[HisSoldier]

I found this paper to be immensely interesting, as a machinist with many CNC machines, the descriptions often hold true today.

In view of the wonderful advances brought forth by that one man, Samuel Colt, it is very wrong to speak ill of him or his character, as many have, since without his vision our technology would be far less advanced than it now is by this date.

I would dearly love to visit his shop of 1851, I know they had nothing better than carbon steel, as in our common files today, to make the many cutting tools with. One old timer told me that though they had to stay at what we consider to be ridiculously slow speeds they took heavy cuts using lard oil as a cutting oil.

With high speed steel of about 70 years later output would be increased 2 or 3 times, and time saved would also be in the savings of tool change time.

With carbide tools of today that increase would be 10 times or more, plus many other advances such as production grinding. I was shocked to hear that early Colt revolvers had gain twist rifling, which probably went away as an unnecessary complication, and rightfully so.