Roswell L. Colt Roswell L. Colt Roswell Lyman Colt (1779-1856) was an American businessman who made a fortune in the shipping industry, served for decades as governor of the Society for Establishing Useful Manufactures, and was an early railroad executive. Colt's parents were Peter Colt (1744-1824) and Sarah Lyman. (Peter's brother was Benjamin Colt (1740-1781), whose grandson would be gunmaker Samuel Colt (1814-1862).) A graduate of Yale University, Peter founded a shipping business that traded with the West Indies, served in the Revolutionary War, served as Connecticut State Treasurer from 1790 to 1794, and went on to help found Paterson, New Jersey. In
Revolver more massive, they use a spring-wound mechanism to index the cylinder. Revolver cannons use a motor-driven revolver-like mechanism to fire. A Six Gun is a revolver that holds six cartridges. The cylinder in a six gun is often called a 'wheel', and the six gun is itself often called a 'wheel gun'. Although a "Six Gun" can refer to any six-chambered revolver, it is typically a reference to the Colt Single Action Army, or its modern look-alikes such as the Ruger Vaquero and Beretta Stampede. Until the 1970s, when older-design revolvers such as Colt Single Action Armys and Ruger Blackhawks