Colt Walker: Was It The Most Powerful?
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- čas přidán 10. 04. 2020
- This video is an answer to a question I received about how the Colt Walker could be the most powerful cap & ball revolver. Be sure to subscribe to my channel for more videos. Thanks for watching!
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There is no handgun more Texan than the Colt Walker in my opinion. It was made for our Rangers and named after our own Samuel Walker. Recently, our Governor, Greg Abbott, made the Colt Walker the official State Firearm of Texas
The Colt Walker: for when it needs to be killed deader
That's awesome 👌
The big thing that everyone overlooks with the Walker is that while the cylinder volume could hold 60 grains, Colt advised a maximum load of 50 grains. Overloading, combined with soldiers unfamiliar with the new conical bullets (which had no heel, they looked like a paper cone water cup) being loaded in reverse, were found to be the causes of the cylinder ruptures on the guns returned to the Colt Factory. The bullet design was later changed to what is called the "sugar loaf" bullet, made famous by the later Dragoon pistols. The Dragoon itself being the final refinement of the problems found with the Walker model (most problems being operator error, with the exception of the loading lever issue). The Walker is still a sight to behold and a great piece of history.
Colt originally specified 60 grains and later recommended the 50 grain charge after they started having problems mostly because of being overcharged especially when the chronicle bullet was put in backwards to ease loading.
@@calvingreene90 From the research I found some people loaded backwards making it a hollow bullet .The people who say 60 grains of powder caused the cylinder to explode or Crack but it was improper loading the bullet that caused cylinder failure. I must say that loading max powder charge made some less accurate black powder guns. The people who made and designed the guns. Of that Era didn't know as much about ballistics that is known now . If you shoot colt walker today and can't be impressed by the smoke and loudness I don't know what tell you . I would like someone to modify a walker to double action
Gorgeous guns. One day I'll get my hands on some of them
Why would you want to take his guns?
@@RadDadisRad nice one.
Holy crap Dustin, that Walker was a cannon
Sure was! Thanks for watching!
still is... It cant compete with a magnum cartridge for sure, but it'll still give many modern non-magnums a run for its money.
The Colt Walker was designed to kill a man OR his horse at 100 yards..AND it was also was the weapon of choice of Josie Wales...lol
What is most amazing about the Walker Colt is that after over 173 years it STILL holds the record for THE most powerful sidearm EVER ISSUED to the US military!!
Yes more powerful than the Colt SAA.
Yes more powerful than the .38 revolver.
More powerful than the 1911.
YES even more powerful than the M9 or Sig.
The Muzzle velocity and energy numbers don't lie.
STILL THE KING!
Absolutely MIND BLOWING!
Glad to see you doing another video! I have really grown to love the old Black Powder guns! Great video!
People don't realize just how large a Walker is until you do a cylinder comparison. HUGE difference.
I realize how big a walker is.... Because I have one.... It's a good size piece.... I call it the Dirty Harry diversion in the black powder...
Yep when i got my walker just holding it was much nore massive thab ny 1851 1858 and 1860.. but the cylinder comparison is night and day lol
Good job answering a question I had as well. Thanks!
Thanks, Santee!
I have modern guns too but my cap and ball guns are my favorite guns i own great video
Thanks Dustin! I recently acquired a Uberti Walker and I've found your videos to be so helpful; answering most of my questions as well as posing questions I hadn't the presence of mind to ask. Really, thank you very much.
You’re welcome! Thanks for watching!
Thanks for clarifying that it is a matter of longetivity when dealing with an open-frame revolver. I have a feeling most of the original guns issued to troopers were never seen as potential antique heirlooms-- they were vital tools to be used to the maximum effect in life-or-death situations. If they get warped out after a thousand maximum-charge rounds were put through them, you turn them into the quartermaster for a new or refurbished one.
Highly informative and thought-provoking as usual!
Santee had a stream this afternoon. Several people were asking questions right up your alley.
Glad to see you back!!
Good video, glad to see you back in the saddle Dustin!
My friend purchased a Colt Walker by chance. Lying on a coffee table after already buying an item he said... Is that for sale. It was. OMG I was jealous.
Glad to see you back
Thanks good Video I’ve been looking
Do some more walker videos I absolutely love them!! Good work keep them up
Good video Dustin. Glad to see you back.
Thanks! It’s good to be back!
@@GunsOfTheWest enjoying my coffee in a Guns of the West mug this morning. I am furloughed from work, so I've been using the time to get caught up on projects for my channels. Editing takes too long.
Hope you guys are okay. Got any projects in the works?
Awesome! Keep those videos coming
I like the Colt Walker for bushcrafting up North. it's a big ass gun, for big ass animals.
Great video Dustin! Love shooting my 2nd generation Colts. The ‘51 and ‘61 Navies are great. The Walker is really fantastic to load up with 60 grains and just have the brute power. Honestly, the best all around cap and ball revolver to shoot is the Colt 1860 Army which just somehow has it all.
Finally got one today, it is awesome cant wait to get out and shoot it
Dustin, the Walker could hold 60 grains of powder, well I believe the standard charge for the civil war Springfield .58 musket was 60 grains as well. Makes you go "Hmmmmmmmm..."
Exactly, the service charge of 60 grains was, as I recall with the round ball. Conicals were a little less, and they did have a conical with this gun. The idea back then was to fill the chamber and crush the ball down in til it cleared the forcing cone for the load. Part of the reason why the surviving examples of these guns got so hammered over their use and rebuilt so many times lol. I dont think theres a single surviving example that hasnt been rebuilt a few times.
Good to see you again!
Thanks!
The Colt has such a big, strong cylinder post compared to the Remington, I would always prefer a Colt over Remy. I dislike Remington for alot of reasons , stability and fouling issues are just a couple.
However, I do have 2 remy 44s and 2 36s, fun regardless. But after 30+ reenacting, shooting live fire, the colt design works best for me, the open top frame is not a flaw.
It's not unusual for Pietta Remington repros to have a slightly bent cylinder post, or even a slightly off center cylinder, causing a pinch at regular intervals. If the Remy cylinder pin is ever bent lord help ya!
If the Walker was indeed the most powerful, effective and best designed revolver they would have made alot more! So I'd say its simply the one that can handle the biggest load, what you do with it is another matter.
Alway enjoy your quick, fast moving informative vids. Well done!
glad to see you making videos. hope you and your family are safe in this time of chaos
Thanks, Jeremy! Yeah, we’re doing well. Hope you are too!
@@GunsOfTheWest so far so good. Got remarried and have two step kids now
Jeremy Gunslinger Congrats!
Here's a follow up question to this video:
Does this mean the Dragoon is "the second most powerful gun" then?
Actually the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Model Dragoons are smaller. But this baby started that series. Eli Whitney took a crack at it also with the Whitneyville.
The Dragoon has the same size of frame (the Whitneyvilles are in fact Dragoons with Walker grips left over from the original run). The key differences are a shortened cylinder (and shorter chamber) plus a much shorter barrel (to cut away some of the weight). Same caliber, same structure. Just shorter.
The Walker was also considered to be a
"Dragoon" revolver as it was used by "Dragoon Soldiers".
"When dead means DEAD, the Colt Walker" -The Management
I've said before & I'm going to say it again.. the Rem NMA is, to me, the most beautiful revolver ever made.
The Ruger Old Army takes it a step further
It’s a beauty, no doubt about it!
For me it’s gotta be the colt navy. So iconic, but the Remington is without a doubt, the most reliable
While I also realy llike the Remington and have killed an enraged charging Wild Boar with my Uberti NMA Remington loaded with one shot of my 240 grain Universal Bullet's.
The double action British Adams and Tranter percussion revolvers
in, 50/53/577 caliber as well as the Austrian offshot Josef Scheinigg M1860 percussion revolver in 55 caliber respectfully differ with you on that.
@@MrKaido93 i totally agree, and i despair of ever finding one, or hearing from the existence of a reproduction !
When the Colt Walker was originally designed around the time of the Civil War it was designed as a horse pistol intended for shooting a Rider's horse out from under them because the horse was a larger Target and the rider was harder to hit when at full charge Galloping across the field. Also the Colt Walker was designed so heavy that soldiers never carried them on their hips like with the 44 caliber revolvers. They carried them on their saddles mostly higher-ranking officers. If you watch the movie Gettysburg there are fur topped holsters you'll notice holding Colt Walker's.
The Walker was designed around 1847, 15 years prior to the Civil War.
@@Bret4207 And only 1,100 were made. The 1848 Dragoon was much more common, and still really powerful.
Id love a dragoon with a detachable stock and a 12" barrel
An other thing in regards to the Walker's blowing up, is that the bullets made for them was cone shaped and it could have easily have been loaded backwards and was easier too as well. with the point going towards the nipples creating an air pocket creating more pressure and of course turning the revolver into a pipe bomb. On top of weaker metal used as well.
Reason the open top doesn't come apart is the arbor is huge, 1/2" diameter of case hardened steel, if I remember correct. Reason some of the first Walkers exploded was due to iron cylinders, not steel, also one reason the design was beefier than the 1860 which had silver spring steel. From what I've been able to find, one primary reason for the walker cylinders bursting was due to some troops loading the picket style conical backwards as it was easier to load that way since it had a pointed nose and a pretty flat base without a rebate.
Hi Dustin,
Historically speaking the Colt Walker was Not the "Most Powerful Revolver" , before the advent of the 357 Magnum.
The British Adams and Tranter large bore percussion revolvers in 50/53/577 calibers as well as the Austrian off Shoot, the Josef Scheinigg M1860 in 55 caliber were more powerful then the Walker.
However as far as American made standard production percussion revolvers go you are 100% correct.
As the Walker was ballistically the most powerfully produced commercially made American percussion revolver. Just as you correctly said this is due to large powder charge capicity as to the size; longer cylinder and barrel.
Sadly none of the Italian Replica Firearms Manufacturers make firing reproductions of the British and Austrian Behemoth percussion revolvers.
I have been trying to get the Italian replica manufactures; (Uberti/ Pietta/ Pedersoli/ Chappia to produce an Adams Double action 577 percussion revolver or the Scheinigg M1860 in 55 caliber to no avail as they are not cooperating so I am looking elsewhere for a willing competent manufacturer.
One German Master Gunsmith made a firing copy of the British Adams percussion revolver in 577 caliber it is said to fire a 325 grain round ball with 76 grain powder charge in each of the 5 shot cylinder chambers. This was featured in the German Shooting publication "Viser"
#11 from the year 2004.
I would like to have such Behemoth percussion revolvers made and design one on my Universal Bullets for it for Hunting and Wilderness Defense purposes.
Please keep up the good work and videos coming take care stay well and be extra safe in this time of world wide Pandemic.
In Dustins defense, hes not the first one to say that. Theres been a number of publications over the years putting this out, one or two of them were in Muzzleblast a few decades ago... also in a few books, including one of Elmer Keiths.
Not saying your information isn't accurate Kaido, just saying its easy to see this claim made by other "reliable" sources. The problem with the whole "most powerful" claim is actually in the fact that the term "most powerful" is a little bit on the dubious and vague side. In the various spots I've seen the walker claimed to be the most powerful, or many other guns for that matter, they are light on detail as to the way in which it is most powerful. Walker was a beast, no question, and with a conical, it more then over penetrated most things it engaged. When you start building a hand gun asking it to do the job of a carbine, big claims get made, and large performances get noticed. Some of it is marketing for sure, when it comes to the Walker and the entire Dragoon series for that matter. Naturally, with the marketing being what it is, and the Walker being the biggest and bulkiest of the series, certain things were said that my not have been entirely accurate by Col. Colt, and Capt. Walker to get this gun built and out to the troops.
@@Rumblestrip
Dustin is a good knowledgeable guy. I have no "Beef" with him.
Dustin, is going by the historical standard producted American made production percussion revolvers.
In which as far as the standard produced American percussion revolvers go Dustin is correct, that the Walker was the King, the most ballistically powerful produced by it's sheer massive cylinder and barrel leangth size.
Being that the focus is strictly on the reproductions of historical American production Black Powder Percussion Revolvers.
Such overlooks the historical standard production line of the Behemoth British Adams and Tranter 50+ caliber percussion revolvers as well as the Austrian Josef Scheinigg M1860
55 caliber percussion revolver.
These 50+ caliber percussion revolvers were in the Ball Park of the Walker's ballistics or exceeding it.
Check them out for yourself on the internet at historic Weapons Auctions etc.
As a speciality Hunting and Wilderness Defense purposes percussion revolver bullet series inventor an ongoing project that I have been working on is trying to bring back, have these historically produced 50+ caliber behemoth percussion revolvers; Adams, Tranter and Josef Scheinigg M1860, Percussion revolver in 55 caliber made in modern firing reproductions by a manufacturer.
Also not to forget the Colt prototypes some were just as or more powerful then the Walker such as the 512 caliber experimental revolver which preceded the Paterson 36 caliber revolvers.
The 512 caliber percussion revolver also had a round in place trigger guard( see my YT video on A Trip to Museum of Connecticut History) .
Finally not forgetting to include the experimental Colt- Root side hamner 1860 Dragoon revolver which (Ian did a Historial Arms video here on YT ) the cylinder of this Behemoth prototype recolver looked even longer then the Walker's and the revolver over all looked similar in appeaeance to in between a Remington and Colt 1860.
Comparing those 2 cylinders side by side was a real eye opener for me..
From my own research the bulkyness isn't a problem, as it was meant to be carried in a saddle holster rather than a gun belt.
Colt also designed a conical bullet that were supplied with the revolvers. They were very hard to load in the chamber so many men loaded them backwards allowing more powder. the worst of it was a flat base bullet trying to make it through the forcing cone. This was the main reason why they exploded. They also did not explain too much about the new 6 shot weapon to men who were used to single shot weapons. Yes the Paterson came 1st but was a failure. Much longer to load and a .36 caliber was underpowered so the single shot pistols were still favored.
What you Failed to mention about the Walker, Is that the reason why a lot of them exploded is that men would put the bullets in wrong and put too much powder charge in the cylinder thus causing the explosion
theres not really a "safe" powder charge when you load a spitzer style conical into a gun backwards honestly... lol
@@Rumblestrip That was exactly my thoughts when I 1st ever heard of this about the Walker from forgotten weapons that was a very like what the hell were they thinking
The quality of the metal at the time peroid was also a mitigating factor as to expolding cylinders.
It was not until the invention of the refinement Bessimer Process was invented along with beyyer improved Steel as Firearms producer Samuel Colt started to use Swedish Spring Steel in his 1860 Army model which proved to be an improvement over the older Steel and Wrote Iron.
Which could also withstand the extra power factors of the then newley
invented Powerful Fine Revolver Pistol Sporting Gunpowder.
@@MrKaido93 Well it was designed to take the 60 grains of black powder but when they put the bullets in incorrectly you started getting 70 or 80 grains of black powder and that's why they exploded
The Walker with a full load of BP and a .454 round ball can deliver up to
600 ft lbs of energy which is more powerful then many modern cartridges save
for magnums. I have one of these and several modern guns. Compared to what
my Beretta 92fs in 9mm can do, the Colt totally outclasses it with respect to power.
But, the cool thing is that one need not load a Walker with a maximum of
60 grains of black powder. I find that 40 grains works perfectly well for target shooting
and is an accurate load and produces energy on par with modern 9mm
handguns.
Hey Dustin, great video. I love my Walker. I think I shoot better with it and have video to prove it because of it’s weight. It can be held very steady compared to any of my 51’s, 60’s, or ‘58’s. Still, I love shooting them all. My favorite loads for it are either 40 grains or 45 grains behind a round ball. Not much difference in velocity, or at least not enough to warrant the extra powder charge. Thanks for the info amigo.
You'll notice the most change above 50 grains of fffg. Its not massive, but its enough to drill into a buffalo enough to drop it like a bad habit in a few hundred feet.
Pat, thanks for the info. I would imagine it would really bark with 50 plus grains. I find my accuracy diminishes as I push to the limit with any of my revolvers, black powder or cartridge. I have a Ruger New Model Blackhawk in 45 Colt that is the only revolver I own that prefers full house loads. I also have Ruger Super Blackhawk in 44 mag that opens up like a hoes legs with full tilt loads. I've backed everything off the older I get. They all seem to shoot better. Just my observations. Thanks man.
Was wondering where Dustins been.
Awesome.
I am an avid fan of Clint Eastwood's "The Outlaw Josey Wales". Josey's primary revolvers were two Colt Walkers in belt holsters and two more on saddle horn holsters. The reason for the power of the Walkers' was twofold, they had the power of a carbine rifle without the length and weight plus had the power to bring down a charging horse.
Do you know how to remove and replace the arbor on these guns?
@Gunsofthewest
Was there a Black Powder revolver that was almost just as powerful as the Walker but had better handling/ergonomics?
Okay, but is the Remington closed frame really stronger? I had an interesting conversation with someone whose judgement I trust. He first pointed out the the cylinder pin on a Remington is an axle, not a strength member. He said that if you look at the total cross sectional area of the Remington frame just ahead of the cylinder, it was less than the Colt arbor at the wedge slot (we were talking 1860 Colt vs 1858 Remington). The point was that both guns were vulnerable to wear and stretching from regular use of maximum loads. Is there any truth to the story?
Dustin. Do they make an oversized hand grip for the colt walker
Not that I’ve seen, but its grip is larger than the grips on some of the other Colt’s.
Where did you get the cylinder is it after Market
Slick Sixguns It’s the original cylinder, but I took the blue off to make it look like the original Walkers. A 30-minute soak in white vinegar did the trick. I learned it from Eras Gone Bullet Molds.
Colt still was favorite by a Danish captain 🇩🇰 his Colt is the most expensive colt ever.
Because of the history.
I love shooting my Walker. I usually load it with 40gr of 777 2f and round balls. It's big, and heavy which helps absorb the recoil.
The Walker is the undisputed king of Black powder revolvers. It held a charge as large as some rifles of the day. What makes it stonger than any other open top ever is the absolutely huge arbor (Center axis cylinder pin). It is easily twice as thick as an 1860 or 1851. I have seen them fired with 60 or 50 grains, but personally I won't shoot mine with any charge over 40. That is well below Colt's later recommendation of 50 (changed from 60 after they got back a lot of repairs).
Easy, it’s the only BP revolver that can hold 50 grains of powder.
All while not exploding!
@@devinpetersen2387 most the time.
It actually can hold 60 and that was the early recommendation by Colt for the max load but it was dropped to 50 after the cylinders kept failing. The cylinders (and the whole gun less the trigger guard) was originally made of iron, not steel, that was twisted and twisted tighter and tighter at that time. Modern Walker replicas are nearly twice as strong as an original ever was and would never have the voids the originals could have. You can even shoot hot modern 45 colt cartridges from it with a conversion cylinder.
Some of the issues were attributed to poor loading practices. Putting the conical bullet in backwards could lead to unwanted results.
Hello Justin, like your black powder videos. I have several BP revolvers that I have yet to shoot. Waiting for the lockdown to end. I recently obtained one pistol due to a death in the family, but not sure which model it is. I think it's a 1851 Navy, but looking at a Pietta web site, the 1860 Army looks very similar. The only difference I see is the barrel. My pistol has an octagon barrel. Is that going to make it a 1851 Navy?
Yes, the 1860 Army and 1861 Navy both have round barrels, so yours is probably the 1851 Navy. There are some other guns with octagonal barrels, but they’re not as common.
I have one question, how come they haven't made a colt walker cartridge conversion, and what I mean by that I mean a conversion like the man with no name type of conversion.
Could you please tell me your opinion on the ruger 45 cap an ball black powder revolver, maybe even do a review. Really enjoy your videos.
I’ve heard good things about it, but I’m interested in the historical guns, so I don’t plan to try to find one. The channel, Ruger Old Army Girl, has a lot of videos of it.
Thank you so much for the reply, you have a wonderful day and stay healthy. This virus is serious and we all need your videos.!
The Walker is the most powerful military pistol that still holds the title for the US army, more powerful than the .45 acp and 9mm
Ranger Sequoia
30% failed due to misloading as well. Sometimes the conical bullet went in a bit sideways and therefore jammed in the barrel. Some were even loaded with the bullet facing backwards. I would attribute the majority of failures on operator error and the fact that perhaps under fire, the users were not so careful in measuring the powder charge in their haste to get back in action.
Basically it's the size of the gun and the size of the charge. It's double the charge of the 1860 Army in a 5lb gun.
For me the question of strength of open top vs. closed top percussion revolvers is like asking which is stronger and there for best 1/4 ton truck frame. will one brand be slightly stronger? yes. So much stronger to make a difference? no. How many shots do you think it would take to shoot loose a colt 1860 army with a steel frame using conical bullets and a max charge of 777 powder. I bet If a similar number of shots were fired from a 1858 the cylinder gap would open up by a similar degree. The real difference would be that the colt could be fixed by a new wedge and filing the base of the barrel assembly. betting that one would wear out lots of other parts before you got there.
I have a gen 2 Colt Navy that I shoot 20-30 grains of Triple 7 and the arbor is LOOSE, have you had that problem?
yes, i've seen that on several, usually with brass framed guns. theres a couple things you can do if you want to fix it... either way your gonna need red locktite, a blow torch, and a tape and die set. one method involves a drill and sleeving the threaded hole at the breach (recommend a gun smith for this fix, and it'll last the longest, it needs to be soldered into place), the other is to dress the threads with a tap then red locktite it in. I've had mixed results with cylinder gap improvement with this method, but after you locktite it, and clean all the brass out of the frame it'll stay fairly solid for awhile.
if this is a steel framed gun, you need a gun smith, and you'll need to have the arbor hole drilled and sleeved and the sleeve will need to be tig welded into position. If this is a steel framed gun, i'd suggest getting in touch with taylors & co and buying a new frame, its cheaper. Keep your internals, grip frame, and arbor, just polish up the new gun frame when it shows up.
Colt Walker is huge, you think you know how huge it is, but you have no idea. In the pictures/videos it looks bigger than the other guns, but without holding it you have no idea.....
I have been a black powder gunsmiths since early sixties when I was hey kid in Virginia you could buy dozens of those old walkers real ones for $5 a piece at the time in the p I have a set of replicas right now I have a lot of replicas some original guns others I have a set of dragoons that were originally made the first generation they hold 70 grains of powder no problem basically 45 70 The Walker was originally designed to shoot from ship to ship the men would get in the rigging and shoot down into the to stop the Cannon motors they would shoot down and to them and stop the cannons from firing
Is that a custom cylinder on that walker or is it standard? Also is that a Pietta or Uberti model?
Mine is made by Uberti, which is the only company currently making the Walker. The cylinder is the one that came with it, but I removed the blue finish.
Wouldn't the 1860 be simpler to clean cuz you can remove the barrel I have yet to shoot my 1858 I had sitting in my closet for 5 Years cuz I do not want to disassemble it to clean it my 1851 I just cleaned the Barrel in the cylinder and oil the outside and have had no issue I pride cleaned it three times internally
The Walker was a horse pistol not so much a belt gun in those days, I think. I always would prefer the Remington...maybe with 1 or 2 cylinders more like Clint in Pale Rider
You should try the first red dead redemption
Also the reason the colt walkers exploded was because the soldiers were issued tear drop shaped rounds. That if they were loaded wrong they would explode also with soldiers issued two of them each if one was loaded wrong by a soldier you can guess the second one probably was too.
Also a little history
The reason the walkers were made was because the previous revolvers used were not very powerful or good. So Samuel Walker went to Samual Colt to get better ones made he and Colt talked it over Walker saying he wanted a revolver that could kill a man or a horse with some other design elements and specifications added so they ironed out the details. Colt took the order but had to go to a different company to manufacture them because he had gone bankrupt. He then got permission to use someone else's factory and began production. Samual Walker went on to die in battle in 1848 with two colt walkers at his side while Samual Colt was able to get his business up and going again. (Some of this is not as detailed as I want it to be and I may be misremembering stuff so feel free to correct me)
Of the other Colt ball & cap revolvers, from Dragoon and Police, the army & navy this one had the biggest round?
Same diameter in the chamber, so the projectile in a Walker is the same size found in any Army revolver. But it has a very long cylinder, so the chambers can hold much more powder behind that bullet.
@@BogeyTheBear I see my thanks but I use the metric system and so I am a little behind with that, but my thanks again
Is there a place that sells working replicas of these?
Lots of places. I bought this one at Sportsman’s Warehouse.
I killed a wild boar with my (repro) Colt Walker.
WE NEED EAST GUNS!!!
I wonder how many of those Walkers were destroyed because someone loaded the cylinders with 60 grains of a fine grade of 4F black powder and the conical bullets rather then using a load of 2F and a round ball.
What is the best load for the colt-walker? I know it holds up to 60 grains, but is that the best load for it accuracy and power wise?
Thanks for the great content!
Mine does very well with 40 grains. Here’s a video I did to demonstrate that.
czcams.com/video/To2sctbU1TE/video.html
Upercut
The cylinder on the walker looks to be lighter in color. Is it the lighting or what?
I removed the blue from the cylinder. This is actually how the originals looked.
Guns Of The West That looks cool I think I’ll do mine like that. Any suggestions?
@@dennisatkins9837 Don't use a glass jar you intend to store food in afterwards, or it'll taste like iron forever and ever.
Me, a person who just found this channel and know nothing about guns, looking at those 2 weapons thinking "are those different weapons?"
Thank God the Outlaw Josey Wales' Colt Walker didn't explode on him. We would have missed out on an amazing story! Haha.
now that's a big iron
I think more needs to be said about that "most powerful handgun till the 357 " stuff. This was probably true enough with common factory loads but heavy handguns loaded with heavier smokeless reloads clearly outclassed the Walker in the 1910s, 1920's & 1930s. Research this subject regarding Elmer Keith's efforts. We're talking 250 grains of lead at 1200 feet per second.
So I've heard on a few channels something like "There wasn't any reason to put this much power in a handgun" and I think that's really only said because people are missing the point. This thing was designed, I think, to kill horses.
Yes, really, and this is why it held 60 grains. It was designed to reliably kill horses.
It's just as valid as killing the guy riding it, and if you want to make enemy cavalry combat ineffective, it's just as viable to kill their horses as it is to just shoot them. The horse is just a bigger target.
In that context, I think the 47 starts to make sense. Also given the fact that something that powerful would replace both the sidearm and carbine, and in so doing simplify supply lines, it's not actually that bad an idea.
Wasn't the walker dropped for the Dragoon for being pewny and heavy?
The Dragoon is, in every sense, a Walker v2.0 with revisions to the base design. They share a common frame, after all, with only the barrel and cylinder being shortened up to reduce the weight.
Who made the different guns?
This Walker reproduction was made by Uberti. The other two were made by Pietta.
@@GunsOfTheWest thank you for the quick response, much appreciated.
Meight50five You’re welcome!
Im certainly glad to see you back, ive learned a lot from you, already.
the Wikipedia states "The 1847 Colt Walker was the largest black powder repeating handgun ever made at that time, but contrary to popular belief in the United States, it was not the most powerful, as some Austrian and British revolvers of the 1850s based on the Adams-Beaumont design were even more powerful because of their large calibers (.562" and .54")". what do you think about this?
Thats 54 bore.. not 54 caliber. They were around .44/46 calibers. They also used 200-220 grain bullets. With 15-19 grains of powder.. the bullets weighed more than the balls of walker.. but the walker use 3x more powder.. walker was deff more powerful. Muzzle velocity was around 660fps. Rhe walker can reach around 1100+ thats nearly 2x more muzzle velocity
@@jeepsblackpowderandlights4305 thank you for correction
aussi puissant qu'un 357 Magnum!
The Walker Colt only put about 50 grains of powder I don't put 60 I put only 50 grains pistol powder in it because I'm putting a 457 diameter 45 caliber conical bullet in in or around and that right there's going to be plenty of knockdown power to do whatever I need to do with I need to go any higher or go any lower 50 grain is plenty of powder in a walker it means business when you 50 grains of powder you got six shots
Good to see ya Dustin. Great video, as usual. Please dont take this a jab, I just wanted to add a little for the uninitiated. :)
Also, on addendum to this information, even the modern repros suffer this issue. With heavier powder charges, 50+ grains, these guns beat themselves to death. You'll generally notice it first at the wedge, it'll actually develop a shelf on the sides of the wedge as it hammers it in the notch for the wedge in the arbor/barrel slot. This is a very cheap part, so not a major issue. The next thing to go will actually be the threads at the breach plate around the arbor pin. You can actually test this much faster with a brass framed gun, it'll slowly stretch the pin with a steel frame, but it'll also slowly tear the threads out of the breach plate. Were not talking hundreds of rounds for either of these issues in modern or in vintage arms, but in vintage arms, the wedge will probably start to show the wedge pin wear in lower hundreds of rounds, maybe around 1000 tops. Repros will show it with in 2500 i'm pretty sure. These numbers are guesses, but your not gonna get a massive number of shots before it starts. I've seen brass framed guns start to pull the arbor out of the breach plate around 3500 rounds with an 1851 Navy 44 Repro. It can be repaired, but the repair never gets you much if keep the hot loads going. Might buy you another 1000 rounds...
Just wanted to add this to your info Dustin. Not saying dont load heavy, just saying, probably dont want to run a steady diet of heavy loads through it fellas. Open tops are my favorites, always will be for the way they handle fowling thanks the much larger arbor pin. But frame stretch is nothing new. Even modern 1873 clones have this problem with the cylinder gap stretching out of spec over years of abuse. Its a problem we combat even today with things like a S&W J Frame, for instance. It happens, standard wear and tear. Enjoy them fellas. The Colt Walker is, in my research, the oldest of the Dragoon Series that brought down Buffalo. Nothing outside of this series was given the chance when it was made, and nothing from the era really had the power, and they still did it at close range like Natives did with bows and arrows, off horse back at 5-15 yards, and they were using very heavy loads.
One thing to keep in mind, conical projectiles were a fairly new thing for most people when this gun was new, theres some evidence to suggest that some of these guns exploded from troops loading the conicals backwards, which does cause massive pressure spikes and will over pressure even a modern repro. But take stock in this model if you have one, they were so loved that they were used extensively all the way up to the 1920s when there just wasnt enough left of the gun to rebuild it again. I've yet to see an original that was 100% intact, thats to say, not rebuilt. I've seen these guns so worn out that even the cylinder face wasn't true and square anymore. Thats a lot of shooting guys. These guns got run through the wringer in every sense of the word. They saw combat in the Mexican War, the Indian Wars, the Civil War, and extensive use in civilian hands hunting every thing that could move. It really was the 1911 of its time to put it in modern context. I'm a big fan of the Dragoon Series and it all started, right here.
Sorry for kind of writing a wall of text, but there it is, for any who want to read it. Have a great day, and happy shooting :)
I was told the Walker Colt can actually beat the .44 magnum of today. Can someone please test this.
I doubt it very much, but I do plan to test that.
@@GunsOfTheWest
If you use Fast Hot Powder like a Fresh can of Triple Seven 3F, Swiss or the even faster new South African Black Powder along with either my 240 or 255 grain Universal Bullets you will acheive the maximum power factors a Walker can produce which would most likely be approaching the 41 Magnum or low end 44 Magnum power factor range.
Wasn't it meant to be so powerful to kill an enemies horse?
..I read somewhere that the Walker was designed, by request from the Army, to be able to kill a horse. Most Walkers where carried on the saddle not on the waist. Thanks for the video !
The Walker was designed to be a carbine in a compact package during a time when even the carbine had to kill an opposing riders horse effectively at beyond spitting distance. An interesting concept based off of the old Dragoon horse pistols.
Easily the last of an era.
day before You buy Colt Walker , try to buy horse to carry that cannon