Colt Brevete Revolvers
by Roy Marcot
In the 1850s, Samuel Colt worked assiduously to patent his revolver concept and prevent infringements around the world. It was a losing effort and unauthorized copies of his pistols were showing up from Europe to Japan. In an example of lateral thinking, Sam Colt decided to take advantage of the situation. He informed Belgian and gun makers in other countries that he would withdraw his lawsuits if they would accept a licensing arrangement whereby he would provide parts for assembly or allow them to manufacture some or all parts in return for a royalty for each gun that passed through their country's proof house. Otherwise, he would continue his lawsuits and they would see their revolvers confiscated. The program worked very well. The number of spurious copies fell and the Colt factory revenue rose.
Until now, most collectors have considered brevete revolvers to be illegal copies, when in fact, the greater majority were licensed by the Colt Factory. Roy Marcot has opened up a new area for Colt collectors - brevete revolvers. These historical pieces have long been neglected by Colt and other collectors as "spurious copies." Now we know they are not. Marcot provides detailed descriptions of brevete Colts as manufactured in various European countries and Japan. Excellent and detailed photos provides markings and other details to help identify "real" Colt brevete revolvers.
Norman Flayderman had this to say in his Foreword to the book:
At long last the chronically misunderstood COLT BREVETE has been competently and thoroughly studied in this comprehensive treatise . . .. BREVETE, the Belgian/French word for patent, can be found marked on many licensed (and unlicensed) antique counterparts and duplications of Samuel Colt's Hartford-made percussion revolvers. Roy Marcot and Ron Paxton are to be highly commended for [this] in-depth study. This volume includes a tremendous wealth of new data, all authoritatively written.
