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Samuel Colt’s health began to fail late in 1860 as the country moved toward total war. He was tired and overworked. Prior to the actual outbreak of war, Colt continued to ship product to customers in southern states; as soon as war was “official,” however, Colt supplied only the Union forces. By the end of 1861, the Hartford Armory was operating at full capacity, with more than 1,000 employees and annual earnings of about $250,000.

In his lifetime, Sam Colt had produced more than 400,000 firearms.

On January 10, 1862, Sam Colt died at the age of 47. The cause of his death remains obscure even today; contemporary accounts suggest rheumatic fever or possibly pneumonia. In his lifetime, he had produced more than 400,000 firearms. His estate was reportedly worth $15 million, an enormous sum for the time, an amount of money equivalent to more than $350 million by today’s economic standards. Following Sam’s death, control of the company passed into the hands of his widow, Elizabeth, who had promised that she would carry out her husband’s wishes for the future.