About Navy Colts

[Shotgun Franklin]

May 16, 1843 Two ships of The Texas Navy defeated two ships of the Mexican Navy off the coast of Yucatan. The Texan Ships, The Austin and The Wharton, were wooden hulled sailing ships and the Mexican Ships, Moctezuma and Guadaloupe, were more modern steam powered ships. They had fought before with no clear winner but this time the Texan Ships inflicted serious damage to both Mexican ships and drove them from the area.  This was the only time in Naval History that wooden sailing ships scored victories over steam driven ships.  Sam Colt immortalized the fight by putting an engraving of the battle on the cylinder of his Navy Colts.

[The Pathfinder]

I can't remember where right now, but I remember reading once that Sam wanted to call his new holster pistol the "Ranger" model, but because of the engraving on the cylinder everyone kept refering to it as that 'navy' gun and the name stuck. Don't know how true that is but I know some author believed it enough to write about it. Would be an interesting piece of history if it was provable.

[Shotgun Franklin]

It was a famous Naval Battle in it's day. The victory made President Sam Houston so mad that he ordered the Navy to New Orleans to be sold. He knew that The Republic of Texas was broke and could not afford another full scale war with Mexico. Houston wanted sleeping dogs left alone. There were constant provocations by both sides but it took Texas being added to the US by treaty to kick off a war.

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[dusty texian]

Thank's for the History reminder there Shotgun,was a lot going on down on the border back then,old Sam found the Texians needed his new revolver's .Those old Patterson's and Walker's and Navy Colt's ,did a lot of service back yonder. Some thing's never change ,the border is still  today a hostile place ,Today I carry a 73 SAA .45 or a 1911.45 Colt's  ......Dusty