Colt Dragoons Purpose?

[kBob]

Craig C,

I really like the stag grips and that brass front sight sort of blows my skirts up as well.

The purpose of the Colt Dragoon originally was to make money for Sam Colt and middle men'

The Purpose of the Colt Dragoon today is to make money to offset the Italian balance of trade and make money for middle men.

Some folks order deep dish pizza with beef and some actually order thin crust pizza with bait on them. Some folks just like the looks and feel of the Dragoon.

I would dearly love a 3rd Model, cut for stock, with stock, and with folding sights on the barrel. I would even want a Plane Jayne (although Jayne carries a LeMat and has been seen with a NMA) 3rd Model Dragoon more than a Walker or 1860 and I already have NMAs.

What I would really like though is a Colt Root Revolving Carbine in .44.

But I suppose some ex-spurt would come along and tell me how stupid I am if I said that loudly.

-kBob

 

[CraigC]

Thanks! It's a modified Skinner front sight but I still need to knock it out and reshape it by rounding off some corners and edges. I just hate to do that because it shoots so well. I may decide to go ahead and do that and carry it this season. Which makes no sense to some, because I could do the same thing with a much lighter SAA or Schofield. Cool thing is I can carry an overweight, archaic sixgun just because I want to and not have to believe it's the "best".

 

[mr wack]

" Cool thing is I can carry an overweight, archaic sixgun just because I want to and not have to believe it's the "best".

absolutely,
Well said sir...

 

[Ephraim Kibbey]

CraigC - you need to carry a pair so you will be "Well Balanced!" (Though very tired by the end of the day!)

Or get these for your horse:

http://www.hamiltondrygoods.com/civil-war/pommel-holsters/

 

[kBob]

Bud sent me a link to some animated spoofs of Inter net discussions.

The idiot character kept coming back to "I want the best" as though equipment alone matters.

Sorry I can not bring myself to post a link because of the language......but I have sure wanted to say some of those same words to folks on line. This IS however The High Road........

-kBob

 

[Panzerschwein]

Craig C,

I really like the stag grips and that brass front sight sort of blows my skirts up as well.

The purpose of the Colt Dragoon originally was to make money for Sam Colt and middle men'

The Purpose of the Colt Dragoon today is to make money to offset the Italian balance of trade and make money for middle men.

Some folks order deep dish pizza with beef and some actually order thin crust pizza with bait on them. Some folks just like the looks and feel of the Dragoon.

I would dearly love a 3rd Model, cut for stock, with stock, and with folding sights on the barrel. I would even want a Plane Jayne (although Jayne carries a LeMat and has been seen with a NMA) 3rd Model Dragoon more than a Walker or 1860 and I already have NMAs.

What I would really like though is a Colt Root Revolving Carbine in .44.

But I suppose some ex-spurt would come along and tell me how stupid I am if I said that loudly.

-kBob

Anchovies are not "bait"

That is ridiculous.

 

[72coupe]

Well I used my second model Dragoon and an 1860 to teach myself instinct shooting before I went to Vietnam in 1968. I am glad I did as ability to shoot accurately from the hip came in handy.

 

[rodwha]

Good thinking and glad it helped you!

I'm a bit curious how working with the Dragoon worked out for you. I feel my 7.5" ROA is a bit much for quick work, such as if a sidearm is needed for tracking a wounded hog, yet I wouldn't cut it as I feel it makes a nice primary weapon as is.

But my 5.5" NMA just doesn't seem quite enough for that task... I've thought a Walker might make a nice primary.

 

[72coupe]

I like the Dragoons and the weight doesn't bother me but I shoot a 15 pound AR15 in competition.

I think weight in a firearm can be a virtue to a point.

 

[rodwha]

Weight will certainly help absorb recoil, and my understanding is that, to a degree, it can help in keeping it steadier for match shoots, but I'd think it would hinder quick draw and point shooting, especially with that 7.5" barrel hanging out there. That's what intrigued me. I suppose working a lot with something massive makes working with something more handy, such as an M1911, that much better.

Much like seeing the video where an NRA fellow was speaking about the Walker, and after seeing The Outlaw Josie Whales had to have one for himself, and had to figure out his smooth move spinning those Walkers to shoot those fellows. So I had to try it with my 7.5" ROA. I can do it but it certainly would have gotten me shot as I'm not that quick. However I know Clint's Walkers were rubber and light...

 

[mr wack]

What ,,Wait,,, ! Clints Walkers were Rubber,,,Sheeesh !!!! , that's like using a Propane powered TV,,,,,,,

 

[Old Fuff]

Colt made what we call "Dragoons" because prior to 1860 the available steel wouldn't permit him to make a smaller/lighter 6-shot .44 revolver in any available platform. They did make a handful of 1851 Navy's in .40 caliber, and that was it.

By 1860 he was able to import improved steel from Sweden and shortly thereafter the 1860 model was introduced and the Dragoons came to an end.

The 1860 "New Holster Model" replaced the Dragoon, and no one looked back, the US Army in particular.

 

[Dog Soldier]

The Walker was made to fire "Picketts" bullets of 120 grs.not round balls. The Walker loaded with 40/T7 under a 255 grs Kieth bullet sized .454 will run at 950 FPS. The 1860 Army or any of the later holster revolvers can not match the Walker.

 

[rodwha]

Are you sure about the velocity of that bullet with that much T7? Mike Beliveau, using just 25 grns of 3F T7 behind a 255 grn bullet got 920 fps. I'd expect quite a bit more.

My understanding is that the Pickett bullet used weighed 170 grns. No?

 

[Old Fuff]

The 1860 Army or any of the later holster revolvers can not match the Walker.

Indeed they can't, but in spite of this the U.S. Army chose the lighter revolvers over the heavier one(s) when they had a choice. Apparently at the time they didn't see the additional power to be a meaningful issue.

 

[rodwha]

To be fair the military likes to make compromises. But if the Army with a conical could wound a horse well enough why would you need more?

Hunting with my ROA became a big issue once I got it. I asked LOTS of questions and was often told how it was inhumane to do so, that it was no more powerful than a .38 Spl. But then I found that depends on the powder used, and if a more energetic powder is used (3F) it can outpace the modern standard .45 Colt loads with a bullet.

And those who I found actually use them proved they are more than up to the task. If it will easily go nose to tail through an adult hog why would you need more?

 

[Crawdad1]

The 1860 Army or any of the later holster revolvers can not match the Walker.

Weight is always going to be an issue when you're packing equipment on your back or on a horse. One of the reasons for the M16 over the M14, its lighter and the ammo you carry is lighter so you can carry more of it.

 

[Branko_D]

Do you have a source link, can they be trusted? Sorry but i'm very skeptical about those number especially considering the NMA cylinder is a quarter inch smaller than the Dragoon and is 114 FPS less. While the walker looks to be a half inch longer, with longer barrel and gets only 61 FPS more... What i've learned is that everyone gets different numbers for some reason, for the walker i've heard, 900-1400.

It's from the book "Percussion revolvers A guide to their history, perfromance and use" by Cumpston and Bates. The discrepancy has rather obvious causes if you read the book; the Dragoon they tested was a modern built Uberti gun and the Walker was considerably older. The quality of Italian built replicas has definitely improved in the last 30 years.

Whenever you look at tests, you see modern built guns routinely get higher velocities. I presume a part of the reason is better cylinder diameter to bore diameter fit, overall barrel quality and so on. I reckon if you tested two modern guns, the difference between a Dragoon and Walker to be similar to the difference between the NMA and the Dragoon.

I want a Walker someday for the hell of it, but I've got a lot of things on my "would like to have" list which take priority