Colt Paterson No. 3 Belt Model
Patent Arms Manufacturing Company · Revolver · Discontinued · 1837
Also known as: Colt Belt Model Paterson, No. 3 Paterson, Paterson Belt Model
Overview
The Colt Paterson No. 3 Belt Model is a five-shot .31-caliber cap-and-ball revolver produced by Samuel Colt's Patent Arms Manufacturing Company in Paterson, New Jersey between roughly 1837 and 1840. A mid-size 'belt' variant of the pioneering Paterson line, it features a concealed hammer, a folding trigger that swings out only when the piece is cocked, and an octagonal rifled barrel. As one of the first commercially practical revolving handguns, it helped establish the multi-shot revolver as a viable sidearm, though slow reloading and the company's financial failure kept production to only about 450 examples.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 567 g (20.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 244 mm (9.61") |
| Barrel Length | 140 mm (5.51") |
| Action Type | Revolving |
| Firing Mechanism | Percussion |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Revolving Cylinder |
| Muzzle Velocity | 200 m/s (656 fps) |
| Effective Range | 45 m (49 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Rifled |
| Number of Grooves | 11 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .31 Caliber Percussion (Cap and Ball) · primary — also known as .31 cal, .31 percussion, 7.9mm
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Features: Folding Trigger That Drops When The Hammer Is Cocked, Five-Shot Percussion Cylinder Roll-Engraved With A Centaur Motif, Octagonal Barrel Marked 'Patent Arms M'G Co Paterson N-J Colt'S Pt.', Concealed Hammer-Operated Single-Action Lockwork, Optional Attached Loading Lever On Later Examples
Production
Estimated total produced: 450 · Production years: 1837-1840
Approximately 450 No. 3 Belt Models produced before Patent Arms Manufacturing Company went bankrupt in 1842.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Samuel Colt
Discontinued: 1840
Notes
Barrel lengths were offered from about 3 to 5.5 inches; specifications reflect a typical 5.5-inch example. Early Patersons had to be partly disassembled to reload until a hinged loading lever was later fitted to some No. 3 revolvers.
Background
The Paterson revolvers were Samuel Colt's first production firearms and the guns that proved his revolving-cylinder patent in the field. Though the Belt Model saw only limited sales and the Paterson venture collapsed commercially, the concept it demonstrated led directly to Colt's later success with the Walker and Dragoon revolvers.