Colt Model 1855 Root Revolver

The Colt Model 1855, better known as the “Root” revolver, came about during a period when Samuel Colt was looking to expand his line beyond the big belt pistols and pocket models that had already made his name. In the early 1850s he turned to his trusted plant superintendent, Elisha K. Root, who was both an inventive mind and a skilled mechanic. Root’s ideas led to a very different type of Colt revolver — one that stood apart from the open-top, wedge-fastened Colts most people knew.

The Root design, introduced in 1855, was Colt’s first solid-frame revolver. Instead of an open frame and removable barrel assembly like the 1849 Pocket or 1851 Navy, the Root used a topstrap that gave the gun more rigidity and strength. It was a small-caliber arm, made mostly in .28 and later .31 caliber, with a spur trigger and side-mounted hammer that looked unusual compared to other Colts. Mechanically, it represented a new direction, and in hindsight, it foreshadowed the solid-frame revolvers that would dominate later decades.

These little revolvers were marketed as personal protection arms. They weren’t intended for military service or frontier cavalry, but for townsfolk, travelers, and gentlemen who wanted something small and reliable to carry in a coat pocket. At a time when the fear of highwaymen or sudden assault was very real, the Root offered a neat, compact package backed by Colt’s reputation.

Buyers purchased the Root for the same reason people had long turned to Colt’s smaller models: convenience and peace of mind. Its streamlined profile and light weight made it easy to carry daily, and its solid frame suggested durability. Civilian use was the rule, though some militia officers and soldiers no doubt carried them as backup arms. Engraved and cased examples were also popular presentation pieces, as the little Root took well to factory embellishment and was offered in fancy fitted cases.

Production ran from the mid-1850s until about 1870, but compared to the 1849 Pocket or the 1851 Navy, far fewer Roots were made. Today the model stands out not just as Colt’s first solid-frame revolver, but also as a transitional design that bridged the gap between the classic percussion Colts of the antebellum years and the cartridge revolvers that followed. Collectors prize them both for their distinctive appearance and for the story they tell about Colt and Elisha Root’s drive to innovate.