The Colt London Factory

In the early 1850s, Samuel Colt decided to take his operation overseas and open a factory in London. Colt had already proven his revolvers in America and saw a growing market in the British Empire, where officers and adventurers were buying them privately. Import costs and British pride in their own gunmakers made it tough to compete from the States, so Colt figured the best way to sell in England was to build them there.

The London factory was built in 1853 at Vauxhall Bridge and was modeled after his Hartford plant. Colt shipped over American machinery, gauges, and even some of his own men to make sure the quality matched what came out of Hartford. The factory mainly turned out Model 1851 Navy revolvers and a smaller number of Pocket Models. Around 42,000 51 Navies and 11,000 49 Pockets were made between 1853 and 1856.

These London-made Colts are known for their high quality—often better finished than the Hartford guns. The English workers did beautiful polishing and bluing, and Colt wanted them to look as fine as any revolver on the British market. Guns with the “ADDRESS COL. COLT LONDON” marking are among the nicest examples Colt ever made.

Even with the quality, the London factory never made much money. The British military didn’t adopt the Colt, and local makers like Adams and Tranter dominated the market. Between high production costs and slower sales, Colt decided to close the factory in 1856. The machinery was sold or shipped back to Hartford.

Though short-lived, the London operation proved that Colt’s system of interchangeable parts worked anywhere, and it produced some of the finest revolvers to ever carry the Colt name. That’s why the London-marked guns are so desirable to collectors today.