Lot 220
Gatling, Richard J (1818 - 1903) American inventor and businessman; originally created farming equipment but is now best known for the rapid-fire Gatling gun, which saw limited use toward the end of the Civil War. Typed letter signed ("R.J. Gatling") as president of the Gatling Gun Co., on the company's imprinted stationery, one-half page, 11 x 8½ in., Hartford, CT, July 11, 1885.
Gatling writes to "Colt's Pat. Fire Arms Mfg. Co.": "Please construct for us, at your earliest convenience, a model gun, like those last furnished to the United States, but using the spring extractor." Light fold and edge wear, with uneven toning near edges, else fine. Gatling's famous gun was officially adopted after the Civil War, but not until the Spanish-American War was it widely used, in an improved version. He had sold his gun patents to Colt in 1870, but as we see here, he was not finished improving the design; a spring extractor would have increased efficiency by automatically ejecting casings from spent cartridges. Colt would fully absorb the Gatling Co. in 1897.
Estimated Value $1,500 - 2,000
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| Realized $2,640 |
