The Colt M4 is a carbine version of the M16. It is shorter and lighter than the parent rifle. However, about 80% of the parts of the M4 can be interchanged with the M16. The M4 differs from the M16 only in the butt stock and barrel shroud.

The Colt M4 has been the basis of several variants. One such example is the M4A1. The M4A1 is a fully automatic version while the M4 fires only in selective fire mode.

The M4 and its variants are chambered to fire the 5.56x45mm NATO round and feed using a 30-round box magazine. They can also be fed using other STANAG magazines. With a rate of fire approximating 700-950 rounds per minute, the M4 is accurate up to 360 meters.

The M4 is very popular with Special Forces and security personnel. The M4 is preferred for its heavy-weight stopping power. The rifle is much shorter than the M16 thus making it a better choice for operations requiring quick deployment. However, the M4 has high muzzle-flash which needs a flash suppressor for effective use.

The Colt Detective Special is a double-action revolver that was designed to be used by plainclothes detectives. Introduced in the year 1927, it was the first concealable revolver capable of firing the high power .38 Special cartridges. It was very popular with law enforcement agencies during the 1930s and 40s.The design of the Detective Special was based on the earlier Colt Police Positive Special. Several versions of the Detective Special were designed. The first series of the revolver was manufactured from 1927 to 1946. The second series was introduced in 1847 and ran till 1972. The third series was introduced in 1973 and ran till 1986. Apart from minor variations, all these versions are nearly identical.

Colt’s Manufacturing Company filed for bankruptcy in 1992 and thus production was stopped for sometime. However, production was restarted in 1993 and this series is considered by many to be the fourth series. The new version had some differences such as a composite grip.The Colt Detective Special was discontinued in 1995 and a replacement—the stainless-steel SF-VI (also designated as DS-II) was introduced. Today, the first and second series Colt Detective Special revolvers are highly sought by gun-collectors and enthusiasts.

The Colt Python is a premium American revolver that fires the .357 Magnum round. The revolver is manufactured by Colt’s Manufacturing Company of Hartford, Connecticut. It is often considered as Colt’s finest designs along with the Colt Peacemaker. The Colt Python is chambered for the .357 Magnum round and uses the double action mechanism. It is very accurate and also has a smooth trigger-pull action.

The Python was introduced in 1955. Initially, it was intended to use the .38 Special cartridge. For this reason, it has a very robust design and extra metal. The Colt Python was the first mass-produced revolver to employ lasers during the manufacturing process.Though the Colt Python is very reliable, on the minus side, it has a tendency to go out of time after prolonged use. When this happens, the gun needs to be repaired and the lock retimed for normal functioning. The Python was discontinued in 1999 due to drop of sales and increasing manufacturing costs. However, limited numbers were produced on special order until 2005 after which production was completely stopped.

There were several models and variants of the Colt Python. The Python came in two colours: Bright Nickel and Royal Blue. Later a stainless steel version was also introduced. In addition, the gun was also available in several barrel lengths. Some of the variants of the Colt Python are:>> Python Silhouette: The Python Silhouette came with an 8 inch barrel and a Leupold scope. It was introduced in the year 1981 and came in two finishes: blue and Nickel.>> Colt Boa: This variant was introduced in 1985 and was manufactured by the Lew Horton Distributing Company. Only limited numbers of the Colt Boa were manufactured.>> Colt Grizzly: The Colt Grizzly was introduced in 1994 and had a sooth unfluted barrel. Only limited numbers of the Colt Grizzly were manufactured.

The Colt M1911 is a semiautomatic pistol that was designed by John Browning in 1911. It was the standard sidearm of the United States Army from 1911 to 1985 and was used in numerous conflicts of World War I, World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War. Even today, some U.S. forces use the Colt M1911. More than 2 million M1911s and its variants have been manufactured over the years.

The Colt M1911’s design has its origins in the late 1890s. However, it was adopted in the year 1911 and thus its designation. It was initially manufactured only by Colt’s Manufacturing Company. However, when the First World War broke out, the government-owned Springfield Armoury also started manufacturing it to meet the increased demand for weapons.During the First World War, certain changes were made to the original design. The new design was designated was M1911A1 and was very similar to the original except for a smaller trigger, a longer grip safety spur and simpler grip checkering. The M1911A1 has no internal modifications and parts are interchangeable with the earlier M1911.

The Second World War saw even more demand for weapons and more than 1.9 million units were manufactured during the war years by several companies such as Remington Rand, Rock Island Arsenal and others. The pistol was very popular among soldiers because of its reliability and effectiveness. After the Second World War, the M1911 saw action in the Korean War and in Vietnam. In recent years, it saw action during both the First and Second Gulf Wars. However in the recent years, its use has been limited and better models such as the Beretta 92F and M9 pistol are been used to replace the M1911.

Currently, the M1911A1 is preferred by various SWAT personnel in the USA. Other police departments in various countries also prefer it for its high stopping power. The M1911A1 is also popular among the general public. It is often used as a concealed weapon for personal defence and for target practice. The demand for the weapon is increasing in the recent years with its reliability and simplicity being the main reason for its popularity.

The Colt Peacemaker, also known as the Colt Single Action Army handgun, is a revolver designed by the Colt’s Manufacturing Company for the United States Government. It was adopted by the Army as its standard military service revolver following trials in 1873 and it was continued in service till 1892.

The Colt Peacemaker was a single-action, six-round revolver and has excellent aim. It was preferred by law enforcers because of its firepower and reliability. The revolver had a .45 calibre and could load up to 2.6 grams of black powder and a 16.5 gram conical shaped bullet. When the gun was optimally loaded, the firepower it delivered was quite powerful.The Colt Peacemaker replaced the earlier Colt 1860 Army Percussion revolver and continued in service till 1892. After 1892 it was replaced by the Colt double action revolver. More than 15,000 units of the Peacemaker were manufactured in total.

Commercial production of Colt revolvers was stopped in the year 1945. However, Colt restarted manufacturing single action revolvers again in 1956 after demand for them grew after TV shows and movies popularised the Wild West genre.The Peacemaker’s design was an improvement over the earlier Colt percussion revolvers. It was available in different barrel lengths 4 ¾, 5 ½ and 7 ½ inches. The first two shorter barrel versions were known as the “Civilian” and “Gunfighter” model respectively. Some versions of the Peacemaker were also designed for .44-40 WCF, .38-40 WCF, .32-20 WCF and .41 Colt.

The firepower and reliability of the Colt Peacemaker made it a popular sidearm for many years. Many modern revolvers such as those from Ruger, Freedom Arms, John Linebaugh and many others draw heavy inspiration from the Colt Peacemaker.

The Colt Model 1861 Navy was cap and ball revolver designed and manufactured by Colt’s Manufacturing Company in the United States during the American Civil War. It was a six-shot revolver that used a percussion cap to fire .36-calibre lead balls. It was similar in construction to the .44 calibre Colt Army Model 1860. About 38,000 of these revolvers were manufactured from 1861 to 1873.Like the Army Model 1860, the M1861 was also used during the American Civil War. It was more widely used by the Confederate Army when compared to the Army of the United States which preferred the Army Model 1860. It was preferred more for its lighter recoil because of its lower .36 calibre.

The Model 1861 Navy had very few variants. The first 100 revolvers manufactured had fluted cylinders. Some 100 revolvers were also manufactured for a shoulder stock. With the exception of the first fifty revolvers, all of these had a capping groove.  The Colt M1861 faced competition from the Adams self-cocking revolver in England. The Adams revolver used .49 calibre lead balls and did not require the hammer to be pulled back in order to fire. However, the M1961 was more popular the Adams revolver because it was mass produced. Adams revolver, on the other hand, was hand crafted by skilled workers. In the Unites States, the M1860 and M1861 faced competition from the Remington Model 1858 revolver.

The Colt Model 1861 was usually loaded with paper cartridges. The paper cartridge contained the correct quantity of black powder along with a lead ball or a cone shaped projectile and enabled the soldier to reload the revolver much faster. When the revolver was fired, the nitrated paper of the cartridge would get completely burnt.The revolver could also be manually loaded by pouring the black power down the muzzle and placing a lead shot. Usually, only 5 cylinders of the revolver would be loaded for safety reasons. However, some would load all the 6 cylinders but wouldn’t place a percussion cap on the 6th cylinder.Together with the Colt M1860, the M1861 was widely used and led to the death of the cap-and-ball weapons. It was on the forefront of firearms technology and made its distinct mark on the history of firearms.

The Colt Army Model 1860 was a .44 calibre revolver that was used extensively during the American Civil War. It was employed as a sidearm by infantry, artillery troops and the cavalry. More than 200,000 units of the revolver were manufactured from 1860 to 1873.The Colt Army Model 1860 revolver had a six-shot cylinder and could fire both round lead balls and cone-shaped projectiles. The bullet was powered by means of a 30 grain black powder charge that was ignited by a percussion cap. The percussion cap used fulminate of mercury which would explode on impact igniting the black powder charge. The revolver could fire round lead balls with a muzzle velocity of 750 feet per second.

The revolver was accurate up to distances of 75 to 100 yards. The main customer of the manufacturing company—Colt’s Manufacturing Company was the United States Government and more than 127,000 units were bought by the Government to be issued to the troops. The Confederate States, on the other hand, preferred the “Navy” version of the revolver. The revolver was loaded from the muzzle end i.e. from the front. A measured quantity of black powder was poured into the chamber from the muzzle and then a lead shot was placed and seated firmly using the loading level. Pre-made paper cartridges were also used. These contained the correct quantity of black powder along with the lead ball. After loading the cartridge, a small hole has to be made to place the percussion cap. Either way, loading the revolver was a lengthy process.

Very variants of the Army Model 1860 were produced. However, a 7.5-inch barrel version of the revolver was manufactured in limited quantities and was known as the “Texas Model”. It came to be known so because a number of these variants were shipped to Texas after secession.After the American Civil War ended, large number of these guns were taken home by the troops and found their way into general circulation. The number of guns in circulation didn’t reduce the demand for the gun. In fact, it even stimulated the demand because the effective opponent to the revolver was the revolver itself.

Thus, even after the war Colt’s manufacturing company continued manufacturing the gun and supplying it the frontiersmen. Colt’s revolvers continued to be at the top of the firearms revolution and deserve their place in history.