<P> The Colt M1877 was a double - action revolver manufactured by Colt's Patent Fire Arms from January 1877 to 1909 for a total of 166,849 revolvers . The Model 1877 was offered in three calibers, which lent them three unofficial names: the "Lightning", the "Thunderer", and the "Rainmaker". The principal difference between the models was the cartridge in which they were chambered: the "Lightning" being chambered in . 38 Long Colt; the "Thunderer" in . 41 Colt . Both models had a six - round ammunition capacity . An earlier model in . 32 Colt known as the "Rainmaker" was offered in 1877 . </P> <P> The M1877 was designed by one of the inventors of the M1873 Colt Single Action Army, William Mason, as Colt's first attempt at manufacturing a double - action revolver . The M1877 was the first successful US - made double - action cartridge revolver . </P> <P> The M1877 was offered from the factory in two basic finishes: nickel - plated or a case - hardened frame with a blue barrel and cylinder . The revolver was available in barrel lengths from 2.5" to 7.5" and was available with or without the ejector rod and housing . The shorter barreled versions without the ejector rod were marketed as "shopkeeper's specials". </P> <P> Neither "Lightning" nor "Thunderer" were Colt designations, nor used by the factory in any reference materials . Both terms were coined by Benjamin Kittredge, one of Colt's major distributors . Kittredge was responsible for the terms "Peacemaker" for the Single Action Army, "Omnipotent" for the Colt M1878 double - action (often known as the "Frontier" model), and nicknames for the various chamberings of the New Line models . </P>

When was the first double action revolver made