Colt Factory Relics From Colt Museum Collection Gettysburg / SOLD
Colt Factory Relics From Colt Museum Collection Gettysburg - Inventory Number: FIR 143 / SOLD
While remodeling the Hartford, Ct. Colt Factory, this large bullet mold was recovered. It was buried during the disastrous fire of 1864. when the fire broke out, this bullet mold was being filled. When found, it had two cavities filled. One bullet still in mold.)
COLT'S ARTIFACTS: Workmen excavating at Colt's Firearms factory found items from century ago. Object at left is six-cavity mold; at upper right is two-cavity mold. At lower right is crucible for small frame forgings.
At Colt 'Diggings Workmen Find Molds
Like archaeologists digging into the history of some long-buried village, workmen at Colt's Firearms unearthed tools and pieces of weapons from the company's early days.
The workmen, digging into the floor to sink concrete footings, discovered percussion bullet molds, pistol grips, bottles, coins, furnace and a crucible believed to be more than a century old.
A floor plan of the factory, as Colonel Colt himself knew indicates that the excavated area was part of the original hardening and tempering department. The presence of brick hearths and chimneys surrounded by charcoal substantiates this conclusion. A quantity of two-cavity and six-cavity bullet molds was found in what is believed to be the older of the two rooms which were un-covered. The molds, dating from the Civil War period, as well as charred bricks and timbers found with. them, lead company officials to believe that this room was buried after fire destroyed most of the original Colt factory in February 1864.
Unearthed in the second room second room were a grip from a Colt Bisley Single Action produced from 1896 to 1912 and a pair of grips for Colt's New Army Double Action Model 1894. An 1898 penny and bottles from the same time period were found nearby.
Because all these articles date from the late 19th century, it is thought that the room in which they were discovered was buried about 1900.
After Colt's amateur archaeologists at the scene had collected as many mementos as they could find, the excavated area was sealed off and covered with а cement floor. But for a brief time, an era that belonged to Sam Colt lived again in Hartford.
Comes housed in a 14 x 20 inch display case with red velvet backing and descriptive card.