Samuel Colt was a gun manufacturer who was having financial trouble. His handguns were too expensive, and they weren't accurate. Most pioneers preferred Bowie knives. Most cowboys, gamblers and gunslingers couldn't afford his handguns.
That changed when Samuel Colt patented his percussion-repeating revolver in 1836. In 1847, he was able to sell 1,000 guns to the United States Government for the soldiers. This gun was rifled in the barrel, and when cocked for firing, the chamber automatically brought the next round down. He made both 5 and 6 shot guns.
This was a huge change from having to load each round, and it saved many gun-owners lives. By the 1850's, he was able to drop the price enough for most people to buy. Hundreds of thousands of his revolvers were sold during the Gold Rush.
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