Production estimates range as high as 2,800 for the Colt Patterson Revolver.  First offered in 1836, this radical game-changing handgun made its debut in the Seminole War. The Texas Rangers used the Patterson in 1844.  Six years earlier the Texas Navy acquired the Patterson.  Prior to the battle of Palo Alto, May 8, 1846,  a limited number of Patterson Colt's were issued to Walker's Texas Company. 

 

Josiah Gregg a doctor and mapmaker attached to Wool's Center Division, twice, in two consecutive days (early January 1848) retrieved his lost Patterson Colt. 

 

"I was left to travel alone to Rinconada, [between Saltillo and Monterey] some 30. through a region considered dangerous on account of guerrillas and robbers: but, though I frequently met with Mexicans, I felt very little fear, as I was well-armed."

 

Gregg stopped overnight at a deep pool formed by the turbulent water of a creek.  He leaned over in the darkness. "My Colt's repeating pistol slipped out of my belt, and plunged into the deepest part of the pool." At daylight, "Two Mexican servants, with the promise of a couple of dollars, commenced diving for it, and fortunately found it."  Half frozen from the cold on January 3, he stretched his legs in a walk to increase circulation for warmth. "My feet and legs were so numb with cold I that fell, and my unfortunate pistol again slipped out of the case - which I did not perceive till I proceeded several hundred yards.  ...I returned and fortunately found it."

 

Gregg, Diary and Letters, Vol.1 1840-1847  pp 203-204:  Butler, United States Firearms, p 201: H.W. Barton, Texas Volunteers in the Mexican War, pp11-12: E. J. Nichols, Zach Taylor's Little Army, p59

 

This advertisement for the Patterson 'lever loading' Colt appeared in the newspaper American Flag, issue of October 6, 1847.  The American Flag was published in Matamoros, Mexico a municipality on the Rio Grande. The high price of this coveted handgun is not part of the advertisement.  Each purchase was authorized through written permission  form a commanding officer.  

Fantastic information on the Colt, and on who used it. A huge asset to those who look for accuracy and detail in their Mexican War collections. Thank you again sir for the effort to educate.     Scott

The New Orleans Delta a competitor to the New Orleans Daily Picayune had a broad readership.  Both papers had correspondents in the field during the Mexican War. Many small actions and assorted details were reported to keep their audience informed. The following is a brief update from the Delta, dated August 15, 1846. 

 

"Correspondence from "Mustang," Aug. 1: Col.  J. C. Hays' regiment [1st Texas Mounted Volunteers] in Matamoros; they were to be issued three (Colt's) 5-shooters each before leaving on their next scout."

 

The Paterson Colt came out in 1836 and was modified in 1839.

The 1836 "type 1"  was tested by the US Army during the Seminole War, eventually rejecting it as being both unreliable and impractical.  

 

 

The unreliable part came from the fact that the trigger was hidden in the gun frame until the hammer was cocked back, which is when the trigger dropped out.  It was dangerous in that it was EXTREMELY DIFFICULT to decock safely.  Also, there was no trigger guard, so accidental discharges were frequent.

 

 

The impractical part came from having to be partially disassembled to be reloaded, and field reloading was dangerous.  Five shots were great but if you needed 6, you were up the creek.

 

 

After the US Army chose not to purchase any more, Colt made modifications with respect to reloading, resulting in the 1839 Model 2.  The Texas Navy purchase 180 of them, along with a like number of Colt's revolving rifles and shotguns, likely saving Colt from bankruptcy.

 

After Sam Houston defunded the Texian Navy (It was being too successful in keeping the Mexican Navy and Army tied up, inhibiting his goal of getting Texas into the US), Captain Hays of the Texas Rangers light fingered enough of them from a warehouse in Galveston to provide his company of Rangers with 2 Paterson Colts apiece. 

 

A newspaper article of the time reported that the Rangers also carried extra loaded cylinders as well.  That may or may not have been true, but they did have 2 Colts each, which proved very advantageous in their battles with Comanche warriors and rustlers/bandits.

 

After Texas was annexed into the US, General Zachary Taylor sent Samuel Walker, another Texas Ranger Captain, back to New Jersey, where he worked with Colt to upgrade the weapon, resulting in the Walker Colt. 

 

It had a loading lever for easier reloading and a trigger guard.

 

The Walker Colt cylinder engraving depicted a scene as described by Walker to Colt about some of the battles where they successfully used their Patersons.  One drawback of the Walker Colt was for the reloading lever to drop down due to recoil.  The fix was to tied a leather cord or string around the barrel and the lever to hold the lever in position.

 

 

The Colt Model 1851, also known as the Navy Colt, was only sold to the Navy in small number, although the Army bought over 17,000 of the estimated 215,000 produced in the US. 

 

 

It got its nickname from the scene engraved into the cylinder of every 1851 made from 1851 to 1871. 

 

The engraving was of The Battle of Campeche, between the Texian Navy and the Mexican Navy in April and May 1843.  In this battle, no ships were lost, but the Mexican Navy withdrew, and the Texian Navy called it a win.  The scene was directed by Colt to be put on the cylinders in admiration of Commodore Edwin W. Moore, Commodore of the Texian Navy and the Texian Navy after correspondence between the two.  And the fact that the Texian Navy purchases of 540 pistols, rifles and shotguns saved him from bankruptcy.

 

Remember I mentioned that Sam Houston had defunded the Navy? 

 

Well, the Battle of Campeche occurred because Commodore Moore "rented out" the Texian Navy to the Mexicans of the Yucatan peninsula in their rebellion against Santa Anna and his Mexican government.  His attitude was "I need money to keep the Navy afloat.  Might as well have the Mexicans pay us to fight the Mexican Navy and keep the Mexicans from invading Texas again." 

 

Sam Houston tried to court-martial Commodore Moore, but he was acquitted.  🙂  After all, he was charged with running the Navy and he needed money from somewhere.