THE MANHATTAN FIRE ARMS MANUFACTURING COMPANY WAS FOUNDED BY A GROUP OF NEW JERSEY BUSINESSMEN IN 1856. THEIR GOAL WAS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF COLT'S PATENT FOR REVOLVING FIREARMS THAT WAS DUE TO EXPIRE IN 1857. THE FOUNDERS HIRED THOMAS BACON AS THE NEW SUPERINTENDENT OF MANUFACTURING. MANUFACTURING BEGAN IN NORWICH, CONNECTICUT AND THEN IN 1859 MOVED TO NEWARK, NEW JERSEY. THOMAS BACON REMAINED IN NORWICH AND STARTED HIS OWN FIREARMS COMPANY. DURING THEIR EXISTENCE,
MANHATTAN FIREARMS PRODUCED APPROXIMATELY 175,000 PISTOLS. ONLY COLT, REMINGTON AND WINCHESTER PRODUCED MORE GUNS DURING THIS ERA IN WHICH INCLUDED THE CIVIL WAR. WHILE WAITING FOR COLT'S PATENT TO EXPIRE, MANHATTAN FIRST MADE LIMITED QUANTITIES OF EARLIER AMERICAN FIREARMS THAT NO LONGER HAD PATENT PROTECTION. THESE MODELS INCLUDED PEPPERBOXES AND VARIOUS SINGLE-SHOT DESIGNS. SHORTLY AFTER COLT'S PATENTS EXPIRED, THEY TURNED THEIR ATTENTION TO MAKING COLT-STYLE PERCUSSION REVOLVERS IN BOTH THE .31 CALIBER POCKET MODELS AND .36 CALIBER NAVY MODELS. MANHATTAN PATENTED AN EXTRA SET OF CYLINGER SAFETY NOTCHES ON THESE MODELS. MANHATTANS VISUALLY CAN BE EASILY IDENTIFIED BY THE MANY NOTCHES ON THEIR CYLINDERS.
AFTER THE CIVIL WAR, MANHATTAN PRODUCTION PRIMARILY CONSISTED OF A COPY OF THE SMITH & WESSON .22 CALIBER CARTRIDGE REVOLVER AND A SINGLE-SHOT BOOT PISTOL UNDER THE NAME "HERO". MANHATTAN REINCORPORATED IN 1868 TO THE AMERICAN STANDARD TOOL COMPANY AND BEGAN TO MARKET INDUSTRIAL TOOLS AS WELL AS FIREARMS. AMERICAN STANDARD TOOL WAS SOLD IN 1873 TO MORSE TOOL COMPANY. MANHATTAN FIREARMS ADDITIONALLY MANUFACTURED PISTOLS UNDER THE TRADE NAMES "HERO", "LONDON PISTOL COMPANY" AND "AMERICAN STANDARD TOOL".
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