Colt Dragoon left in the field for three months

[4v50 Gary]

Here is the 19th Century testimony on the Colt Dragoon:

"Major Ben McCulloch, with sixteen men, in returning to Texas after the capture of Monterey (Mex.), in an encounter with the Comanche Indians, lost one of these pistols after discharging three chambers. Three months afterward, he and I, and some others, traveling over the same ground, found the pistol, where it had lain exposed to the storms of the whole season; and putting new caps on the nipples of the loaded chambers, they were discharged as though they had been loaded but the day before.".

Capt. G. H. Tobin


I found this jewel on page 50 of James Serven's Colt Firearms.

 

[Legionnaire]

Very cool. Much as I like my Walker, I like my 2nd Model Dragoons better. Wonder what the Major's Dragoon looked like after three months of "weathering?" Talk abou "aging" a revolver ...

 

[hang fire]

IRRC, the Colt Dragoon did not make an appearance until after the Mexican/American war was over.

 

[72coupe]

I assume it was lost in West Texas. If so it probably didn't get wet as much as it got hot.

Example: At my house from October 2010 to October 2011 it rained exactly 2.3 inches. Five inches of rain per year is considered desert. But we had 100 days in 2011 over 100°.

 

[Old Fuff]

IRRC, the Colt Dragoon did not make an appearance until after the Mexican/American war was over.

"Major Ben McCulloch, with sixteen men, in returning to Texas after the capture of Monterey (Mex.), in an encounter with the Comanche Indians, lost one of these pistols after discharging three chambers."

I believe that the quote is from a letter written to Sam Colt.

The terms "Walker," and "Dragoon" were assigned to the respective revolvers by later-day collectors and researchers. The Colt Company price sheets called the Dragoons "holster pistols," as they were intended to be carried in saddle holsters. Note that the particular revolver in question is not described, nor is the exact date when Capt. Tobin & party returned To Texas. We can though, be pretty sure it was one of the "holster pistols." Which one, I would say, is a moot point.

 

[Tommygunn]

I notice that the letter uses the term "nipples." I had thought that the term used back then was "cones."
Or was the term "cones" simply the more common term used, and "nipples" also used in some instances?

 

[Busyhands94]

When did they start calling cones nipples? I've heard they used to call them tubes.

 

[72coupe]

This Colt was left in the field for 7 months. Of course I was carrying it the whole time.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Good question Tommygun & Busyhands94. I read an 1838 ad that called them cones. The descriptive literature for the Pattetson rifle used cones and the New Model Patent Rifle used nipples.

 

[Tommygunn]

OK, then it would seem both terms were around back then and thus it would be historically accurate to use either term.
Just wondering.