Colt Prototype Colt Revolver Complete Specs and Full Gun Specifications

In 1859, Samuel Colt delivered his last order of M1847 Dragoon pistols to the Army. These heavy pistols were built of hammered steel, a low carbon steel that was comparably weak to modern gun steel. In order to manage the pressures created by the .44 caliber bullets fired from the Army pistols, the engineers at Colt had originally designed the Dragoon pistol with a very thick barrel and even thicker cylinder. This made the pistols safe to fire, but it also made them extremely heavy. This weight problem was exacerbated by the fact the Army had also began experimenting with Colt's Navy revolver, a pistol that was nearly half the size and weight as the Dragoon due to the fact that it fired a low pressure .36 caliber bullet.