Free Republic

On the 20th April 1897 John Browning received four patents covering his earliest pistol designs. These included two recoil operated systems, a blowback design and Browning’s first pistol design which used an interesting gas-operated toggle action. Browning developed the gas-operated design in 1894-5. While this was the first pistol designed by Browning it eventually proved to be an evolutionary dead end. Chambered in what would become known as .38 ACP the prototype represents Browning’s continuing experimentation with gas-operation. It had a gas vent on top of the barrel which allowed venting gases to act on a ‘gas lever’ linked by...

Here we discuss why the legendary 1911 pistol is still going strong over 100 years later with no sign of slowing down. “To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, John M. Browning, a citizen of the United States, residing in Ogden, in the county of Weber and State of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Firearms, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.” Those are the first words on a patent application submitted on February 17, 1910. Patent #985,519 was subsequently issued...

You’ll never regret buying a quality .22LR pistol. With their low recoil and report, they are less likely to scare away new shooters before they have a chance to realize how fun shooting is as a hobby and sport. When ammo prices skyrocket, they’ll always be your most economical handgun to shoot, whether it’s sniping at toy plastic army men from the dollar store or eliminating threats to your garden. However, they’re not all fun and games; .22LR handguns have serious training applications too. Some manufacturers – like Colt, Smith & Wesson and Beretta – make .22LR models of...

(Last Updated On: July 12, 2023) NATIONAL DAIQUIRI DAY | July 19 Each year on July 19th, people across the United States fill their glasses with a rum-based cocktail and toast to National Daiquiri Day. So, raise your glass and join all of the others in this celebration! #NationalDaiquiriDay Daiquiri is a family of cocktails whose main ingredients are rum, citrus juice (typically lime), and sugar. Tasting of sunshine and beaches, it might be hard to believe how the Daiquiri came to be. Back in 1898, men blasted away in the mines of a small community off the coast of...

I just remembered my grampy's M1911 while watching this. Simon's right: Browning is one of the greatest inventors of all time. CHAPTER 1: JOHN MOSES BROWNING childhood to the Philippine American War (goodbye Schofield) CHAPTER 2: 6:30 ENGINEERING FOR WARWARE : from revolver to semi auto CHAPTER 3: 11:50 AN ELEGANT WEAPON or how Browning won the US military contract 1910 CHAPTER 4: 13:54 START OF A LEGENED (How American troops kicked ass with the 1911 in WW1 to WW2 to Kuwait) CHAPTER 5: MODERN WEAPON 17:33 to history

"Sam Colt invented the mass production line, NOT Henry Ford" "Coltsville was the first tech campus to what Google and Apple campuses are today" "Sam Colt sold laughing gas to pay a gunsmith"

The actor, John Schneider, gives a brilliant analysis of the Alec Baldwin shooting using the same type of Colt single-action revolver. In the process, he explains gun safety, how to inspect such a weapon, and how the set of circumstances Baldwin says happened could not have actually occurred as claimed.

This week it was announced that Colt Manufacturing, the world-famous American gun maker that helped popularize the revolver, is being acquired by the Czech-based Česká zbrojovka Group (CZG) in a deal worth about $220 million and 1.1 million shares of the Czech firm’s stock. It will allow CZG to expand its global customer base, but also increase its production capacity in the United States and Canada.

Colt, the longtime American gun manufacturer whose single-action Peacemaker revolver has been dubbed "the gun that won the West," has been sold to a Czech firearms firm. The gun group CZG said in a blog post this week that it had "signed a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of the outstanding equity interest in Colt Holding Company."

Gun manufacturer Colt, an American legend and Connecticut fixture for nearly 175 years, could come under European ownership in a deal being negotiated with a Czech firearms company. Česká zbrojovka Group SE, or CZG, which is negotiating to purchase Colt Holding Co., said it has reached agreement on the outlines of a deal with the West Hartford gun manufacturer.

I have a Colt Agent ( not a Cobra ) that seems to have a sync problem. Double action it seems to work correctly but when I try single action the cylinder does not rotate far enough!!! I am now afraid of shooting it. Should I be? Is this a common problem? Yes it is very clean.

The 19th century's legendary Colt Single Action Army Revolver rides on in the 21st. Why would anyone today want to stake their life on a gun with a 146-year-old design and a 183-year-old lock work design? Well, there are good reasons, such as power and ease of hitting with the best pointing and fastest revolver ever made. I’m talking about Colt’s legendary M1873 Single Action Army .45 revolver. Its .45 Colt cartridge was designed to put down a cavalry horse at 100 yards with one shot. The original load was a 250-grain bullet over 40 grains of black powder that...

The five shot .32-caliber Colt Pocket Pistol Model 1849, is the smallest and lightest at 25 ounces perfect for the youthful novice, who might enjoy the Old West flavor. The first handgun I ever shot was a target .22LR S&W Model 17 revolver with a 6-inch barrel and those hefty checkered target grips. I was a skinny 12-year-old, and the gun was much too big for me. It was only a K-frame, but that thick-walled long barrel got it almost to 40 ounces and it was every bit of 11 inches long. Though the recoil was negligible, it was a...

What caused the company to change its mind?Colt Manufacturing Company has begun to sell its popular AR-15 modern sporting rifle to civilians again. In June, the company did a complete 180-degree turn after it had exited the civilian market for modern sporting rifles last September. At that time, the company announced via a statement from its president and CEO Dennis Veilleux, “the market for modern sporting rifles has experienced significant excess manufacturing capacity. Given this level of manufacturing capacity, we believe there is adequate supply for modern sporting rifles for the foreseeable future.” However, Colt Manufacturing, which was founded by...

Long anticipated, the Colt Python relaunch has finally come and looks well worth the wait. How Has The 2020 Version Of The Colt Python Been Enhanced: •More consistent trigger pull shot to shot •Stronger stainless steel construction •Beefed-up frame above the cylinder •Hex-screw attached user-replaceable front sight •Recessed target crown on a one-piece barrel

Based on the original WWI-era blueprints, the new Black Army replicates the guns Colt made for the military during 1918 and early 1919. (Photo: Colt)For those looking for a GI M1911 with classic Great War styling without the classic Great War price, Colt could have just the ticket. Teased by the Colt Collector’s Association as coming soon, the new Colt Black 1911 Black Army is listed on the company’s website as a “vintage limited run.” The so-called “Black Army” .45s is a term often used by collectors to describe the late World War I finish techniques applied to Colt’s 1911s...

Gun manufacturer Colt announced Thursday that it will no longer produce and sell rifles such as the AR-15 for personal use. Colt President and CEO Dennis Veilleux said in a statement that the company's "significant" law enforcement and military contracts "are absorbing all of Colt’s manufacturing capacity for rifles." He said that "the market for modern sporting rifles has experienced significant excess manufacturing capacity." "Given this level of manufacturing capacity, we believe there is adequate supply for modern sporting rifles for the foreseeable future," he added. SNIP

Colt Firearms will be ending its production and sales of its AR-15 rifles due to lack of public demand amid excess market capacity. Colt released a statement on Thursday to clarify the decision, which was made because the company simply isn’t selling enough of the rifles in the civilian marketplace to continue devoting the resources into it. Colt President and CEO Dennis Veilleux said, “The fact of the matter is that over the last few years, the market for modern sporting rifles has experienced significant excess manufacturing capacity. Given this level of manufacturing capacity, we believe there is adequate supply...

Estimate: $800,000 - $1,300,000 Description: Extremely Well-Documented, Historic and Iconic, Only Known Original Cased Colt Civilian Walker Percussion Revolver, Known as "The Danish Sea Captain Walker" Offered here is, without question the rarest, most historic and finest Colt Walker revolver Rock Island Auction Company has had the privilege to offer at auction. Known by the collecting fraternity as the Danish sea captain Walker, it is a type of revolver that gun collectors usually can only fantasize about owning. The story of the Walker revolver forever changed the course of American history and firearms design. It involves a young gallant...

The 26-year-old man who walked into a Sutherland Springs church and opened fire did so with a variant of the AR-15, a popular rifle that is based on the military’s M-16, police said Sunday. The rifle used by Devin Kelley was the Ruger AR-556, Texas Department of Public Safety Regional Director Freeman Martin said in a news conference. The AR-15 is more of a category than a specific weapon. It is known for being customizable, with hundreds of variants, each with its own characteristics. Ruger’s AR-15 variant, the AR-556, comes with a suggested retail price of $849 and weighs 6.5...