“Dr. Coult of New York, London and Calcutta.” That’s how the up-and-coming firearm inventor billed himself while exhibiting the effects of nitrous oxide in the 1830s. Traveling the country as a “practiced chemist,” Colt used the nitrous demonstrations as a way to raise money for the development of his firearms. In October 1833, an ad … Continue reading How Sam Colt Used Nitrous Oxide to Fund His Firearms Entrepreneurship