The world of antique firearms comes to life in this story of a 20-year quest for 13 pieces of American history. In A Collector's Guide to the Colt Root Sidehammer, Malcolm R. Burnette describes in affectionate detail the most exotic of the revolvers produced by Samuel Colt in 19th century New England, imparts a wealth of knowledge and advice to would-be collectors, and illustrates with brilliant color photographs the 13 variations of the Colt Root Sidehammer of 1855 - 1870, the cases that held them, and the accessories that accompanied them. You don't have to be a Colt collector to enjoy this book. If history fascinates you, if finely crafted artifacts appeal to you, or if you've ever collected anything with passion, you'll feel welcome inside its pages.