Colt Dragoons versus the Walker '47?

W

Weird Guy

New member
So I do understand that the Walker '47 is the first pistol of this family of Colt revolvers, then came the Dragoons as direct decendants.

Are the Dragoons, specifically the Type-1 Dragoon just modified Walkers? It looks to me like the Dragoons are downsized Walkers. I would like to get a Walker, but having handled one I can tell you that I want a different grip like a Colt Navy (has more mass at the place where the meat of your thumb grips it). I also don't want to have a loading lever fall down when I fire it.

Also, I have no clue what the differences between the three types of Dragoons are. Does anybody here know?
 
Yep..are downsized, but also have some improvments. the lock work of the Dragoons is pretty much the same as used by Colt for all teh toehr models (right on up to today's SAA's)..the Walker's lockwork was a bit different (esp. the mainspring).

Haven't onwed a 1st model Dragoon...do not know if the lockwork was the modern type or still running on the Walker type....suspect the Walker mainspring as it uses the Walker grip frame. Little importance, i do not think anyone is making a 1st model Dragoon repro any more.

The original walkers did tend to burst cylinders...the steel wasn't quite up to the quality needed. Are records of the first firings of the Wakers that mention how many ruptured..the ones that passed through the first tests seemed to keep on going fine. By 1860, teh quality fo steel was good enough to produce the 1860 Army (which is also part of the reason teh CSA stuck to .36's for the most part...not only saved lead and powder, but the quaility of CSA steel wasn't all that great).

The loading elver on a Walker tends to drop down in recoil. there is not latch holding it up, uses a little weak spring near the pivot with the frame. MOST Walkers will drop taht lever, which will tie the gun up so the cylinder won't rotate until you life the leaver back in place. Dragoons use a positive latch.

All in all, the Dragoons are a better gun for most uses...bu people just have to have the biggest, it's the Walker.
 
About 500 walkers, flasks and etc were issued during the Mexican War in 1847Because of a shortage of flasks and possibly other stuff. 500 more sat in the Baton rouge armory until 1848 and were then issued- mostly to the army and federalized Texas rangers on the Texas frontier. 100 more were made outside of military contract by Colt for private sales and promotions. By the time the stored 500 were being issued, there was a new contract for the First Dragoon. There were examples called "Transition" walkers because they were made up from some walker parts.

The Dragoons went through a couple of modifications until they arrived at the 3rd model about 1859-60. This basic model was the colt .44 until 1860 when the smaller Army model came out. The third model has a flat mainspring and rectangular cylinder bolt notches with lede . Reproduction Dragoons often drop the loading lever under recoil and if a fix is necessary, it usually responds to slightly deepening the barrel catch and strengthening the rammer latch spring- Mine has a spent small pistol primer under the spring.

The grips on the dragoon are still big but they are configured a bit differently from the Walkers. Of the two, the Dragoon is the most user friendly for regular shooting and with some powder/projectile combinations, can produce velocities at or very close to the Walker.

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Here is the 1836 Paterson, The 47 Walker and the 3rd Dragoon:
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"Mike, your photography never ceases to awe me."

I'll second that and your shooting ability with these revolvers always amazes me too!, Mike
 
If you can get a guy named dhart intersted in front loaders, you'll really see some photography. He posts a lot of pictures in a number of the handgun boards.
 
For me it was a Texas thing. The Walker is so "Texas" that it seems to ooze out of the gun. Spend some time on top of Enchanted Rock, walk around Goliad, think about Bandera and the border wars. Spend some time up around Palestine and read about the old civil war history and look at the old pictures.

After doing that it was hard for me not to get a Walker!

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