Autry National Center

Close

Asterisk (*) indicates required fields.

Invalid Input

Please enter a valid email address.

Invalid Input

* Please enter the following letters and numbers in the box below:WRONG CODE

323.667.2000 ext. 252

contact

Canteen shoulder stock

right side

right side

1857; serial number 68220
Designer: Samuel Colt
Manufacturer: Colt's Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company
Engraver: the shop of Gustave Young
87.118.41.2

Samuel Colt was involved in all aspects of Colt’s Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company. He personally patented many of the designs, including accessories, associated with the firearms the company produced. In 1859, Colt was granted patent number 22,627 for a canteen-attachable breech shoulder stock. Colt noted that the "nature of my invention consists in converting the butt of the stock into a reservoir having a suitable opening and stopper, and serving, generally, the purposes of a canteen." The canteen could carry water or other liquids. Colt credited Jefferson Davis, Secretary of War under President Franklin Pierce and later President of the Confederate States of America, with the concept of the attachable breech shoulder stock.


  • left side

    left side
  • canteen detail

    canteen detail
  • revolver detail

    revolver detail

  • left side

    left side
  • right side

    right side
  • Jefferson Davis, Secretary of War under President Franklin Pierce and later President of the Confederate States of America

    courtesy of Library of Congress

  • Canteen shoulder stock patent information (page 1)

    courtesy of United States Patent Office
  • Canteen shoulder stock patent information (page 2)

    courtesy of United States Patent Office
  • Canteen shoulder stock patent information (page 3)

    courtesy of United States Patent Office

  • The canteen shoulder stock originally came from this 1851 Navy Revolver with matching serial number

    Autry National Center

Author

Jeffrey Richardson
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Web Development

Gary Cannone

Electronic Cataloging and Imaging

Marilyn Kim, Vlasta Radan, Carmel France, Rebecca Menendez, David Benitez, Susan Eisenstein

Editor

Marlene Head

Special Thanks

Greg Martin, R. L. Wilson