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Profiles in History
   
Historical Document Auction 63
57. Colt, Samuel. (3) historically important hand annotated documents signed (“Saml Colt” and “Samuel 
Colt”), undated. Samuel Colt of Hartford, Connecticut, was granted a patent for “revolving gun” on 25 
February 1836. On 5 March 1836 he formed the Patent Arms Manufacturing Company in Paterson, New 
Jersey, to make the guns in quantity. The following three documents are Samuel Colt’s retained signed drafts 
of his various improvements in his 1836 patent for “revolving cylinder guns”.  The three documents are 
displayed in a custom full morocco leather (11 x 14 x 1.25 in.; 279 x 355 x 31 mm.) presentation case with 
a gold-stamped smoking revolver on the cover.
“The Gun that Won the West” – Samuel Colt’s three retained signed drafts of what he sent 
the Commissioner of Patents telling him of his “various improvements” in his 1836 patent for 
‘‘revolving cylinder guns ...being desirous of securing his rights until he can perfect them...”
(1) Colt, Samuel. Historic manuscript document signed (“Saml Colt”), with four words added in his hand, half-page (8 x 13 in.; 203 
x 330 mm.), undated. Fine condition.
In full: To H.L. Ellsworth. Com: of patents - The petition of Samuel Colt of Paterson New Jersey respectfully sets forth that your petitioner has made 
various improvements in his & other patent revolving cylinder guns and their appendages, and being desirous of securing his rights until he can perfect 
them, he prays that the accompanying description and drawing may be filed as a caveat in the confidential archives of the patent office agreeable to the act 
of congress in such case made and provided your petitioner having paid $20 into the treasury and complied with other provisions of the act.
(2) Colt, Samuel. Historic manuscript document signed (“Samuel Colt”), 2.5 pages (8 x 13 in.; 203 x 330 mm.), undated. With deletions 
and additions, 40 words in Colt’s hand. Fine condition.
In part: Samuel Colts caveat of improvements in various parts of fire arms and their appendages
. First my improvement consists in rendering the charges, 
contained in the cylinder of my patent revolving cylinder gun safe by giving free passage for the escape of the fire which escapes latterly from the cylinder... 
My second improvement consists in making the touch hole in the nipple conical...having the base of the cone at the outside of the nipple, for the purpose 
of receiving a greater amount of heat and concentrating it when it reaches the load. My third improvement consists of a lever wherewith to force the balls 
into the chambers of the cylinder ... It is obvious that there are various modes of making such a lever, but one mode is represented for the illustration of 
the principle. It can be made to apply to all kinds of fire arms that load at the britch or have revolving cylinder chambers such as cochrans and others.  My 
fourth improvement is in the bullet mould... After the bullet has been cast, the cutter D is pushed to one side which clips off the stem and leaves the bullet 
finished - My fifth improvement consists in the valves of the powder flask - Instead of one valve, as used in the common flask for measuring the quantity 
of powder, I make use of two, one at the mouth of the flask stem and the other inside. When one is shut the other is open, and vice versa ... It is evident 
that all the parts above enumerated can be made and altered in various ways not necessary to enumerate; can but the object at present is to elucidate and 
secure the principle until they can be patented. Colt has handwritten the following: “The above principle is also applicable and has been applied by me 
to a flask having a number of tubes or chargers which expedite the loading of many chambered guns of all kinds.” Colt has crossed out the following: 
My sixth improvement is a military belt provided with a moveable cartouch box and fixtures for supporting the various parts of the gun when taken to 
pieces for loading 
(3) Colt, Samuel. Historic manuscript document signed (“Samuel Colt”) 1.5 pages (8 x 13 in.; 203 x 330 mm.), undated. With deletion 
and additions, 12 words in Colt’s hand. Fine condition.
In part: My sixth improvement is in the bayonet = A (fig 1.Plate 2) represents a gun barrel with the bayonet B having a ferule C at its lower end made 
to slide up and [down] the barrel...The mortise or notch d. at the britch end of the barrel has its upper side dovetailed… Colt has handwritten: “fig 3 
is an end view of the barrel and bayonet.” My seventh improvement is in a case for containing caps ... This improvement differs from the common cap 
case in being double, and having an involute channel for the reception of the caps instead of an annular one, and also in having the follower slide upon its 
axes instead of being fixed ... the cover is opened and the involute channel filled with caps, the catch h is then disengaged and the cover fastened ... The 
operation is the same on each side but independent of each other, the central pin allowing the axes to work independent of each other.
On 27 April 1835 Henry L. Ellsworth, son of patriot Oliver Ellsworth, was sworn in as Mayor of Hartford, Connecticut. He resigned after 
serving for seven weeks, having been appointed the first Commissioner of the U.S. Patent Office. Ellsworth became interested in Colt’s 
revolver, so he encouraged the 21-year-old Hartford inventor to file a patent. After receiving his 1836 patent, like a true inventor, he 
began working on improvements to his firearms. He had specific ideas, but he still had to perfect them. Colt wrote to Ellsworth, telling 
him that, while not ready to file another patent, he would like to file a caveat to prevent someone else from filing a patent based upon 
his ideas, before he files his own patent. Colt described in detail his improvements to his original 1836 patent. Here offered are Samuel 
Colt’s undated retained drafts of the three documents sent to Commissioner of Patents Henry L. Ellsworth, each on watermarked laid 
paper, each signed by Colt. Written in manuscript, there are additions and deletions in Colt’s hand.
Jeff Kinard in Pistols: An Illustrated History of Their Impact – Weapons and Warfare (Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, 2003) writes, 

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