Famous Freemason - Samuel Colt

God created men, Sam Colt made them equal.

Samuel Colt was an American inventor, industrialist, and businessman who established Colt's Patent Fire-Arms Manufacturing Company (now Colt's Manufacturing Company) and made the mass production of revolvers commercially viable.

One of eight children of textile manufacturer Christopher Colt and wife, Sarah Caldwell Colt, Samuel always had an interest in mechanics, and would often disassemble items to see how they worked.

At the age of 16, he attended—but was eventually expelled from—Amherst Academy in Massachusetts, where he studied navigation. In 1830, Colt sailed on the Corvo as a seaman, where he first became fascinated with the way the ship's wheel worked. From that idea, he carved out a wooden prototype that would lead to his invention of a rotation-type firearm with a six-barrel cylinder.

Colt patented his revolving-chamber pistol in Europe in 1835 and in the United States the following year. The idea was not immediately accepted, with gun owners unwilling to give up their trusted muskets and pistols.

In 1836, he built his first plant in Paterson, New Jersey. At just 22 years old, he proved himself to be a savvy businessman and promoter, but slow sales forced him to turn his attentions elsewhere.

In 1846, at the start of the Mexican War, Colt and Army Captain Samuel H. Walker designed an even more effective weapon, "The Walker," prompting the government to order 1,000 of these pistols—and Colt was back in business again.

Colt pistols were the weapons of choice during the American Civil War, from and the company's .45-calibre Peacemaker, introduced in 1873, became the most popular gun in the West.

Colt died a very wealthy man on January 10, 1862, at the age of 47, and was buried at Cedar Hill Cemetery. His estate was reportedly worth $15 million.

Bro. Colt was a member of St. Johns Lodge in Hartford, Connecticut.