Colt Gun Mill

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The Patent Arms Manufacturing Company was one of the most significant early industries in Paterson, New Jersey, and was the first company founded by Samuel Colt to manufacture his revolutionary repeating firearms.

History

  • The company was incorporated on March 5, 1836, shortly after Samuel Colt received his U.S. patent for the revolving-cylinder firearm. A group of New York investors provided approximately $230,000 in capital to establish the business.
  • Colt built his first factory along the Passaic River at Van Houten and Mill Streets in Paterson, taking advantage of the city’s established industrial waterpower.

What Was Manufactured?

Between 1836 and 1842, the company produced:

  • Approximately 2,850 Colt Paterson revolvers
  • About 1,450 revolving rifles
  • Approximately 462 revolving shotguns

These firearms were the first practical repeating firearms manufactured in America and represented a major advance over single-shot weapons.

Why It Failed

Although Colt’s designs were innovative, the company struggled because:

  • Manufacturing interchangeable parts was still in its infancy.
  • Production costs were high.
  • Military contracts were limited.
  • Civilian demand was not yet sufficient to support large-scale production.

The company closed in 1842, and the factory was sold. Several years later, after receiving a large order from the U.S. Army for the famous Walker revolver, Colt restarted his business in Hartford, Connecticut, where it became today’s Colt’s Manufacturing Company.

The Gun Mill

After the firearms factory closed, the building became known as the “Gun Mill.” It was later converted to textile manufacturing during Paterson’s rise as the nation’s Silk City. The structure is one of the oldest surviving industrial buildings in the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park area.

Historical Importance

The Patent Arms Manufacturing Company was:

  • The birthplace of the Colt revolver
  • One of America’s earliest precision-manufacturing factories
  • A pioneer in the development of interchangeable firearm parts
  • An important chapter in Paterson’s history as an industrial innovation center

Today, the site is recognized as one of Paterson’s most important industrial landmarks, illustrating the city’s contributions to American manufacturing and technology.