Uberti Colt Dragoon vs. Colt Walker

[ChasMack]

I was wondering if anyone knew what the differences are between the Uberti 1848 3rd Model Dragoon and a Uberti Colt Walker? I know the Dragoon lever is clipped under the barrel, whereas the Walker is not, trigger guard is rounded on the Dragoon. Is the Dragoon as "stout" as a Walker in terms of how much powder you can load safely? Does the Dragoon generate the same ballistics as a Walker? Thanks for any advice!

 

[BigG]

The Walker is bigger all around than the Dragoon and that includes the cylinder capacity as well. The Dragoon is about as stout as you can get and imho it is more refined than the Walker.

 

[JohnnyCremains]

Max load capacity of the Walker is 60 grains of powder. I believe the max in a Dragoon is 50 grains.

 

[CraigC]

They are very comparable in size. The Walker's cylinder and barrel are longer. Both are massive sixguns! Here's my 3rd Dragoon compared to an 1860.

 

[AlexanderA]

The Walker, even compared to a Dragoon, is absurdly unwieldy. Keep in mind that they were intended to be carried in saddle holsters, and not on the belt.

 

[ChasMack]

walker

Didn't Gus in Lonesome Dove carry a Walker? I think that is what he had. He seemed to handle the gun pretty well! I have an ROA that "hangs" off my belt. The holster is fine but I need a better belt....something more stout to hod up something like that. How does the Walker compare to the ROA in weight, etc?

 

[Malachi Leviticus Blue]

The Walker weighs 4.5 lbs which is about 2 lbs more than an ROA

 

[rondog]

I have a Walker, and there's no way I'd try to haul that beast around in a belt holster. Maybe if there was a shoulder strap as well for added support, but that's one big, heavy mother of a handgun. I could build a wheeled carriage for it and use it as a field artillery piece.

 

[Old Fuff]

Back when the two Sam's (Colt and Walker) designed what was later called the "Walker Model" by collectors they went a bit overboard in that the cylinder and chambers held more powder then the steel made at the time could stand. As a result many of them (if not most) self destructed when a cylinder let go.

To correct the problem Colt shortened the cylinder to in effect lower the powder charge, and lengthened the back of the barrel to match the shorted cylinder. He did not however change the size of the frame or reduce the cylinder's diameter. Some minor improvements were made, the rammer latch being one of them, and the 1st Model Dragoon came into being. Later the square-back trigger guard was changed to an oval one.

Modern steel makes the original issue a moot point. The Dragoon's are slightly lighter and easier to handle.

 

[CraigC]

I've been carrying the Dragoon cartridge conversion in the woods, with the Slim Jim I made for it, for two months now. You'll never forget it's there but it's not too bad. There are worse things......like a Glock.

 

[mic214]

I love my Uberti 3rd Model Dragoon.....I also have a conversion cylinder for it so I can shoot .45 Colt and .45 Schofield ammo too. Shooting the Schofield ammo is like shooting a .22!

 

[robhof]

robhof

Shooting the Walker with 30gr and round balls is also like a noisy 22, but a whole lot more fun and you get more balls down range before running out of powder. I do occasionally load up 55 or 60gr especially when the 357mag and 10mm crowd are around at the range. It draws a crowd real fast. Come my children...to the Dark side...mwhahaha!!

 

[mykeal]

Side by side:

 

[JohnnyCremains]

They are a little easier to pack like this