Editing Samuel Colt (section)

==== London ====
[[File:Colt Roots British Carbine.JPG|thumb|Colt Model 1855 Carbine with London proofmarks]]

Soon after establishing his Hartford factory, Colt decided to establish another factory in or near Europe, and chose London. He organized a large display of his firearms at the [[Great Exhibition of 1851]] at [[Hyde Park, London|Hyde Park]], London and ingratiated himself by presenting cased engraved Colt revolvers to such appropriate officials as Britain's Master General of the Ordnance.<ref>{{harvnb|Auerbach |1999 |p=123}}</ref> At one exhibit Colt disassembled ten guns and reassembled ten guns using different parts from different guns. As the world's leading proponent of mass production techniques, Colt delivered a lecture concerning the subject to the [[Institution of Civil Engineers]] (ICE) in London.<ref>{{harvnb|Houze|Cooper|Kornhauser|2006|p=83}}</ref> The membership rewarded his efforts by awarding him the [[Telford Medal|Silver Telford Medal]].<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Minutes of Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers|volume =12|author=Institution of Civil Engineers| location=Great Britain|pages=115–117, 169, 178|publisher=The Institution|year= 1853|title=Annual Report|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pBYAAAAAMAAJ&q=Colt&pg=PA115|access-date=June 12, 2012}}</ref> With help from ICE secretary [[Charles Manby]]<ref>[http://www.theshootists.co.uk/Stories/coltlondon.htm The Shootists: London] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130601135359/http://www.theshootists.co.uk/Stories/coltlondon.htm |date=June 1, 2013 }} , retrieved July 22, 2013</ref> Colt established his London operation near Vauxhall Bridge on the River Thames and began production on January 1, 1853.<ref>{{harvnb|Haven|Belden|1940|p=86}}</ref> During a tour of the factory, [[Charles Dickens]] was so impressed with the facilities that he later published his comments on Colt's revolvers in an 1852 issue of ''[[Household Words]]'' magazine:<ref>{{cite journal|last=Dickens|author-link=Charles Dickens|title =Pistols and Revolvers|journal=Household Words|page=583|year=1854|quote=Among the pistols, we saw Colt's revolver; and we compared it with the best English revolver. The advantage of Colt's over the English is, that the user can take a sight; and the disadvantage is, that the weapon requires both hands to fire}}</ref>
 
<blockquote>Among the pistols, we saw Colt's revolver; and we compared it with the best English revolver. The advantage of Colt's over the English is, that the user can take a sight; and the disadvantage is, that the weapon requires both hands to fire.</blockquote>

The factory's machines mass-produced parts that were completely interchangeable and could be put together on assembly lines using standardized patterns and gauges by unskilled labor, as opposed to England's top gun makers, who made each part by hand.<ref>{{cite book|title =Great stories of American businessmen, from American heritage: the magazine of history |url =https://archive.org/details/greatstoriesofam00newy |url-access =registration |publisher= American Heritage |year= 1972 |location=Madison, Wisconsin|page=[https://archive.org/details/greatstoriesofam00newy/page/95 95]|isbn =9780070011588 }}</ref>

Colt's London factory remained in operation for only four years. Unwilling to alter his open-top single-action design for the solid frame double-action revolver that the British asked for, Colt sold scarcely 23,000 revolvers to the British Army and Navy. In 1856 he closed the London plant and had the machinery, tooling, and unfinished guns shipped to Hartford.<ref name=houze184>{{harvnb|Houze|Cooper|Kornhauser|2006|p=184}}</ref>