have you ever tried...

[tom e gun]

after receiving a 3rd model dragoon a while back, i noticed something i had never noticed in pictures, that the loading lever latch is vertical as opposed to my 1860 army that the latch is horizontal.

the 1860 latch seems to work much better and be more comfortable to latch and unlatch than the dragoon lever.
this got me wonderin' if anyone had ever tried rigging up the sideways latch on a dragoon!

i know the purists probably wouldnt have anything to do with this type of wonderments, but now i am very curious if this has ever been tried

another thing, this a little more "franken-gun" than the last... would it be remotely possible to fit a later era barrel such as an 1860 army, to a dragoon or walker? hmmmmmm? i don't know about you all, but my mind is now officially blown

 

[junkman_01]

Take some sedatives and go lie down. By morning you will be back to normal (I hope).

 

[arcticap]

...after receiving a 3rd model dragoon a while back, i noticed something i had never noticed in pictures, that the loading lever latch is vertical as opposed to my 1860 army that the latch is horizontal.

the 1860 latch seems to work much better and be more comfortable to latch and unlatch than the dragoon lever.
this got me wonderin' if anyone had ever tried rigging up the sideways latch on a dragoon!...

Depending on the manufacturer, the Dragoon model and when it was produced, there are reproduction Dragoons that have had either the verticle or the horizontal latch installed on them.

This thread shows photos of both and mentions how some of the different Dragoons have had different latches over the years:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=475274&page=2&highlight=latches

 

[tom e gun]

thanks arc! thats cool, i wasn't aware of some being different, i will check that out. hey junkman, does black powder count as a sedative?

 

[junkman_01]

I think it does, as I remember hearing that some cowboys sprinkled it in their coffee. Then again, they also plopped a bullet in it and if it didn't float, they yelled at the cook that the coffee was too weak!

 

[buttrap]

The verticle latch on the dragoons tend to stink to high heaven and the later ones used the horizonal one like on a .44 army 1860. Most dragoons most later used that stye too but as they are cheep in italy they use the one fit all deal as thats good on a all fits. Colt quit using that set up in the early 1850s.

 

[Hoof Hearted]

Tom E

The centerline is different as well as the arbor size, so no........1860 barrel will not go on Dragoon or Walker.

Reagrds, HH

 

[72coupe]

Went to Google Images to look at Dragoon pictures. Most (but not all) of the originals seem to have the vertical loading lever latch. As does my newly acquired Uberti.

 

[tom e gun]

hmmmm, anyone know of what makers have the horizontal latches? i'm gonna hunt for parts, the vertical type really is a PITA lol

@HH thanks, i figured as much, i had compared the parts between the dragoon, walker, and 1860 and saw the differences but i wasn't sure if there was anyone that did any crazy attempts to make it work anyway

 

[Hoof Hearted]

Tom

I'm pretty sure you will have to change/mod the rammer also.
Let me get a couple guns out and compare, I'll post afterwards.

 

[72coupe]

Would someone tell me what the problem is with the vertical latch? I have zeroe problems with mine and I think I might prefer it.

 

[tom e gun]

as far as the vertical latch is concerned, in my opinion, it seems the be harder to latch /unlatch the thing versus the latch on say an 1860 army or 1851 navy which i assume to be the same. the latch on the 1860 is horizontal and has nubs on both sides for you to grasp at and release the loading lever, the vertical dragoon types have just the one protrusion and seems a bit tougher to me to operate, this could just be me.

 

[Fingers McGee]

as far as the vertical latch is concerned, in my opinion, it seems the be harder to latch /unlatch the thing versus the latch on say an 1860 army or 1851 navy which i assume to be the same. the latch on the 1860 is horizontal and has nubs on both sides for you to grasp at and release the loading lever, the vertical dragoon types have just the one protrusion and seems a bit tougher to me to operate, this could just be me.

It's not just you Tom, I have trouble with the verticle latch also.

Haven & Belden state that the horizontal or Navy style latch was an improvement on later models of Dragoons. Probably around 1858 when the shoulder stock models with leaf rear sights were made and bought by the Army.