6.) Conclusion

Between Colt, Winchester, Remington, and others, Connecticut was perhaps the most influential state in firearm manufacturing during World War I. Supplying thousands of Colt M1911 .45 caliber pistols, Colt Vickers machine guns, Winchester automatic and semi-automatic rifles, and millions of ammunitions created in Bridgeport at Remington Steel, nearly all US infantries were at last partially armed with weapons manufactured in Connecticut . The United States entered the war severely underarmed. Their troops needed even basic weapons, weapons which many infantries were not able to provide to all members. The designs for these weapons were so revolutionary that many are still used today. The Colt M1911, after undergoing minor modifications in 1924, is still a popular model for United States gun owners.

Along with having a significant impact on the war itself, the war greatly changed the social and economic climate on the domestic homefront in Connecticut. In places like Hartford, New Haven, and Bridgeport, the majority of the workforce and families of factory workers were in some way related to firearm manufacturing or industrial labor. Stock prices of these companies skyrocketed, and demand for workers equally increased as the manufacturers struggled to meet the demands government orders. This change in industrial labor gave workers enough leverage to strike for better working conditions, starting with the eight-hour work day and increased weekly wages. Winchester and Colt were also unique in that thye housed many of their workers right on their property. The area in which Colt workers lived and formed a community is referred to as Coltsville.

The impact Connecticut had on the war in firearm production is historic. The 1.3 acre Winchester building in New Haven is already on the historic buildings list, and Coltsville is recognized as a national landmark.