National Arms Company facts for kids
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| Private | |
| Fate | Acquired |
| Predecessor | Moore Company |
| Founded | Circa 1865 |
| Founder | Daniel Moore |
| Defunct | Circa 1872 |
| Headquarters | , |
| Parent | Colt Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company |
The National Arms Company was a company in Brooklyn, New York. They made firearms, which are types of guns. This company was very successful for about ten years in the mid-1800s. This was around the time of the American Civil War.
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What Was the National Arms Company?
The National Arms Company was founded around 1865 by Daniel Moore. It started as the Moore Company before changing its name. They became known for making special kinds of guns.
The company was active during an important time in American history. The American Civil War (1861-1865) was happening. This meant there was a high demand for weapons.
Guns They Made
National Arms Company made a few different types of firearms. Two of their most famous products were:
- A small pistol called a derringer. This gun used a special bullet called the .41 Short. The company actually invented this bullet in 1863.
- A revolver called the Pocket Revolver. This gun was designed by Daniel Moore and David Williamson. It used a unique bullet called the Caliber .32 Teat-fire cartridge.
The Teat-Fire Revolver
The Moore Caliber .32 Teat-fire revolver was very popular. Both soldiers and regular people used it during the Civil War. It had a clever design that helped the company avoid a patent. A patent is like a special permission that stops others from copying an invention.
The patent was owned by Horace Smith and Daniel Wesson. They had a patent called the Rollin White patent. This patent covered a way to load revolvers from the back.
How the Teat-Fire Cartridge Worked
The "Teat-fire" bullets were different from regular bullets. Most bullets have a rim at the back. This rim helps the gun fire. But Teat-fire bullets were rounded at the back. They had a small "teat" or bump sticking out.
This small teat would poke through a tiny hole at the back of the gun's cylinder. The "priming mixture" (the part that makes the bullet fire) was inside this teat. When the hammer of the gun hit the teat, the bullet would fire. It was a bit like a "rimfire" bullet, but the firing part was in the center of the teat, not all around the edge.
Production and Sale
National Arms Company made about 30,000 of these Caliber .32 Teat-fire revolvers. They produced them from 1864 to 1870.
Joining Forces with Colt
Around 1870, the National Arms Company was bought by Colt's Manufacturing Company. Colt is a very famous gun maker. When Colt bought National Arms, they continued to make the .41 rimfire derringer. This helped Colt get into the market for guns that used metallic cartridges (modern-style bullets). The National Arms Company stopped existing around 1872.
