Punch in a Pocket— 1848 Baby Dragoon Revolver

Superior in design, function and quality to any other concealable pistol of the mid-19th century, Colt’s little “revolving pistol” was an immediate success.

- PHIL SPANGENBERGER

If anything could be said of Col. Samuel Colt, it is that he was an extremely astute businessman. While producing the behemoth 1847 Walker Colt and Dragoons, he recognized that not everyone needed such a huge handgun. He also knew that for the general public to be interested, a self-defense weapon must not only be smaller, but also affordable. In figuring the problems of producing a quality, reliable handgun, yet one that the average man could afford, Colt carefully studied each step required in turning out his big and heavy military revolvers. He determined that certain features deemed necessary in a large belt revolver could be dispensed within a smaller pocket-type pistol, thus reducing the time and labor involved in the production of such an arm. According to the research volume, Colt’s Variations Of The Old Model Pocket Pistol, 1848 to 1872, by P.L. Shumaker, it has been estimated that Colonel Colt eliminated about 85 of the roughly 480 separate operations required to produce one of his belt pistols like the .44 caliber Dragoons.