shootin a dragoon

H

Hardy

New member
I fired a Colt 3rd gen sig series 44 dragoon/gold and silver plated/ probably a first series type at a 4X4 salt treated post helping suport the interior of my barn-shop at 15 feet away. I have shot some navy 36's and they went about 1/2 inch into it. Tht dragoon w/ close to 50+/- grains of trip 7 blew right through it and also went through the back wall which was probably another 15 feet. WOW!! And it almost tore the intire post down. I had no idea they had this punch. But I remember reading years ago that the texas rangers wanted to keep these horse pistols instead of using the new 73 peacemakers. UM
WBH
 
It has oval notches and a square trigger guard. Must have been modeled after a first. It has the marine ensigna on backstrap and 222 serial. Maybe I don't need to shoot it anymore and put it for sale. But I probably won't. It is quite heavy but very pretty and powerful I don't know
 
I have owned and fired many cap and ball revolvers over the years but never a Dragoon. May have to get one.

P.S. Hardy - Did you really stuff 50 grains in the cylinders?
 
just fired one chamber--i used a 22 to 25gr powder flask and i think i filled it 2+ maybe close to 50 to 60 grains the ball seated fairly deep in the chamber so I didn't fear too much of an overload-- no wad was used or over ball seal--but i do remember when we got these balls, they were a little different and would not seat in army or rem 44's They appeared to be lead but were hard. Had round top stamped on them? so i tried in the dragoon and it snugged in--maybe a 454 maybe not - when ordered they were for 44's but like I said you could not ram one in a colt or rem 44 so they were put away. After examining this colt dragoon , I thought one might fit in' this' since it was a bigger gun. It did but I was a little leary but damn if didn't blow out like a rat eating cheese:)
 
I need to get me a 3rd model dragoon sometime in the near future!

With summer right around the corner, it's time to get back to the outdoor range and load up some real Holy Black under some round lead balls and kick up some shootin' smoke!!
 
don't think I want to sell it

Bishop--looked at manual and suggests maximum amount in chamber to be 50 grains. Now they have to be conservative for legal crap so I don't know how much you can put in it safely. Maybe 60--ask Dragoon on this thread!!!

I too, never shot one and was keeping this as a colt commerative to sell unfired -just decided to shoot it--Yeah-you need one! Only shot once--I tried to sell it over last 2 years but I guess its hard to sell 3rd commerative sig series colts but I want it now! It is a small cannon / and it looks great! I would go through Taylor & Co for a nice one--don't buy thru some large internet sources because they might be made too quick with dull tools.Uberti probably is best There is a 3 gen gold and silver listed on guns international as new and unfired for probably not much more than a pietta or uberti. I don't like fancy Roy Rogers guns but this 3rd gen looks good and folks on the firing range will think so too!
 
If one keeps feeding it a diet of 50-60 grains of 777 or something near equivalent, the wedge and or arbor will soon give way.

We feed our Walker with 50 grain charges of 2Fg and round balls only.

Enjoy!
 
Swath--I believe you are right--I forgot to mention the possibility of arbor loosening and timing- probably-don't use more than 45 to 50 grains in dragoons and check it often for timing
 
That's because the arbor doesn't fit the barrel assy. A Walker or a Dragoon can handle full loads all the time (and last generations) if it is set up correctly. The only reason the wedge gets abused is because its job is to hold the two assys. together, it is not supposed to transfer shock from shooting - that is the arbors job.

Mike
www.goonsgunworks.com
 
ummm correct me if I am wrong, But I don't think Sam Walker shot the Dragoon.
He did own and shoot the Walker Colt he designed for less than a year, before he was killed.
IIRC Walker died in 1847
The Dragoon was not produced until 1848

So the Dragoon couldn't have been his favorite.
Perhaps the Walker Colt he designed could of been, but he didn't get to use it for very long before his untimely death.

Unlessin one is referring to Sam Colt, vs Sam Walker
The Dragoons were designed to hold max of 50 gr of powder.
Still designed that way today. But 40 gr is the recommended max.
 
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Yap, wrong Sam. I was referring to Sam Colt. Fairly common knowledge that the 3rd Mod Dragoon was his fav.

I don't think you can put enough b.p. in a c&b revolver to blow one up. That includes the Dragoons and the Walker. Even the worst of the copies today are made of better materials than the originals.

Mike
www.goonsgunworks.com

ps -Designed the same but not built per design or you wouldn't have the arbor issue.
 
yep no doubt todays metals are far superior.

But to save needless excess wear and tear, I still don't load max.
I stay at 35 to 40 gr in My Dragoon and 45 to 50 in my Walker.

If I want magnum recoil I use a Magnum.
Or my modified .58 cut down to a single shot pistol.
About 60 gr in it.
But that is hard on the hands after a bit.
 
I am going to load 38 special spent shells twice for approx 50 g's w trip 7 or pyrodex---no wad but crisco on the mouths

Why does the cabella brochures say use 50 g of real bp and only 35+ of pyrodex or other subs? You have them brochures and please explain this because I would think the real stuff is more volutle and stronger.:confused:


WBH

ps- look up modern bp colts on guns international and see if that third dragoon is available. Might be something you want;) Only 800 were made circa 1999 and were priced at $890+/- Remember it was a marine commerative with gold and silver plating either a 1 or 2 series NOT a 3rd Bet you can get it for 600+/-
 
Why does the cabella brochures say use 50 g of real bp and only 35+ of pyrodex or other subs? You have them brochures and please explain this because I would think the real stuff is more volutle and stronger.
Click to expand...

I'll venture an uneducated guess that the loads are not recommended by Cabela's but by the manufacturer (probably Pietta and maybe Uberti) to limit liability. IIRC, the suggested load for a Pietta 1851 Navy steel frame .36 (that I bought from Cabela's 4 months ago) is 12 gr. FFFg, and that is from the Pietta paperwork that came with the pistol.
 
um do you think 12 gs will propell your bullet past the cone and out of the barrel. This seems unsafe more than an overload. But what do I know:confused: That load appears to be recommended conservative for a 31 baby or pocket. You need more for a 36---Am I right?
 
Just for the heck of it, since it is a commemorative silver & gold plated gun you ought to put a magnate up to the frame and see if it is steel or iron. Most of the plated C&Bs are brass framed and will not stand up to continuous full loads before they pull apart. The brass frames will have no magnetism of the frame. I'm just curious because every single fancified Colt or Remington gold or silver plated C&B that I've seen has been brass framed under that glitter. Maybe they plate easier. I have yet to run into a Dragoon of such fancification so I am curious about this one.
 
I didn't do that-too much on my plate as for now-but I don't think Colt 1-2 and 3 ever used brass. Um if and when my daughter comes home I will get he
r to pic it. But like I said the same one is on Gunsinternational-a serial 200+ That is the only one I know of that is offered. I guess what if is posted and talking w/ owner you would know. I do know this--I polished and goldplating came off of left of wedge and gold screw heads on frame came down to a silver. Without cuttin in-I see no indication it has brass underneath. might be wrong but don't thinkso. Actually what I wanted to know -is why brochures post pyro and trip 7 more power than real:confused Regulated by license--black powder
 
um do you think 12 gs will propell your bullet past the cone and out of the barrel. This seems unsafe more than an overload. But what do I know That load appears to be recommended conservative for a 31 baby or pocket. You need more for a 36---Am I right?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure Hardy, but I wouldn't want to try. The lowest load I've ever fired from a .44 was 15 grains with Cream of Wheat filler and it was weak, though the ball did travel down the barrel with force. With real black powder in modern reproduction cap and ball revolvers, you really can't overload them to dangerous levels.
 
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