This Iconic US Military Colt Gun Dates Back Nearly 200 Years

In 1836, Samuel Colt received a patent for the Colt Paterson revolver. It was the first revolving-cylinder handgun ever to be mass-produced. Known then as Colt’s Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company, the company began to sell revolvers around the country. Buyers included the United States military, Gold Rush miners, cowboys, and law enforcement officials everywhere. Colt Firearms has been a major player in the design and manufacture of handguns in the US and is still awarded military contracts today.

To identify the most iconic military firearms built by Colt Firearms, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed a catalog of Colt Firearms from Military Factory, an online database of military vehicles, aircraft, arms, and more. We ordered these firearms chronologically and included supplemental data from the Military Factory regarding the year entered service, type, firing action, caliber, and feed. We excluded firearms that were experimental or prototypes.

The Colt .45 Peacemaker is one of the most iconic guns made by Colt. Adopted by the US Cavalry in 1873, it was the most famous sidearm of the American West. Colt became a popular company known in mainstream culture and would continue to innovate the next generations of small arms for decades to come. (This is America’s favorite rifle company.)

The current generation of Colt Firearms includes guns such as the Navy Mk 12 Special Purpose Rifle. Introduced in 2002, this designated marksman rifle is chambered for 5.56x45mm NATO rounds like many others produced by Colt. This gun can even be modified to be a sniper rifle. It has seen service across multiple U.S. military branches, including in special forces.

Why Are We Writing About This?

To keep its arsenal well established, the United States spent $142 billion in 2023 to buy weapons and weapons systems, while another $122 billion was spent on research and development. Colt guns continue to play a role in the US military. Recently, Colt’s Manufacturing Co. won a $57 million contract to make assault rifles for the US military.

Canada C20

• Year introduced: 2020
• Type: Designated marksman rifle
• Firing action: Semi-automatic
• Caliber & Feed: 7.62x51mm NATO, 20-round detachable box magazine

LE901

• Year introduced: 2013
• Type: Carbine
• Firing action: Gas-operated; locking bolt; semi-automatic
• Caliber & Feed: .308 Winchester, 30-round detachable box magazine

Navy Mark 12 Special Purpose Rifle (Mk 12 SPR)

• Year introduced: 2002
• Type: Sniper rifle / designated marksman rifle
• Firing action: Gas-operated, rotating bolt
• Caliber & Feed: 5.56x45mm NATO, 20- or 30-round detachable box magazine

M4

• Year introduced: 1994
• Type: Assault carbine
• Firing action: Gas-operated; locking bolt; semi-/full-automatic
• Caliber & Feed: 5.56x45mm NATO, 20- or 30-round detachable box magazine

M4A1 SOPMOD

• Year introduced: 1993
• Type: Carbine
• Firing action: Gas-operated; rotating bolt
• Caliber & Feed: 5.56x45mm NATO, 30-round detachable box magazine

Anaconda

• Year introduced: 1990
• Type: Six-shot revolver
• Firing action: Double-action; repeating
• Caliber & Feed: .44 Special, .44 Magnum, .45 Colt, 6-shot rotating cylinder

M16A4

• Year introduced: 1990
• Type: Assault rifle
• Firing action: Gas-operated; semi-automatic; select fire
• Caliber & Feed: 5.56x45mm NATO, 30-round detachable box magazine

Diemaco C8

• Year introduced: 1988
• Type: Assault carbine
• Firing action: Gas-operated; rotating bolt
• Caliber & Feed: 5.56x45mm NATO, 30-round detachable box magazine

Diemaco C7

• Year introduced: 1984
• Type: Designated marksman rifle
• Firing action: Gas-operated; rotating bolt
• Caliber & Feed: 5.56x45mm NATO, 30-round detachable box magazine

M16A2

• Year introduced: 1983
• Type: Assault rifle
• Firing action: Gas-operated; semi-automatic; select fire
• Caliber & Feed: 5.56x45mm NATO, 30-round detachable box magazine

Model 635

• Year introduced: 1982
• Type: Submachine gun
• Firing action: Blowback; closed-bolt
• Caliber & Feed: 9x19mm Parabellum, 20- or 32-round detachable box magazine

AAI M203

• Year introduced: 1969
• Type: Breech-loading under-barrel grenade launcher
• Firing action: Single-shot
• Caliber & Feed: 40x46mm, Single-shot

CAR-15 Commando (XM177)

• Year introduced: 1966
• Type: Assault carbine
• Firing action: Gas-operated; locking bolt; semi-/full-automatic
• Caliber & Feed: 5.56x45mm NATO, 20- or 30-round detachable box magazine

M16

• Year introduced: 1963
• Type: Assault carbine
• Firing action: Gas-operated, rotating bolt
• Caliber & Feed: 5.56x45mm NATO, 20- or 30-round detachable box magazine

ArmaLite AR-15

• Year introduced: 1958
• Type: Select-fire automatic rifle
• Firing action: Rotating bolt, direct impingement system
• Caliber & Feed: .223 Remington, 5.56x45mm NATO, .45 ACP, 20-, 30-, 40-, 90- or 100-round magazines

ArmaLite AR-10

• Year introduced: 1958
• Type: Battle rifle
• Firing action: Gas-operated; rotating bolt
• Caliber & Feed: .308 Winchester, 7.62x51mm NATO, 20-round detachable box magazine

Python

• Year introduced: 1955
• Type: Six-shot revolver
• Firing action: Double-action; repeating
• Caliber & Feed: .357 Magnum, 6-shot rotating cylinder

Browning .303

• Year introduced: 1936
• Type: Medium machine gun
• Firing action: Recoil-operated; full-automatic, belt-fed
• Caliber & Feed: .303 British, Belt-fed (various lengths)

Browning M1918 BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle)

• Year introduced: 1918
• Type: Light machine gun
• Firing action: Gas-operated; open bolt; selective fire
• Caliber & Feed: .30-06 Springfield, 20-round detachable box magazine

Browning M1917

• Year introduced: 1917
• Type: Belt-fed, water-cooled heavy machine gun
• Firing action: Recoil-operated; full-automatic, belt-fed
• Caliber & Feed: .30-06 Springfield, 250-round fabric belt

Colt Model 1917

• Year introduced: 1917
• Type: Service revolver
• Firing action: Double-action; rotating cylinder
• Caliber & Feed: .45 ACP, 6-shot rotating cylinder

Kongsberg M/1914

• Year introduced: 1915
• Type: Semi-automatic service pistol
• Firing action: Single-action; short recoil-operated
• Caliber & Feed: .45 ACP, 7-round detachable box magazine

Colt M1911

• Year introduced: 1911
• Type: Semi-automatic service pistol
• Firing action: Single-action; short recoil-operated
• Caliber & Feed: .45 ACP, 7-round detachable box magazine

Hotchkiss Model 1909

• Year introduced: 1909
• Type: Light machine gun
• Firing action: Gas-operated; magazine-/belt-fed
• Caliber & Feed: .303 British, .30-06 Springfield, 30-round detachable box magazine

Model 1903 (Pocket Hammerless)

• Year introduced: 1903
• Type: Semi-automatic pistol
• Firing action: Single-action; blowback
• Caliber & Feed: .32 ACP, 8-round detachable box magazine

Browning M1895 (Potato Digger)

• Year introduced: 1895
• Type: Air-cooled, belt-fed machine gun
• Firing action: Gas-operated; closed-bolt; lever-actuated
• Caliber & Feed: .30-40 Krag; 7x57mm; 6.5x52mm, .30-06 Springfield, 240-round fabric belt

Colt 45 Peacemaker

• Year introduced: 1873
• Type: Six-shot revolver
• Firing action: Single-action; rotating cylinder
• Caliber & Feed: .45 Long Colt; .38 Special; .357 Magnum; .44 Special, 6-shot rotating cylinder

Model 1862 Pocket Navy

• Year introduced: 1862
• Type: Five-shot percussion revolver
• Firing action: Single-action
• Caliber & Feed: .36 Cap and ball, 5-shot rotating cylinder

Model 1862 Police

• Year introduced: 1862
• Type: Five-shot percussion revolver
• Firing action: Single-action
• Caliber & Feed: .36 Cap and ball, 5-shot rotating cylinder

Model 1861 Navy

• Year introduced: 1861
• Type: Six-shot percussion revolver
• Firing action: Single-action
• Caliber & Feed: .36 Cap and ball, 6-shot rotating cylinder

Model 1860 New Army

• Year introduced: 1860
• Type: Six-shot percussion revolver
• Firing action: Single-action; repeating; percussion cap
• Caliber & Feed: .44 Ball, 6-shot rotating cylinder

Model 1855 (Root Revolver)

• Year introduced: 1855
• Type: Sing-action six shot revolver
• Firing action: Single-action; rotating cylinder; side hammer
• Caliber & Feed: .31 Cap and ball, 6-shot rotating cylinder

Model 1855 Revolving Carbine

• Year introduced: 1855
• Type: Six-shot service rifle
• Firing action: Percussion cap; hammer-actuated; revolving cylinder
• Caliber & Feed: .56 Cap and Ball, 5- or 6-shot revolving cylinder

Model 1851 Navy

• Year introduced: 1851
• Type: Percussion revolver
• Firing action: Single-action
• Caliber & Feed: .36 Cap and ball, 6-shot rotating cylinder

Model 1849 Pocket Revolver

• Year introduced: 1849
• Type: Percussion revolver
• Firing action: Single-action
• Caliber & Feed: .31 Cap and ball, 5- or 6-shot revolving cylinder

Model 1848 Baby Dragoon

• Year introduced: 1848
• Type: Five-shot percussion revolver
• Firing action: Percussion cap; repeat fire
• Caliber & Feed: .31 Cap and ball, 5-shot rotating cylinder

Model 1848 Dragoon

• Year introduced: 1848
• Type: Six-shot percussion revolver
• Firing action: Single-action; revolving cylinder
• Caliber & Feed: .44 Cap and ball, 6-shot rotating cylinder

Colt Walker

• Year introduced: 1847
• Type: Six-shot revolver
• Firing action: Single-action; rotating cylinder
• Caliber & Feed: .44 Cap and ball, 6-shot rotating cylinder

Model 1839

• Year introduced: 1839
• Type: Revolving carbine / shotgun
• Firing action: Single-action; rotating cylinder
• Caliber & Feed: .525 (Carbine); 16-gauge (Shotgun), 6-shot rotating cylinder