Quoted:


Sam Colt invented the first successful revolving pistol and perfected it with his many black powder models.

Colt Firearms invented the Single Action Army.

Colt invented the modern double action, swing-out cylinder revolver in 1889 and all other revolver brands are versions of what Colt invented.
This was the Colt New Navy and later New Army .38 Long Colt revolvers that were America's first double action Service pistol, and the first swing-out cylinder revolver used by any military.

John Browning invented the Colt .32, .380, and Model 1911 pistols, but Colt perfected them.

Colt bought but perfected and convinced the military to adopt the M16 series.  A large number of foreign military and police organizations use the M16 series as standard or special ops weapons.
The Colt M16 also convinced the world to go with a smaller caliber bullet.  Even the Soviets followed to a smaller caliber.
Colt didn't invent the rifle or ammo, but did play a major part in convincing the world to follow.

Sam Colt and his employees invented and perfected modern machine tools and processes.
Prior to Colt, almost all gun makers were small shops with only a few workers turning out small numbers of guns, most with non-interchangeable parts.

The tools he invented were the tools still used to build the weapons we used in WWII.
The tools he invented and perfected to make revolvers went on to be used by others to build bicycles, sewing machines, typewriters, cars, and airplanes.  
It was Sam Colt's machine tools and processes that kick started the American industrial revolution.
These tools and processes largely remained the standard until the invention of modern CNC machine processes.
Until Colt invented and perfected the tools, even American and foreign government armories were more or less small boutique makers, making comparatively small numbers of hand crafted guns.
The Europeans especially, were absolutely astounded at Colt's London factory and how many top quality guns he could make a day.
They'd never seen anything like the tools and processes he used or the high quality of the mass produced guns.

Sam Colt essentially invented mass production.

Colt firearms had a lot of "firsts" in the gun business beside the revolver.
As example, the Colt Python was intended to be America's finest and most accurate DA revolver, and it was.
Almost every DA revolver designed since has basically copied the Python barrel profile.

The various models of the Colt Officer's Model target revolvers held all the records and were used by the top shooters from the early 1900's up until the automatic became the standard Match Pistol.

The Colt Detective Special was used by virtually every detective, undercover, and off duty cop from 1927 to the early 80's.  It was so ground breaking S&W didn't even try to compete until the Chief's Special of 1950.

The Colt Official Police was just that....THE official police revolver for a great many police departments and federal agencies, including the FBI from 1908 to the early 70's.  
(It started out as the Army Special in 1908 and was renamed the Official Police in 1927).

In 1953 Colt brought out the .357 Model revolver based on a medium frame.  That was both the model name and caliber.  Until that, all .357 Magnum revolvers were based on large frames, like Colt's New Service and S&W's "N" frame.

In 1969 Colt brought out the worlds first "machine fitted" revolver with the Mark III series.  This was built by pulling parts from a bin and just assembling the gun with very little fitting or adjustment needed.
It also was the first revolver to make heavy use of powdered metal technology (sintered steel) a fore runner of MIM.

The Mark III was also the first modern transfer bar safety-ignition revolver, and every brand of revolver designed since uses Colt's basic design.

Colt was probably the first gun company in the world to make aluminum pistols, the Colt Commander, Cobra and Agent.

So, it was only in the 1970's that Colt began to loose it's edge on innovation in design.