Arizona Rangers?

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Magwa45

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I went to the one local shop that I know carries Uberti cap and ball revolvers. They had both a Walker and a Dragoon in stock and I spent awhile comparing and sampling both. Then the guy behind the counter gave me a story about the Walker having been made for the "Arizona Rangers" with the story about the original model selling for some $900,000 recently. That is the first I have heard about Arizona Rangers!:D

Really liked the Dragoon and thinking of buying a 3rd Model.
 
I am afraid he was just being a salesman..........check oiut the Walker thread down below for the best source of information on the internet.
 
Wrong state and maybe 50 yrs. off. The Az. Rangers did exist but the Walker was a Texas gun.
 
The Arizona Rangers DO exist, at least as recently as a year ago, when I took an NRA Instructor's course in Tucson, and an Arizona Ranger was a fellow student in that class.

He knew I was from Texas, and mentioned that the Arizona Rangers and Texas Rangers (which, incidentally, also still exist) exchange and share information and resources freely and frequently.

He was a quiet but cordial man, and extremely focused on the material presented by our Instructor. I learned a lot from him...
 
you better hope gotc and Old fuff dont see this. hahhahahahahhahahhaahhahahahhahahahaahhahahahahhahaahhaahahhahahah

oh wait its probably past thier bed time
 
Arizona Rangers still exist in two form, AZ Rangers and AZ Territorial Rangers, both private security guard outfits who do charity work, and funeral escorts, from what I have seen. Neither is a bona fide law enforcement agency. The actual Arizona Rangers were tough hombres back at the very early 1900s, but the outfit didn't last very long.
 
you better hope gotc and Old fuff dont see this. hahhahahahahhahahhaahhahahahhahahahaahhahahahahhahaahhaahahhahahah
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Too late.... :eek:

I would like you guys up in the peanut gallery to know that around 1981 I personally interviewed one of the last living Arizona Territorial Rangers…

So eat your heart out…. :neener:

He was in his 90’s and physically fragile. But his mind was as sharp as a tack. Given his condition I was allowed about 20 minutes, which was enough to tire him out. But during those few minutes I learned more about how things really were, then from all the books I’d ever read. It’s not often that you get to talk to a living legend who really had “been there and done that.”

They were so good in fact, that they worked themselves out of a job. The outfit was formed for the sole purpose of cleaning up southern Arizona and making it civilized enough so that Arizona could be admitted into the Union and become a state. They didn’t do it exactly the same as our new president would, meaning that they’re Capt. didn’t tell them that a “peaceful resolution” was the best solution to the outlaw problem… :what:

As a consequence it wasn’t too long before there wasn’t much of an outlaw problem… :evil:

Good man he was, passed away about six months after we had our little talk.

Now it is indeed after my bedtime. :D
 
being from the god blessed state of Arizona the greatest in the union as a matter of fact I need to add my 2 cents of course.

The Arizona Rangers were organized in 1901 to protect the Arizona Territory from outlaws and rustlers so that the Territory could apply for Statehood. They were picked from law officers, military men, ranchers and cowboys. With maximum company strength of 26 men, they covered the entire territory.

By 1909, the Arizona Rangers had largely accomplished their goals and were disbanded by the Territorial Governor. In total there were only 107 original Territorial Rangers.

Re-established in 1957 by a few surviving original Territorial Arizona Rangers, the present day Arizona Rangers are an unpaid, all volunteer, law enforcement support and assistance civilian auxiliary in this State who work co-operatively at the request of and under the direction, control, and supervision of established law enforcement officials and officers. The also provide youth support and community service and work to preserve the tradition, honor, and history of the 1901-1909 Arizona Rangers.
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SO they were in there time the best of the best of the best.
 
MagWa 45...
hee hee,HEEHEEHEE...He lied to you.
EVERYBODY know's that the Walkers were built in the French Quarter in New Orleans in Colt's building that was located right there by the river. (the building is still there. it's a bycycle shop now)
The Walkers were built for and issued to the Louisiana Rangers, a real kickass bunch of coonasses. Due to the period of time that has elasped since then I'm afraid I don't have the whole story, but it is a matter of record that 1stLt. Walker was the leader of these men and was affectionately referred to as 'Swamp Fox' by his friends and foes alike, of which a tv series was eventually produced. (very popular show). 'Dragoon' came into being because of a man named Roger Dale Dragoon who was old man Colt's son-in-law, having married Mr. Colt's second oldest daughter. He took over the business after Colt retired. Walker had requested of Colt a heavier and more powerful handgun capable of multiple shots before reloading; one that was easy to use and manipulate among the vines and thick undergrowth found in the swamps, and had the power to stop some of the aligators and turtles that were pulling his men down seemingly at will.
Don't listen to those people in Arizona, man. If you need the truth about a blackpowder firearm just ask some of the people on this site. We'll help you anyway we can. I am usually always available..14th Alabama CSA..(!)
 
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Actually, the Walkers were designed for the Army; the U.S. Mounted Rifles, to be precise. While Walker had been a Ranger, he was a Captain in the Army when he and Colt designed the Walker. There was a division of the U.S.M.R. called the Rangers, but weren't the original Texas Rangers of Jack Hays and the Comanche fight. See this thread for more info.

An original Walker did sell for over $900,000 recently, but it wasn't the original model.
 
To add to JT's post, when the US mounted rifles and the ranger units were commissioned into Army service, they asked to be issued "Colt's revolvers". There were none as far as the army was concerned, as Colt was out of business and relatively unknown outside of Texas. Colt responded with a full-page advertisement in several newspapers advertising his revolvers for sale even though he hadn't fully completed the deal with Whitney to manufacture them. He ended up losing a few dollars on the deal but essentially got national advertising for free, and Samuel Colt was back in business for good.

From what I understand, the US Army didn't want to issue them because they were upset that any company went through different channels to obtain non-standard issue firearms. The USMR finally did eventually get them (Walker was presented his own by Colt, outside of standard channels), but 500 Texas Rangers under Jack Hays & RIP Ford were issued the revolvers and used them. Not to blaspheme the USMR, who embraced Ranger-like tactics with great success, but the majority of use of the Walker Colt seen in the Mexican war was in the hands of bona fide Texas Rangers under US Army Colonel Jack Hays.
 
Must be a helluva gun..$900,000.00..Remind's me of all the hoopla going on about 2 years ago over this new Remingtom '58 that was going to be produced and would supposedly sell for somewhere around $1600.00 give or take a little. And OH MY GOD!! It was actually going to be stamped 'made in the USA', and wouldn't do a damn bit more than a good Pietta right out of the box, and what it did do it probably wouldn't do any better, but with spending all that money for it the man would be afraid to shoot it... Just a 'safe queen'. The man who bought it would get absolutely no use out of it and then after he was dead his wife, or his son or his grand daughter would dig it out and go try and sell it in order to get a new car or for college tuition. They would be lucky to get back in actual value what their Grand Daddy originally paid for it.
Oh! Alas and alas! What mortals these fools be!.14th Alabama CSA,,
 
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I have read that very few of the surviving Walkers are in good shape. It seems that the tough frontier duty took its toll. The one from the auction saw minimal service didn't it?
 
SWC Bonfire:

Ah no… Don’t believe so.

Unquestionably there were officers in both the U.S. Army and it’s Ordnance Corps that were opposed to repeating arms in general, and Colt’s revolvers in particular. But only about 1/3 or slightly less of the Walker’s total production were issued to Hayes' Texas Rangers, and they weren’t especially successful, as the following report shows. It was written and submitted in 1848 by Colonel George Talcott, Chief of Ordnance; U.S. Army.

The first issue of Colt pistols proved to be almost complete failures for practical utility, as had been the case with other repeating breech loading arms, and created a prejudice against them. In support of this, I need only to refer to the issue of this pistol to the Texas Rangers, under the celebrated Col. Jack Hayes. There were received 280 pistols, and after less then a year’s service there were left to be returned to the arsenals but 191 in all, of which only 82 were serviceable, the remainder chiefly bursted in the hands of the men, a few being lost in skirmishes with the enemy. These arms were issued in August 1847, and the Rangers turned in whatever were left when they mustered out of service in the spring of 1848. The pistols last made have been modified in some respects from the original pattern, and much improved in the manufacturer, particularly in the material used.
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Colt didn't release any advertising until late 1847 or '48, and that was to plug his new "Holster Pistol" aka "Dragoon."
 
Old Fluff, thanks for the report. I'm sure it is more accurate than an account included in TR Fehrenbach's Lone Star, which is what I was referring to, which specifically mentioned 500 revolvers issued by Rip Ford at Vera Cruz. The lower number is probably much more accurate, because there never were many Texas Rangers numerically. Perhaps the 500 cited was for both the USMR & Texas Rangers as a whole. Or I got the number wrong.

From what I understand and have read, the USMR didn't receive their standard issue of revolvers until a bulk of the fighting was over with - as in they stayed in a millitary armory hung up by red tape. I would be interested in the remainder of that report and if it speaks of the whereabouts and use of the other revolvers. Hays men were well acquainted with the use of revolvers. If they could keep the Paterson's going in battle, you would think that the walker would be much more durable. The reason the walkers were returned in such poor shape is likely because they used the dog fool out of them. I still would contend that the rangers probably used the revolvers more, despite the smaller number of weapons issued. Whether they were used legally or not is another topic... I know for a fact they wiped out an entire neighborhood in Mexico City after a ranger was found dead in a house of ill repute.
 
I think we're hijacking this thread, and if so I'm as much as fault - or more so - then anyone else. :uhoh:

So since the Colt Walker, and who used them had nothing too do with the Arizona Rangers, lets everybody that interested in Walkers and the Texas Rangers go over to this thread. It's all about Walkers, and has tons of interesting information - especially on the last 6 pages or so.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=341028
 
Here is the Walker that sold for $980,000:

2008_1027_julia_gun.jpg
 
Appreciate the picture but it dosen't look any better than my Uberti and probably dosen't shoot as good..Perhaps I simply have no eye for beauty or appreciation for the finer things of life....
 
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