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Exceptional Presentation Cased First Year Production Three-Digit Serial Number 316 Colt Model 1855 “Root” Sidehammer Percussion Pocket Revolver Documented as Formerly Part of the Colt Factory Collection and the Museum of Connecticut History - Serial no. 316, 28 cal., 3 1/2 inch octagon bbl., blue finish, walnut grips. This is a very fine example of one of the earliest variations of Colt’s Model 1855 or “Root” revolver. The nickname for the revolver comes from Elisha King Root, who was hired in 1849 by Samuel Colt as factory superintendent. By that time, Root was already an accomplished inventor, continuing to do so in his new position, while also running the factory commendably. While employed by Colt, Root perfected the Lincoln miller milling machine, which became one of the most important American manufacturing machines of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He also designed these pocket revolvers, which have remained associated with his name among collectors to this day. Manufactured in 1855, the first year of production, this example, serial number 316, is one of the earliest variations of the Model 1855, a “1-A”, which fall in the serial number range of 176-384. The most notable features defining a Model 1-A are the 3 7/16 inch barrel having the address without the “pointing hand”, a full octagon loading lever, non-fluted cylinder with rollmarked “Cabin and Indian” scene, and a 5/8 inch capping groove in the right of the recoil shield, all of which are present on this example. An included letter from the Museum of Connecticut History states that this revolver was part of the collection donated to the museum by the Colt Firearms Company in 1957 and that the museum deaccessioned the revolver in March of 1980 as part of a trade for arms that it did not have in its collection.