The THR Walker Club

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HH and Ranger1836

As I recall, a note for a Walker being auctioned referred to the 2 boxes of 20 Walkers each that went missing after the last 500 were shipped to México but not issued since there were no additional powder flasks available. All of these last unissued Walkers from this last shipment were reportedly shipped to the Baton Rouge arsenal. Thie original shipment of the last 500 Walkers TO Mexico included:160 B co., 220 D co., and120 E co. Interestingly enough, there are two gaps of 20 serial numbers in the known existing B co., and 1 gap of 20 serial numbers in the known existing E co. Walkers. Thus, only 460 Walkers reportedly made it back to the US to Baton Rouge. Perhaps circumstantial confirmation of the 2 missing crates...quien sabe?

I have also heard about the missing 6 C co. Walkers of which perhaps at least one being purloined by Colt workmen at the factory. I didn't know the sn though.

Over on the coltforum there had been mention of some ......get this....unmarked factory Walkers....curiouser and curioser.
 
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Over 15 years ago, I was told by a very prominent colt collector that there are some who are convinced that several unmarked Walkers were produced by Ely Whitney Jr. From excess parts. Also, at least one Walker having ivory and silver on it is recorded as having been sold through Colt"s seller in New York City. Nobody has ever identified it.
 
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Might I join the Walker club? I've been a Walker owner for a little over a month and I've spent the last 3 weeks reading this whole thread lol. I stripped the bluing from the cylinder, I'm still not sure if I like it that way but I do like that it's more historically accurate. I didn't polish the cylinder to a high shine but I may do that. I'm also considering aging it like white Walker did his. Decisions, decisions. Anyway, see my hand cannon below.
 

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And here she is in action. 55 grains pyrodex, felt wad, .454 ball, remington #10 cap. Can't find real black locally but will be ordering 10 lbs from powder inc soon.
 

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Ain't it amazing how much fire emits from a nipple? Pinching oversized caps to hold them onto undersized nipples has been known to find its way up under an adjacent pinched cap and into the nipples to ignite another chamber. Pinching will expand the other sides and that's where the fire gets through to set another charge off. That sounds reasonable to me.
Man! Do smokeless loads in a SAA create that much fire? Wow!
 
Unmarked Walkers

I have the notes of a deceased expert. He inspected several good walkers that were unmarked.
Whittington found the papers of Captain Walkers second in command, Lt Claibourne. He stated that Captain Walkers' pistols were unmarked. That is enough to convince me that a number of real walker colts are out there unmarked.
One thing that many folks don't know. The C company Walkers had no inspection marks. All other military walkers had inspection marks on the barrel, cylinder, trigger guard, and back strap. Of course, some were probably not stamped.... A well used Walker will usually only have a inspection mark on the brass trigger guard.

Ranger 1836
 
Ranger

Regarding the topic of the unmarked Walkers:I had heard that someone had come across Lt. Claibournes papers in the archives at an eastern university and had contacted Lt. Col. Whittington, US Army Rtd.. and this was the subject of his research monograph on the topic. Now it seems we pontentially have as many as 6 Walkers that may have passed through Walkers hands: 4 cased civie Walkers, sn 1019 and 1020 per Wilson and Whittington, 1009 and 1010 per other sources, and 2 unmarked Walkers per Claibourne/Whittington.

WOW, the Walker Grail Trail is fascinating.

PS, either here or on the coltforum I had made an calculated ESTIMATE, make that WAG, of how many Walkers MIGHT have survived the Mexican War until 1848, based on the report of Capt. Roberts of the Texas Rangers as reported by Lt.Col. Whittington.

Regarding the inspection marks,could it possibly be that the Co. C
 
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Just to throw some more craziness.......I have read that John Browning made some Walker copies in Ogden Utah but that he disliked doing so as they took more work than his harmonica guns and single shot under hammers.

I suppose at that time and place if President Young said "Make Walkers." that JB would have done just that whether he particularly cared to or not.

I wonder how, if at all, he marked them.....if he made them.

-kBob
 
WW

Was that the one in the Cabelas Gun Library? Since noone over on the coltforum chimed in on that, I thought I had hallucinated the whole deal.

I just did a Google search on "auction, Whitneyville-Walker". The Walkers that have come on the market in the last several years come up. Very interesting reading.

FYI, one if my Walkers is an ASM-based Texas Mounted Volunteers commemorative with cylinder in the white produced by Whittington Arms back around the period that Colt produced the first 2nd gen Wallker. The other Walker is also an ASM with full semi accurate Colt barrel and cylinder marks , but also Italian proof marks.
 
WW
If you search on " Tom Haas gun and knife collection, Lawson and Co." You will see notes that report Hass created 25 Walker repros, apparently marked as A co., NOT 30 C co, like I recalled, like the one at Cabelas Gun Library: search on "Cabelas Gun Library, Whitneyville-Walker".
There is a very extensive BIO on Mr. Haas: more great info.
 
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There is so much stuff that is written that doesn't jive with the next report...
I have a newspaper account of Haas, written when he died that said he made very few fake walkers. He supposedly made some dragoons. A friend that is a big old time expert knew Haas. He said Haas made many SA Colts. I own a Haas Walker that looks real good until you look at the back of the cylinder. They say he made fakes that were sloppy and some that were scary good. He supposedly never mastered the pressure ridge on the cylinder. Most wore out walkers still have a shadow on the cylinder where the pressure ridge is.
Rampart Colt published a list of know Walkers in 2008. That is the latest I have seen. A-111 is on the list. The Texas Gun Collectors Parade of Walkers display in 2003 rejected A-111 as a fake. Haas confirmed to one of the inspectors that he made A-111. It belonged to a museum in Ohio.
The latest thing is "metals fingerprinting" I guess they can say that the pistol has 1847 metal? Bet a good gun smith can take a couple of dragoons and make a fake Walker that will fool the "metals fingerprinting".
I remember that crooks took 1860's US flags and made Confederate flags out of them. It is a scary world.
 
Hombre,
I am confused about your statement on C company Walkers being inspected after going to Mexico. I am sure they were never sent back to the factory. I just say that the C company pistols are not marked. They were surely fired at the factory. They were probably inspected. Maybe the inspector stamps weren't available. Who knows?
 
Ranger
I was just speculating on the circumstances on why the C com guns didnt have inspection marks. The SOP at Whitneyville was that each revolver chamber was filled to the brim with "rifle " powder and a conical bullet and reinspected after firing. Only after a final firing test and reinspection did the inspectors put their marks on the gun. Maybe they were in such a hurry they did all that but didnt put their marks on the C co guns...again quien sabe. I have never been fortunate to have examined a genuine C co.gun or a genuine Walker of any kind.

PS That suspected Haas Walker at the Cabelas Gun Library in Allen, Tx is now $2500. It looks pretty good. It is marked as A Co. No. 18. That is in the range of the several Walkers he reportedly made per the blurb at the Lawson and Co. Auction site for his collection referenced above.
 
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Could you please post a link to that Walker at Cabellas in Allen Texas? I can't find it in their Gun Library.

OK, I found it through a Google search.
I think that it's Great as far as the markings go. I believe that whoever made it used a Uberti Cylinder. It has cylinder bolt holes that are of that shape which are too long to appear like the originals which were more round. The shoulders of the cylinder are of the Uberti type too I believe. Too much metal missing around the curve. These might've been dressed down a bit, but they seem to me to fall short of the original shape. The heel of the back strap could use reshaping. The spur of the hammer is wrong too I believe. It looks a lot like a Colt 2nd generation Walker hammer. I think that the stamping it perfect! Wow! The trigger guard is spot on correct too. Like the only known Haas Walker that I ever saw pictures of, which was an amazing copy, it too doesn't have a Pressure Ridge on the cylinder.
I don't think that it's a Haas creation. I can't see it being his work unless it was an example of his work that he just didn't want to correct everything on. I heard that there were such done by him that varied in accuracy, depending on what he wanted to do I guess. God knows that Haas had more talent on his little finger than I could hope to have.
I wouldn't mind owning it though!
 
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Hombre,
My Haas is A-8. I bought it several years ago from a gent who knew Haas up North. Haas lived in Mexico for a good time and was fluent in Spanish. He found some good weapons there. I was told by one of his friends that Haas marked the trigger on his fakes. Bur like I said, you never know what to believe. My Haas is too pristine. I am tempted to drag it behind my truck. I should hammer some nails with it, ding the grips and put it in acid then Coca-Cola. It also should be put into a vice. Most of the old walkers have vice marks on them. The real test for a Walker is to smell the end of the barrel. It should smell like death...
 
photos of Haas walker

White Walker, Hombre

I apologize on the photo front. I am to old to learn new tricks. Like I said before, I don't have any 12 year old kids around to teach me. I have never sent a photo via e-mail. My A-8 looks a whole lot like the Cabela's Walker. I paid $1800 for it several years ago. It has never been fired. I have an engraved stainless steel repro that I shot about 40 years ago. It was fun but the cleaning was a big chore. I was too busy making a living to mess with it.
I bought a pommel holster several years ago that was civilian made during the Walker era. (Expert opinion). Southwest origin. American leather. Probably Mexican made. I had a stand made to hold the holsters and had 3D plastic walkers made for it. Here is the mystery part. The holsters are made for a left handed man. When the holsters are in place, the pistol in the left holster had its butt plate facing aft. The pistol in the right holster had its butt plate facing forward. I think a Ranger senior officer owed it. You had to be a big shot to have 2 walkers. Ben McCulloch was in a rifle duel in the 1830's. He was shot in the right arm. The ball entered at his wrist and exited at his elbow. It crippled him for life. I don't think Ben ever saw a walker during the Mexican War. He may have obtained a couple after the war and carried them in California. I have been looking for a left handed Ranger officer in Mexico. Ben is my best candidate so far.
I had the holsters for awhile before I realized that they were made for a lefty. The previous owner never knew. Each holster has a leather pocket with a flap covering it and a cinch knot to button it down. I assume they were for lead balls and percussion caps? I had the plastic walkers made because of the weight and the 168 year old stitching.
Anyone know any left handed Rangers?
 
Big WOW...!
Dang, could somebody help post pictures of this stuff? I'm Very interested in seeing those holsters and the Haas Walker!
Thanks for the Very interesting post Ranger!
 
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