and while the patent was also being vigorously enforced by Smith & Wesson, Colt’s model room was nevertheless bustling with experimental designs of cartridge-firing models based on existing Colt revolvers. These ranged from .44-caliber Dragoons to .32- and .36-caliber pocket pistols...
Combining power and portability, the Colt 1851 Navy revolver became a Civil War staple, a frontier favorite, and helped usher in the age of the gunfighter.