[shaunx]

Walker colt..i didnt understand what that is..hey guys please help me out there.

[bigbadgun]

The 1847 Colt Walker was the most powerful Revolver of the day, If im not mistaken the first was the Patterson with the fold down trigger. Then was the Colt Walker which was unrivaled for power until 1935 when they invented the .357 Magnum. The Walker was the brain child of Col. Sam COlt And COl. Sam Walker. The Walker was used in the Mexican American War of which Mr. Walker carried 2 of the big hand cannons.
There were only 1000 of the Walkers made. Keep in mind the Walker weighs 4.5 pounds empty very heavy pistol BUT it is my favorite gun on the planet.

the pistol on top is a standard 1851 Colt Navy The pistol on the bottom is the Colt Walker note the size.
also to learn more there is a very good thread in this forum called "A show of Walkers."

[Pancho]

What hold's the loading lever up on a Walker?

[hildo]

http://www.twolefthands.nl/Zwart%20Kruit/page10/20070517_Walker_deblued_azijn.jpg
You can see it here on the lower side of the barrel. A little pin which is under tension when the loading lever is pushed upwards.
It snapped off a few weeks ago on my gun.
Now the loading lever is held up with a small rubber band. Works too.
Hildo

[redneckrepairs]

A true Walker colt is a handgun that i cannot afford . Knowing this keeps me from some really insidious fakes . Anyway its a big honkin cap and ball revolver who's power was not equaled until the .44 mag came along , and some say not untill later than that . the " walker " was truly the first " pocket rifle " as you could put colts buttstock on it .

[Roswell 1847]

the " walker " was truly the first " pocket rifle " as you could put colts buttstock on it .
I don't think the Walker was used with a buttstock, the later Dragoon pistols had the buttstock option. Also the Harpers Ferry .54 single shot came standard as a pistol carbine with detachable stock.

[Timthinker]

Bigbadgun, if I am not mistaken, Elmer Keith, the inventor of the .357 Magnum, made the statement that the Walker was the most powerful revolver until the advent of his invention. In any case, your information is correct. Very few Walkers were manufactured. The influence of the Walker can be seen in Colt's following design: the Dragoon series. These were also massive handguns, some of which could be fitted with a shoulder stock to serve as carbines.

Given the history and power of these "horse pistols" it is not surprising they continue to generate interest among shooters today.


Timthinker

[bigbadgun]

Everybody in my family calls it a hand howitzer and I aim to be buried with mine:D The people that own Walkers today are very passionate about them I know I am.

[Pancho]

hildo, If you use a little flour,salt and pepper and fry it real slow it'll make a nice gravy and be as tender as can be. Finally I know what kindof keeps that loading lever up.

[Roswell 1847]

The Walker Colt at close range will not only kill game animals it will gut them and peel the hides off like removing a sock. The now skinned and fieldressed animal is still spinning in the air as the muzzle blast cooks the meat to a turn.
A second shot will blast the animal into cutlets and sauages ready to eat before it hits the ground. Ducks flying over often drop their eggs at the shock of the first round and the egges will fry on the rocks below which are still hot from the muzzle blast, time your shots well and they may hardboil in the waters of any nearby streams.
various tubers and greens which are pulled from the ground and shredded by the muzzle blast make a nourishing salad and side orders.

I haven't seen this happen myself but my friend Chuck Norris says this happens everytime he fires his Colt walker.

[barman]

The Walker was also the first 6-shooter (as far as revolvers are concerned) ever!
Probably the first revolver in cal .44 too.

[bigbadgun]

The Walker Colt at close range will not only kill game animals it will gut them and peel the hides off like removing a sock. The now skinned and fieldressed animal is still spinning in the air as the muzzle blast cooks the meat to a turn.
A second shot will blast the animal into cutlets and sauages ready to eat before it hits the ground. Ducks flying over often drop their eggs at the shock of the first round and the egges will fry on the rocks below which are still hot from the muzzle blast, time your shots well and they may hardboil in the waters of any nearby streams.
various tubers and greens which are pulled from the ground and shredded by the muzzle blast make a nourishing salad and side orders.


Very well put Mr. Roswell

[mike101]

First revolver ever issued to US troops (Mexican War). If you ran out of ammo, you could throw it at the enemy and kill 'em.

[mec]

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=68909&stc=1&d=1197414496

By 1845, Texas had traded its status as an independent republic for statehood. The events of 1836 had not ended conflict with Mexico or brought about any consensus about the reality of independence. A state of war continued and statehood brought the United States into the fray. By 1847, the war was going full tilt with important skirmishes taking place deep within the uncontested boundaries of Mexico. Former Texas Ranger, now Captain, Samuel Walker, United States Mounted Rifles, looked up Colt with the intention of acquiring revolvers particularly suited to his horse soldiers. He wanted a revolver capable of dispatching not only the enemy soldiers but their horses as well. Personal experience with the earlier Paterson revolvers of 36 caliber had convinced him of the utility of the revolving pistol as a cavalry arm. He now envisioned a "… revolver half the length of your arm of 44 or 45 caliber…." with more robust features than those of the erstwhile lightweight five-shooters. Colt was still in possession of the patents that gave him exclusive rights to revolver development as well as high motivation to return to the arms trade. Eli Whitney, Junior had a nose for business and a well-appointed armory then engaged in producing the 1841 Rifle in use in the Mexican conflict.
An army contract for 1,000 pistols and accoutrements followed in January 1847. The revolvers were 44 caliber, almost sixteen inches in length and weighed four pounds, nine ounces. They were larger than the 1837 and 1842 smooth bore pistols they replaced, but exactly in accord with Colonel Walker's order. In late October, Colonel John Coffee Hays of the First Texas Mounted Volunteers picked up 394 from Army headquarters in Vera Cruz. An additional 180 went to Colonel Walker's C Company, United States Mounted Rifles. Colt had given priority to one hundred additional pistols for presentation and private sales. Thus, well in advance of this general issue, Jack Hays, Samuel Walker, Zachary Taylor and other officers were in possession of the revolvers and familiar with their capabilities.
Initial planning called for issue of two pistols to mounted soldiers along with a single powder flask, bullet mould, and combination tool that comprised a screwdriver, cone wrench, and spring compressor. Two pistols, mounted on either side of the saddle pommel, were standard Dragoon equipages. Reasoning that a single revolver would triple the firepower of two Aston-Johnsons, the army changed the order, affording only one pistol per trooper and creating a shortage of accoutrements. Thus, five hundred revolvers awaited arrival of powder flasks, combination tools, and bullet moulds. These remained in the Baton Rouge arsenal until early spring 1848, when they were released to the western army and still-federalized Texas Rangers fighting desperados and Indians on the Texas Frontier. Accompanying the second issue of 500 into Texas were an unknown number of revolvers that had not been returned to the Army at the end of the Mexican Conflict. There was a strong tendency among the enlisted to retain any working revolver and report it missing or destroyed. Historians record that it was, in fact, virtually impossible to get a Texas Ranger to turn in his Walker revolver and it was a losing battle to insist upon it.
In November 1847, less than a month after receipt of the revolvers, the Texas Mounted Volunteers engaged a superior force of 1500 Mexican regulars at Izcar de Matamoros, charging their lines with Colt revolvers blazing, and routing them from the field. The Walker Colts played a pivotal part in several other engagements including a reprisal massacre in Mexico City. More than eighty presumably hostile inhabitants of the city died in that one-chiefly by agency of the Walker Colt.
"Some (Texas Rangers) wore buckskin shirts, black with grease and blood, some wore red shirts, their trousers thrust into their boots; all were armed with revolvers and huge Bowie knives. Take them altogether, with their uncouth costumes, bearded faces, lean and brawny forms, fierce wild eyes and swaggering manners, they were fit representatives of the outlaws who made up the population of the Lone Star State."
-Observations of an officer of the United States Mounted Rifles.
The Legend Grew
Mexican citizens stumbling over the translation of "revolver" believed that the bullets could change directions and chase them around corners and up stairways. Adjutant John S. "RIP" Ford recorded the unlikely observation that the Colts had the power of the 1841 Mississippi Rifle with greater range. Army orders were that none of the revolvers would be issued to staff officers. This order went by the wayside when the revolvers actually arrived, and Medical Officer and Adjutant Ford grabbed two of them for himself. He was on hand when the Walker demonstrated its capabilities at dealing with the equine element. Walking through camp, he advised a green troop to uncap his revolver. Moments later, there was a loud report and the trooper's horse fell dead on the spot-neatly drilled between the running lights by a picket bullet. Part and parcel of the Walker Colt mystique, though seldom mentioned in detail, was the conical bullet cast by soldiers in the field. The needle-nosed, flat-based picket bullet receives major credit for initial difficulties with the revolvers. RIP Ford wrote that soldiers unfamiliar with conical bullets assumed that the projectiles should enter the chamber sharp-end first and this almost invariably caused the cylinders to explode. Correctly loaded, the bullets afforded a deep, wedge-shaped repository for powder accumulation from sloppy loading. This combined with canted or undersized bullets could easily result in multiple chamber ignitions. The incidence of exploded cylinders has been greatly exaggerated with some sources saying that nearly three hundred blew up in service. It appears that a substantial number of revolvers that had not passed inspection were included in this number-even though they had been repaired and put into service at the first general issue. The actual number of damaged revolvers returned by the Volunteers at war's end was one hundred and nine-including those with ruptured cylinders. By and large, the Walker Colts performed very well both in Mexico and on the Texas frontier. The major negatives of this early design were an inadequate loading lever catch and the size of the revolver that made it impractical for belt carry.
Shooting the WalkerRecent literature makes much of the ability of the Walker Colt to accept maximum charges of 60 grains of black powder under a round ball. There has been little exploration of the performance of the more period-correct conical bullet load. The original proof load for the Walker consisted of the designated bullet loaded over the maximum charge of 3Fg compressible below the chamber mouths of the cylinder. It is certain that the bullet was the major projectile of the Walkers used in Mexico and likely that the round ball came into play later on the Texas frontier. With this in mind, we ordered the correct Pedersoli Mould from Dixie Gun Works and cast a number of the 170-grain bullets from pure lead. The bullet is of the size and shape of the frame opening to the loading lever. Duplicating original performance is somewhat problematic since we cannot know the actual performance of period components. There was really no industry standard for black powder formulation and even the appropriate screen sizes for rendering FFFg flakes varied from one maker to the next (appendix B). In the interest of optimism, we used the extra-fast Swiss 3Fg for the bullet loads and explored the performance of Swiss, Goex and Pyrodex P with round balls and conical bullets from a Lee Mould.
The sample revolver is a Uberti Walker manufactured in 2005. At this time, the only good quality Walker replicas come from Uberti. Palmetto also makes a much-to-be-avoided replica and unfinished kit. Fit, function, velocity and accuracy of our 2005 Uberti are a close match for the Uberti kit Walker we have been using for some time. Unlike the Paterson, the Walker has a positive provision for safe carry. A notch in the hammer nose fits over a single peg placed between two of the chambers of the cylinder when the hammer is all the way forward. The Walker retains the loading lever clasp used on the Paterson as well as the old-pattern U-shaped mainspring. The loading lever clasp is inadequate to the recoil of the heavily loaded Walker and almost always drops out of engagement at each shot. We have a functional replica flask from Dixie Gun Works as well as a combination tool. The nipple wrench on the combination tool works but the screwdriver is not properly ground to fit the screws and the spring compressor configuration is overly large for its purpose.
Using common Dremel bits, we deep-coned the loading ram for an exact fit over the nose of the traditional bullet. The maximum charge under compression turned out to be 45 grains, which did render the super-sonic average of 1158 fps with 506 foot-pounds of energy and a narrow extreme spread of 35 fps. This bullet has none of the qualities expected of an effective or accurate handgun projectile. The portion of the bullet swaged into contact with the chamber walls is very narrow and there is no bevel on the bullet base to assist in straight alignment in the chamber. Nevertheless, the precise coning of the bullet ram allowed repeatable straight seating and the ease in loading and resulting accuracy exceeded initial expectations. Those expectations result from a solid 150 years of reportage disparaging the accuracy and utility of conical bullets in revolvers and a field report by Captain J. E. Johnston, USA. In 1848, Johnston reported to the United States Congress regarding weapons in use on the Frontier, specifically during his recent explorations of suitable routes to California and mapping Indian trails from Mexico into Texas. Johnson recorded that the Picket Bullet was far less suitable than the round ball projectile. He said that greater facility of loading, power, and accuracy was available with round balls. He also complained about the size of the Walkers (and likely the first issue of Whitneyville Dragoons). Major blame fell to the Picket bullet in that it required an excessively large cylinder so as to allow room for a suitable powder charge. Johnston requested a return to the round ball loading and the old pattern Paterson five-shooter, considering it superior to the rifle and saber for close Indian fighting. A key factor in his reasoning was the handiness of the Paterson belt revolver over the saddle-mounted Walkers.
Flying in the face of a century and a half of common wisdom, our six-shot off-hand Picket bullet groups from 30 yards were consistent with the accuracy from round balls and the Lee Conicals. The best cluster came in at four inches or a fraction more and the target signatures showed no signs of pitch or yaw in flight. At 40 yards, firing from one hand, Cumpston landed six rounds within a seven-inch spread dead center on the high scoring ring of the Texas Police Pistol Target. An important step in preparing these bullets for firing is placing a slight bevel on the base of the bullet to further align the bullets for seating. We omitted this step before one shooting session and sprayed Picket bullets all over the target. The picket bullets barely fit under the loading lever. They are slow to load and difficult to align correctly.
For the round ball testing, we, selected Speer swaged balls of .457-inch diameter. Past experience with other Uberti .44s indicates that .454-inch would work just as well in these

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=53188&stc=1&d=1171308261







Walker-Uberti
Charge Velocity Extreme Spread
{5 rounds}
140 Grain Ball
55 Goex FFFg 1001 fps 54
60 Goex FFFg 1115 fps 46
60 Gr./Vol. Pyrodex P 1221 44
60 Gr./Vol. A Pioneer 974 80
60 Gr/Vol Swiss FFFg 1278 53
55 FFg 956 46
60 Gr./Vol. PyrodexRS 1045 35
37 Gr./Vol. H 777 1201 72

200 Grain Lee Bullet
40 Goex FFFg 927 40
45 Swiss FFFg 1074 33
45Gr/Vol Pyrodex P 1087 47

170Grain Original Pattern Picket Bullet
40 Grains Swiss FFFg 1031 36
Energy 402 ft/lbs
45 Grains Goex FFFg 1026 84
45 Grains Swiss FFFg 1158 35
506 ft/lbs
45 Gr/Vol. Pyrodex P 1035 57


450"chambers, but we did want to insure maximum grip on the chamber walls. Sixty grains of Goex 3Fg gave low eleven hundreds and a small velocity spread over six rounds.
The same volume of Swiss upped the ante to 1278 fps/ 575 fpe and 53 fps extreme spread. Substituting Pyrodex P, the numbers were 1215/465/43. The Lee Conical over 45 grains Swiss and Pyrodex P clocked into the upper 1000-fps range with over 500-foot pounds calculated energy.
Firing the revolver from the "duelist" stance, it was no problem to keep all of these load combinations comfortably under the "combat accurate" standard of performance at ranges of twenty-five, thirty, and fifty yards. The heavy Walker hung steady on target in spite of prevailing high winds. Recoil with all load combinations was essentially nil. We had slightly widened the hammer notch to provide a more visible sight picture and found that the revolver hit several inches high with the Lee 200-grain bullets and ball loads and virtually point on at 30 yards with the Picket Bullet. Taping the loading lever to the barrel prevented it dropping down with every shot.
The Walker experience affirms the big revolver as a very effective combat tool that significantly increased the fire power of soldiers previously equipped with relatively slow-loading single-shot and, in many cases-unsighted-smooth-bore weapons. It affirms the often-printed assertion that the Walker was the most powerful handgun prior to development of the .357 Magnum in 1935. The surprising performance of the ungainly Picket-type bullet contributes to our evolving rejection of the premise that percussion revolvers are not accurate with conical bullets. Said performance might also make us question how much the mainstream gun culture actually knows about the properties of accurate handgun bullets.
Historical or fictional depictions of the Walker are feasible from 1847 onward. Cinematic appearances include "True Grit," "The Outlaw Josey Wales," "The Long Riders," "Lonesome Dove," and " Last Man Standing." The Walker figures prominently in any media or discussion of the history of Texas. Its impact on the material culture and societal vectors of the middle 19th Century was profound.
The First Shipment
Before filling the military orders, Samuel Colt had his partner, Eli Whitney Jr. complete 100 non-scheduled revolvers for civilian sale and presentation to dignitaries thought advantageous from a business standpoint. Impressed by the adventures of John Coffee “Jack” Hays; he sent one of the first pairs of revolvers to him at Vera Cruz. On October 19, 1847, Jack Hays signed for the first shipment of pistols. According to records in the Texas State archives, this included:
214 Pistols- Colt Patent
218 Powder Flasks
230 Combination tools (cone wrench, spring vice, and screwdriver)
16 Rings for spring vices
22 Sets extra springs ***
8 Sets lockwork
8 sets of 6 cones
8 sets screws
22 bullet moulds casting one ball*
4 bullet moulds casting 6 balls
50,000 percussion caps
1240 pounds bar lead
200 pounds rifle powder **
*“Ball” appears to be a generic term for the conical bullets used in the Walker.
** The Army pistols proof tested the Walkers with a bullet over a full charge of FFFg powder. ***Note that the quartermaster believed eight sets of lockwork to be sufficient to keep this shipment of pistols in operation but ordered almost three times that number of spring sets.Variations
These are later modifications made to original Walkers.
D Company number 13 has a homemade loading lever with a front latch like the later Colts.
D Company number 81 has a rear sight installed at the rear of the barrel.
B Company number 4 has a rear sight in the same position as D 81
D Company number 1, confiscated from a Confederate veteran, was converted into a shotgun.
C Company number 164 has a front loading lever latch.
B Company number 25 has a Paterson two-piece (?) rifle barrel installed. This is considered a period modification.
E Company number 22 is the only known originally engraved Walker.
From undated Texas Gun Collectors Magazine.

[Pancho]

Did I mention lately, Mec, how great it is to have you on this forum?

[pohill]

Walker nipple wrench, screwdriver and mainspring vise - all in one.

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m217/pohill/S4020003.jpg

[bigbadgun]

God I love my walker and the history that goes with it.

[bigbadgun]

First revolver ever issued to US troops (Mexican War). If you ran out of ammo, you could throw it at the enemy and kill 'em
This would get you courtmartialed lol

[oneshooter]

Thats right BBG. But you could still club em to death with it!!!!:evil::D

Oneshooter
Livin in Texas

[Rachen]

The Walker Colt at close range will not only kill game animals it will gut them and peel the hides off like removing a sock. The now skinned and fieldressed animal is still spinning in the air as the muzzle blast cooks the meat to a turn.
A second shot will blast the animal into cutlets and sauages ready to eat before it hits the ground. Ducks flying over often drop their eggs at the shock of the first round and the egges will fry on the rocks below which are still hot from the muzzle blast, time your shots well and they may hardboil in the waters of any nearby streams.
various tubers and greens which are pulled from the ground and shredded by the muzzle blast make a nourishing salad and side orders.


Thats very nice! I want to try it. I have a few questions though. What about the radiation? Do I have to wear a special suit? After the food have been prepared, would there be any trace elements of highly radioactive isotopes left in the meat?

[mukluk]

I load 10gr of spices on top of 50gr of powder, that way the critter gets seasoned before the fireball cooks it. :D

[Roswell 1847]

Thats very nice! I want to try it. I have a few questions though. What about the radiation? Do I have to wear a special suit?
No need for protective suits, the radiant heat is in the Infrared, and the rush of air from the blast pushes the fireball ahead of you, this conteracts the recoil to some extent otherwise you might reach escape velocity.


After the food have been prepared, would there be any trace elements of highly radioactive isotopes left in the meat?
Only if you salted your load with plutonium, a practice that went out of favor in the 1950's.
__________________

PS
Attempts to mimick the unique properties of The Walker Colt using modern technology have proven largely un sucessful.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_XX2lIT1tQ