Roswell L. Colt in Paterson on November 22, 1856. 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
Starr revolver produce enough revolvers to be considered major players in the market. These sources claim that the first widely used DA revolver (sometimes called the first "modern" revolver) was the Colt 1889 .38 Government (.38 Long Colt) used by the Navy, and/or the improved version for the Navy and Army, the Colt 1892, because, despite wide adoption, the 1889 model was produced in relatively low numbers. For a time, the Pietta company manufactured a modern-day replica of the Starr double-action and single-action models. Aficionados generally consider the replica to be of lower overall quality than the original. The Starr DA is