Colt's Revolver

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We have received “The United Service Gazette,” London, containing an account of the performance of Colt's revolving pistols at the Cape of Good Hope Colony. They have gained a reputation there exceeding that which they have hitherto obtained amongourselyes, the native land of the inventor. Col. Colt, sent out Mr. Peard as his agent to Cape Town, with a quantity of his revolvers and he invited the most celebrated shots in the British army there, to test their rifles with Colt's revolvers, at distances from 200 to 600 yards. The result of a fair trial at 200 yards distance, was, that the Rifle Corps of the army was beaten by the revolving pistol. The fame of this weapon has spread over all Southern Africa, and the recent news of the termination of the Caffre war may be in some measure due to the introduction of this weapon, for Mr. Peard sold no less than 98 revolvers in King William's Town alone. One of Colt's large holster pistols was tried in the presence of some Caffres at a mark 400 yards distant, and they declared it was " God's pistol." A correspondent from Graham's Town, writing about the performances of the revolver, states that Mr. Peard made 21 hits out of 24 shots in a target of a barrelhead at 208 yards distance, and asks when Colt's revolvers are to be used exclusively in the army and navy.

Scientific American Magazine Vol 8 Issue 19This article was published with the title “Colt'a Revolver” in Scientific American Magazine Vol. 8 No. 19 (), p. 149
doi:10.1038/scientificamerican01221853-149a

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