Colt Model 1855 "Root" Sidehammer
- Category
- Revolver
- Barrel
- 89 mm
- Weight, empty
- 480 g
- Introduced
- 1855
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Colt Model 1855 Sidehammer, commonly called the Colt Root revolver, was a compact single-action percussion pocket revolver designed by Colt factory superintendent Elisha K. Root and patented on Christmas Day 1855. It is notable as the only solid-frame, side-hammer percussion revolver Colt ever produced; the topstrap-equipped solid frame would not reappear in Colt's line until the 1873 Single Action Army. Early First Series guns were chambered in .28 caliber, while later Second Series models used .31 caliber, both loaded as five-shot cap-and-ball with a creeping loading lever and fired by a side-mounted hammer.
Elisha K. Root was Colt's master mechanic and factory superintendent, the man who actually built out Colt's revolutionary mass-production armory, and the sidehammer revolver bearing his name is the only solid-frame, side-hammer percussion revolver Colt ever made. The same sidehammer action was scaled up to power the Colt Model 1855 revolving rifles and carbines, and its creeping loading lever became standard on Colt's later 1860 Army, 1861 Navy and 1862 Police revolvers.
Sources disagree on a few points: overall length is given as 8 in (203 mm) by most sources versus 6.97 in by militaryfactory, hammer side is cited as right (dealer sources) versus left (militaryfactory), and one source erroneously lists six shots rather than five. Weight varies with barrel length (~17-20 oz). Roll-engraved cylinders show cabin (.28) or cabin/stagecoach (.31) scenes.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Colt's Manufacturing Company LLC
- Category
- Revolver
- Country
- United States
- Status
- Out of production
- Produced
- 1855 to 1870
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 89 mm
- Overall length
- 203 mm
- Weight, empty
- 480 g
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Single action revolver
- Firing mechanism
- Single action
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 5
- Magazine
- Revolving cylinder
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Effective range
- 25 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Side hammer
Solid frame
Creeping loading lever
Spur trigger
Roll engraved cylinder
Percussion cap ignition
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 404 revolvers | 480 g | 1.05 kg | Lighter than about 90% |
| Overall lengthAmong 415 revolvers | 203 mm | 260 mm | Shorter than about 80% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 431 revolvers | 89 mm | 127 mm | Shorter than about 80% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 434 revolvers | 5 | 6 | Holds fewer rounds than about 90% |
Answers
Questions about the Colt Model 1855 "Root" Sidehammer
How much does the Colt Model 1855 "Root" Sidehammer weigh?
The Colt Model 1855 "Root" Sidehammer weighs 480 g (1.06 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Colt Model 1855 "Root" Sidehammer?
The Colt Model 1855 "Root" Sidehammer is chambered in .31 Caliber Percussion (Cap and Ball) and .28 Caliber Percussion (Cap and Ball).
How many rounds does the Colt Model 1855 "Root" Sidehammer hold?
The Colt Model 1855 "Root" Sidehammer holds 5 rounds, fed from a revolving cylinder.
How long is the Colt Model 1855 "Root" Sidehammer?
The Colt Model 1855 "Root" Sidehammer is 203 mm (7.99 in) long overall, with a 89 mm (3.50 in) barrel.
Who makes the Colt Model 1855 "Root" Sidehammer?
The Colt Model 1855 "Root" Sidehammer is made by Colt's Manufacturing Company LLC (United States). It was designed by Elisha King Root.
When was the Colt Model 1855 "Root" Sidehammer introduced?
The Colt Model 1855 "Root" Sidehammer was introduced in 1855 and discontinued in 1870.
How does the Colt Model 1855 "Root" Sidehammer operate?
The Colt Model 1855 "Root" Sidehammer uses a single action, and its firing mechanism is single action.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- American civilians
- United States
Provenance
Confidence in this record
72%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/colt-1855-root' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "colt-1855-root", "name": "Colt Model 1855 \"Root\" Sidehammer", "manufacturer": { "id": "colt", "name": "Colt's Manufacturing Company LLC", "countryCode": "US", "foundedYear": 1855, "website": "https://www.colt.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": "American firearms manufacturer headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut. Founded in 1855 and now a subsidiary of Colt CZ Group, continuing production of iconic firearms including the 1911 pistol.", "status": "active", "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:38", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:43:38", "version": "7143c7ff3f7e156063a240f2df7b4746ee1c0394d7cd5f592d05bac43233d637" }, "category": { "id": "revolver", "name": "Revolver", "description": "Handguns with a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers" }, "country_of_origin": "US", "year_introduced": 1855, "barrel_length_mm": 89, "weight_empty_g": 480, "action_type": "single_action_revolver"}