 mm).


• Magazine capacity - 13 rounds.


• The initial speed of the bullet is 350 m / s.

"Hi-Powers", like the Colts, were produced in huge batches (more than 1 million in total) by various factories on both sides of the ocean. Moreover, both the allies and the Axis countries were armed with a pistol. For the Wehrmacht, HPs were produced in occupied Belgium directly at the FN factory. The Browning Model 1935 was the weapon of choice for the commandos of both combatants for its reliability, convenience and large magazine capacity. Among the soldiers of the Red Army, Brownings were very rare and highly valued for their reliability and quality.

Despite the emergence of new types of weapons made of composite materials, many countries still prefer time-tested steel models. Currently, the HP Browning, like the Colt M1911, is one of the best-selling and commercially successful weapon models.

Tula Tokarev

Another sibling of the M1911 and the Browning HP, the TT pistol was developed in the USSR by gunsmith Fedor Vasilyevich Tokarev for a competition to replace the revolver with a new self-loading pistol.

It will be difficult for an unprepared person to find even a couple of differences between the TT and the FN M1903 browning. Nevertheless, there was no talk of full copying. The most important difference was the use of a very powerful 7.63 × 25 Mauser cartridge with a high muzzle velocity. The Russian military, as in the case of the revolver, wanted to have a unified weapon, if not by cartridge, then at least by caliber. So from defective barrels for Mosin rifles in the USSR, barrels for revolvers and TTs were made, and later for PPSh. Very practical in a total war!

Characteristics

• Weight - 0.854 kg uncharged.


• Length - 195 mm.


• Caliber - 7.62 mm.


• Magazine capacity - 8 rounds.


• The initial speed of the bullet is 420 m / s.

In the early 1930s, the TT, along with a modified 7.62 × 25 cartridge, was put into service. The army began an active replacement of the obsolete revolver with new TTs. As testing and operation revealed shortcomings and constantly carried out work to improve the design. So, a model was developed with a longer handle and a 12-round magazine. But its introduction was prevented by the outbreak of war. In 1942, an experimental batch of TTs was produced with a double-row magazine for 15 rounds.

But the main activities during the war years were not aimed at improving performance, but at simplifying the design and increasing the manufacturability of production. From this point of view, the TT was superior to imported pistols. It consisted of fewer parts, was easy to assemble and disassemble, and could be produced on substandard equipment by less skilled workers and even children.

Alas, "tete" were not very reliable. It even came with a spare barrel! The production of the pistol continued until 1952, after which the Makarov pistol replaced the TT.

In the 1990s, TTs became very popular again, especially in criminal structures and some special units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB. Today, the gun can be found in all the hot spots of the planet. Its compactness, low cost and powerful cartridge capable of penetrating most second-class bulletproof vests are valued.

"Walter P38"

After the defeat in the First World War, Germany was forbidden to develop and produce a number of weapons systems, including full-sized army pistols. Nevertheless, work on new pistols in Germany was underway. In 1929, the Walther company developed the Walther PP pistol (Walther RR), a shortened model of the PPK (Walther RRK) chambered for 7.65 × 17, a favorite weapon of James Bond.

PP and PPK served as the basis for the Walter MR full-sized pistol chambered for 9 × 19 Luger. After a series of changes, the revolver was transformed into the legendary "Walther P38" (Walther P38). The famous parabellum, despite its popularity, was too expensive and difficult to manufacture. Due to the large number and precise fitting of parts, the Luger was very sensitive to contamination. In the new pistol, they wanted to solve these problems, which, admittedly, was only partially successful.

In 1936, the manufacturer received a patent for a system for locking the bore with a latch rotating in a vertical plane. This system formed the basis of the new army pistol. A couple of years later, Walther's P38 pistol won the competition and was adopted by the Wehrmacht.

Nevertheless, the German trait of perfecting any technical product played a cruel joke. The new "Walter P38" turned out to be not much easier to manufacture than the "Parabellum P08" and not much cheaper. The Luger pistol cost the Wehrmacht 35 Reichsmarks, and the Walther 31. The P38 consisted of 58 parts - more than any other Browning pistol of the Second World War.

Characteristics

• Weight - 0.880 kg unloaded.


• Length - 216 mm.


• Caliber - 9 mm (luger 9 × 19).


• Magazine capacity - 8 rounds (rare modifications - 13 rounds).


• The initial speed of the bullet is 355 m / s.

But the Walther had a long barrel, which made it possible to fire through the embrasures of tanks and other armored vehicles. In total, more than a million P38s were produced. At the front, the pistol has established itself as a reliable, powerful and accurate weapon. After the war, the production of the model ceased, but in 1957 it was resumed for the needs of the Bundeswehr and the German police.

“God made people different, Colonel Colt equalized their chances,” says a well-known American proverb. Few, however, know that the classic version of this pistol - the Colt M1911 - was not invented by Samuel Colt, but by John Browning. She served a huge number of both real people and fictional characters. By the premiere of the film "Icy" with Michael Shannon (on the poster of which the classic Colt just flaunts), we tried to figure out how this weapon won the hearts of ordinary Americans and which other movie characters used it.

History of America's Master Pistol

Colt M1911 in America is not just a weapon - it is an important part of American culture of the 20th century. For more than a hundred years, the nine hundred and eleventh has remained the most beloved weapon on both American continents.

1835 The appearance of the first colt

The famous American gunsmith and industrialist Samuel Colt died long before the 911th was created. However, it was Colt - often erroneously referred to as the colonel - who invented and, most importantly, patented around the world a revolver with an improved percussion cap, which quickly supplanted other systems and gave impetus to the creation of revolvers for a unitary metal cartridge. At the same time, Colt did not create a revolver as such: he spied the English scheme in India in time and, after training on a wooden model, made his original weapon design with a rotating breech, which he patented first in Europe and then in the USA. The Colt firm became the largest brand in America, and in the rest of the world, the brand, in the factories of which many of the greatest gunsmiths worked. Including John Moses Browning.

Colt Single Action Army (Peacemaker) drum capacity - 6 rounds.

However, the most iconic revolver of Colt and the entire Wild West was always equipped with 5 rounds - one chamber was left empty so that the revolver would not fire unnecessarily. It was a kind of secret cowboy fuse.

Colt - often erroneously referred to as the colonel - invented and, most importantly, patented around the world a revolver with an improved percussion cap

1900–1905 "Vest" weapons

According to experts, John Browning, designer of the Colt M1911, is considered the alpha and omega of the gun world over the past two hundred years and the most productive gunsmith. Over and over again, he managed to create a compact and powerful enough weapon, surpassing all pistols and revolvers that existed at that time. During his life, Browning created as many guns as some can not in several lifetimes. For example, before M1911, he developed a number of long-barreled short-stroke pistols, also produced by Colt: M1900, M1902, M1903 Pocket Hammer, M1905. However, at the beginning of the century, Brownings still remained either service, or pocket or "vest" weapons - convenient for covert carrying. Their relative low power (by modern standards) was explained, first of all, by their common free-gate automation scheme.

Circulation of Browning M1903 4,000,000 copies. So many Brownings have been produced in various parts of the world in almost forty years.

The external similarity of the Soviet TT pistol with the M1903 gave rise to the legend of Fyodor Tokarev copying this Browning design

Interrogation of a suspect using a Colt M1911 during the Vietnam War

On March 29, 1911, the Colt M1911 self-loading pistol, also known as the Government Model, was adopted by the US Army after lengthy tests. He is the longest-lived army pistol - in America, he lasted in military service until the mid-1980s, and in some countries is still in service today. Browning managed to create a convenient and practical weapon for all occasions, combining strength, simplicity and unpretentiousness with excellent accuracy and ergonomics. With its impressive and brutal appearance, it is very convenient both to use and to wear, which contributed a lot to its popularity.

The most popular ammunition in the US for a hundred years. Such a bullet provides damage to vital organs even after passing through an obstacle such as an arm or other light obstacle.

Captain George McMurphy opens fire with an M1911

1920s. Application in war and civilian

In the mid-20s, the pistol underwent a slight upgrade and continued to serve under the ColtM1911A1 index. No other changes were made to the original design. In this form, pistols are produced to this day in different parts of the world. The M1911A1 model was especially widespread during World War II, the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Among ordinary American citizens, the Colt still has a cult status both for protecting their own home and among target shooting enthusiasts.

Magazine capacity Colt M1911A1 7 rounds.

Against 17 for Glocks (the difference is more than twice). The reason is that it is impossible to make a two-row magazine while maintaining the dimensions of the pistol grip that are comfortable to hold.

Among ordinary American citizens, the Colt still has a cult status.
both to protect your own home and among amateurs
target shooting

In a classic scene from Saving Private Ryan, Captain Miller shoots down a German Tiger with an M1911A1.

Russian trail colt

Colts were purchased by Russia during the First World War and supplied under Lend-Lease during the Second World War, but their widespread use in the troops was prevented by a lack of .45 ACP cartridges. Currently, such cartridges are produced in our country and the old M1911s are used by some special forces.

Main technical
characteristics Colt M1911

TOTAL LENGTH:

BARREL LENGTH:

STORE CAPACITY:

7 rounds

USM (IMPACT-TRIGGER MECHANISM):

single acting

Colt M1911 competitors
worldwide

Walther PP and PPK

Germany

The weapon is also known as the Polizei Pistole. Oddly enough, it was not a German who glorified him, but an Englishman - MI6 agent James Bond. In the future, both PP and PPK served as models for many other weapon models - the domestic Makarov pistol was created not without looking back at PP.

FN Browning Hi-Power

Traditionally considered one of the best pistols of the 20th century, along with the Browning Colt. The fundamental difference: the global caliber 9x19 parabellum, thanks to which it was possible to fit 13 rounds into the handle. Over a million copies released.

Czechoslovakia / Czech Republic

It is considered one of the best modern combat pistols in the world, having a low price compared to competitors. In the 90s, the Czechs tried to enter the US arms market: the CZ 97 did not become a sensation, but it found its client and is still selling quite tolerably.

SIG-Sauer P220 (226, 228-229)

Switzerland

A line of Zaurovsky "twenties" (they differ mainly in size) were produced in different parts of the world for different calibers. Americans sometimes call the P220 "an expensive pistol made using cheap technology", which does not prevent them from considering the P220 the best mass-produced pistol with a self-cocking trigger in caliber .45ACP.

Of the benefits - doubling the volume of the magazine, but at the same time switching to a nine-millimeter cartridge. Everything else remains the same. Beretta is a brutal pistol, bulky and heavy, with an exorbitantly swollen handle. However, in terms of reliability, the Colt still failed to surpass anyone. However, the Beretta came into fashion for a while - in particular, thanks to the cinema.

A family of pistols originally developed for the needs of the Austrian army. For the not too well-known Glock company, this experience was the first and - immediately - successful. The pistol turned out to be one of the most reliable, convenient and popular in the world (they say the glock shoots even under water). Plus, he determined the fashion in the development of pistols for the next thirty years.

Germany

A pistol designed with a clear eye on the Glock, but specifically for the American market. Of the minor drawbacks: the large size of the weapon, even in the compact version, a rather high center of gravity and a massive shutter, which makes concealed carrying somewhat difficult.

Colt in mass media and cinema

The Colt M1911 owes its incredible popularity in the homeland to the media. Both world wars are full of cases that proved in practice the glory of American weapons. The story of Corporal Alvin York was especially replicated in the media. On October 8, 1918, pressed to the ground by German machine-gun fire along with soldiers of the 82nd Division of the US Army, York identified the source of enemy fire and single-handedly dealt with the enemy (which is a total of 25 German soldiers). The Enfield M-1917 rifle and the self-loading Colt M1911 helped him defeat the enemies. For his exploits in the Argonne Forest, York was promoted to the rank of sergeant and awarded a medal for bravery. In addition, his story formed the basis of the 1941 film "Sergeant York" with Gary Cooper. The Colt M1911 will appear on the big screen more than once, and everyone will use it in the cinema: gangsters, policemen, military men, killers and even vampires. The latter, by the way, prefer bigger guns.

Colt as a weapon
policemen

Designed a pistol with a cobra on a white handle appears at the very beginning of the film - and this is perhaps the most spectacular appearance of the Colt in world cinema. From it, Los Angeles police lieutenant Marion "Cobra" Cobretti (Sylvester Stallone) shoots a maniac in a supermarket a few minutes later, while throwing the already catchphrase "You are the disease, and I am the cure." Later, the Colt will save Cobra's life more than once, and when one pistol is not enough, he will use the Finnish JaTiMatic submachine gun.

Colt as a weapon
gangsters

"UNTOUCHABLE"

Formally, the main weapon in the film is "Tommy Guns". However, gangsters and cops also enthusiastically use rifles and colts. Due to the fact that times are extremely harsh, Treasury Department special agent Eliot Ness (Kevin Costner) even hugs his little daughter with a colt in his hand.

Colt as a weapon
officers

"SMELL OF A WOMAN"

In the remake of the Italian classic, Al Pacino plays retired blind Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade, who is hired as a nanny by a high school senior. In one of the episodes, the hero Pacino assembles a Colt, and then asks the confused hero O'Donnell how long it took him. When he finds out that 30 seconds, he sighs sadly: “Yes, I am rusty. .45 caliber American army officer is supposed to assemble in 25 seconds. No less impressive, however, Pacino handled the Colt in "Carlito's Way" - in a dizzying scene of a shootout in a billiard room.

Colt as a weapon
psychopaths

Before Colt

The design of drum-loading small arms has been around long before the Colt, at least since the 17th century. But its first samples were not widely used due to the complexity of production and high cost. Reliability also left much to be desired. The revolution in the production of rapid-fire weapons became possible only with the spread of primer lock and machine production. In 1836, Samuel Colt proposed his model.

Texas Choice

Colt received a U.S. patent on February 25, 1836, and set up production in Paterson, New Jersey, where he created his first masterpiece, the Colt Paterson revolver, also known as the Texas Colt, due to its popularity among the rangers of the Wild West. The first revolvers, as well as rifles and carbines of a similar design, were acquired by the armies of the United States and the Republic of Texas. The standardization of parts made this weapon affordable and could be purchased for $20. But he still had flaws, in particular, army customers complained about "too much consumption of cartridges" - a consequence of the high rate of fire. The number of buyers decreased every year and in 1842 the company went bankrupt. The production of Colt revolvers resumed only in 1847. By this time, competitors had already appeared on the market for Samuel, with whom Colt entered into a difficult struggle for a buyer.

In Russia

Even before the bankruptcy, in 1842, a group of Russian officers visited the Paterson enterprise and got acquainted with the sensational weapon. So the first official acquaintance of Russians with Colt products took place. Already by 1854, small-scale production of Colt revolvers was launched in Russia at three state-owned factories: in Tula, Izhevsk and Helsingfors. The following models dominated: "saddle pistol" (Dragoon), "belt pistol" (Navi), "five-shot pocket pistol with a 6-inch barrel" (Pocket). They were recognized by the military department as fit and useful. Contrary to popular belief, in the Russian Empire they were already used during the Crimean War, but not everywhere, except perhaps the guards naval crew and officers of the rifle regiment of the imperial family. Colts were not issued to ordinary soldiers, believing that they could not cope. But, as you know, the results of the Crimean War showed that the modernization of the army is necessary. So, starting from the 1850s and until the first half of the 20th century, when the Smith-Wesson and Nagant revolver came into fashion, Colts were used everywhere.

Legendary "Peacemaker"

The symbol of the Wild West, the Colt Peacemaker revolver is still produced in small batches. The model was created in 1873 specifically for the American cavalry and was called the "Colt single action army" (Single Action Revolver). The weapon acquired the famous nickname later, thanks to the availability and ease of use of the revolver, even for untrained shooters. Together with the famous "Winchester", the "Peacemaker", which fired similar cartridges, is one of the attributes of the "typical" cowboy, whose image has come down to us in numerous "westerns". By the way, despite the fact that the revolver was six-shot, they preferred to load it with only five rounds - the design did not provide for a fuse, so the cartridge in the drum opposite the barrel could be fatal for the owner.

most famous phrase

"God made people different, but Colonel Colt made them equal." According to legend, this inscription is carved on the tombstone of the famous gunsmith. In fact, there is nothing on it except the name and dates of life. The witty phrase appeared during the American Civil War and sounded like: "Abraham Lincoln gave people freedom, and Colonel Colt equalized their chances." True, Colt did not serve in the US Army and was not a colonel. He died in 1862 at the age of 47, one of the richest and most famous people in the United States. His fortune was estimated at 15 million dollars, which corresponds to half a billion in modern money. During the Civil War, his firm was the exclusive supplier of the US Army, which did not prevent it from selling weapons to the Confederate troops.

Present day

In 1848, near his birthplace in Hartford, Colt built a gun factory that is still in operation today, one of the largest in the industry. And the restored enterprise in Paterson switched to the production of small-scale, personalized and piece models. Dozens of revolvers and pistols were produced under the Colt brand, including such famous models as the Colt 1911 pistol, which was in service with the US Army of the 20th century, and the Colt Detective Special compact revolver, the "star" of detectives and films of the genre " Noir". In 2006, Samuel Colt was inducted into the US Inventors Hall of Fame.