# Samuel Colt's Early Revolving Firearm Mechanism

> An 1839 patent by Samuel Colt describing early improvements to the mechanical design of revolving firearms.

- **Patent:** US 1304
- **Original title:** Improvement in ffire-arms and in theaapparatust used therewith
- **Owner:** Samuel Colt
- **Granted:** 1839
- **Status:** Active
- **Times cited:** 2
- **Field:** mechanical

## What it does

This patent details mechanical refinements to the revolving firearm, specifically focusing on the synchronization between the rotation of the cylinder and the alignment of the barrel. It describes the internal components required to ensure the chamber locks securely in place before the hammer strikes the percussion cap. By automating the indexing of the cylinder, it allowed a user to fire multiple shots in rapid succession without manually realigning the mechanism.

## What it does NOT cover

- Does not cover the fundamental concept of a revolving cylinder, which existed in earlier designs.
- Does not cover modern semi-automatic or fully automatic firearm actions.
- Does not cover the use of metallic cartridges, as this patent predates their widespread adoption.

## The clever bit

The innovation lies in the reliable mechanical indexing of the cylinder, which solved the critical problem of chamber misalignment that plagued earlier, less reliable revolving designs.

## Real-world examples

1. Colt Paterson revolver
2. Early 19th-century percussion cap revolvers

## Why it matters

This patent represents a foundational step in the evolution of repeating firearms. It helped establish Samuel Colt's dominance in the 19th-century weapons industry and set the standard for the reliable revolver design that became an icon of American history.

## Frequently asked questions

### What does Samuel Colt's Early Revolving Firearm Mechanism cover?

An 1839 patent by Samuel Colt describing early improvements to the mechanical design of revolving firearms.

### Who owns patent US 1304?

Samuel Colt owns this patent, granted in 1839.

### When does this patent expire?

This patent has expired and is now in the public domain — anyone can use the invention freely.

### What is patent US 1304 cited by?

This patent has been cited by 2 later patents that build on its ideas.

### What problem does this patent solve?

This patent represents a foundational step in the evolution of repeating firearms. It helped establish Samuel Colt's dominance in the 19th-century weapons industry and set the standard for the reliable revolver design that became an icon of American history.

### What does this patent NOT cover?

Does not cover the fundamental concept of a revolving cylinder, which existed in earlier designs.

**Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/1304/colt-revolver

**Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US1304

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_Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._


## Related patents

Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus:

- [How the Gatling Gun's Rotating Barrel Mechanism Works](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/36836/gatling-gun) — Richard Gatling's 1862 patent for a multi-barrel firearm that used a hand-cranked rotating mechanism to fire bullets in rapid succession.
- [How the QWERTY Keyboard Layout Was Originally Designed](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/207559/qwerty-typewriter-sholes) — An 1878 patent by Christopher Latham Sholes that helped standardize the keyboard layout we still use on computers and phones today.
- [How Thomas Edison Improved Early Phonograph Recording](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/200521/phonograph-edison) — An 1878 patent by Thomas Edison detailing mechanical improvements to early sound recording devices to make them more reliable.
- [Robert Goddard's Early Design for Liquid-Fueled Rocket Engines](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/1102653/liquid-fuel-rocket-goddard) — A foundational 1914 patent by Robert Goddard detailing the basic mechanical structure of a rocket engine using liquid fuel.
- [How a Single Coil Powers Multiple Motor Armatures Simultaneously](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/3723796/mri-cancer-tissue-detection) — A 1973 design for an electric motor that uses a single central coil to power several separate armatures arranged in a circle.