Walker used in Lonesome Dove min-iseries

ClemBert · June 17, 2009, 07:13 PM

I DVR-ed and watched the mini-series "Lonesome Dove" that was re-released on AMC this past weekend on the series 20th anniversary. I noted seeing Robert Duval wielding a Walker Colt as his holstered sidearm. It appeared to be converted to a cartridge firearm. The question is, what cartridge do you suppose the Walkers were converted to? Surely not .45 Colt as that would have been a downgrade in powder capacity.

Also noted a few of the other actors are using 1860 Colts some of which appear to be converted to cartridge. It was cool to see some period correct firearms. I'm not sure what the exact year as depicted is but I'd guess late 1870's or 1880's.

Jim Watson · June 17, 2009, 07:20 PM

The convenience of cartridge loading would outweigh the theoretical loss in powder capacity of the percussion cylinder versus .45 Colt.

My old Haven and Belden book shows a Dragoon converted to .44 rimfire; but nothing on Walkers. There is a book on the subject you might refer to.

simonkenton · June 17, 2009, 07:25 PM

I noticed Robert Duvall wielding the Walker.
What a cannon!

I was inspired to go look one up at cabelas.com, damn thing weighs 4 1/2 pounds.
You would need to have a servant to carry your pistol.

ClemBert · June 17, 2009, 07:30 PM

Kind of sounds like it was neutered by a conversion to .45 Colt (assumed at this point). The converted Walker would not have been any more powerful than a converted 1860 Colt or 1858 Remington.

None-the-less it was GRAND to see a Walker, even if converted, being used as a holstered sidearm in the mini-series.

Deadguy · June 17, 2009, 08:29 PM

I read somewhere that the Walker in the Lonesome Dove mini-series was converted to fire .38 special blanks. It was neutered into a prop gun only!

Smokin_Gun · June 17, 2009, 08:52 PM

I don't remember seein' the Walker as anything but a C&B revolver...but maybe that was jus' my minds eye watchin'...as I recall the scene in the bar where thier pictures were hangin' it was a C&B Rev... I'll have to watch it again... I noted only a Union cap box on Robert's lt no cartridges...just the Walker a knife and a black capbox.
I must have watched it ten times at least when I copied it a time ago as it came to the Video rental stores and never noticed cartridges other than in the rifle.
I had a .45Colt conversion for my Colt Dragoon...with 35gr of fffg and a '255gr' conical it kicked harder than my 42gr load of fffg with a .457"RB...remeber a cart has the ability to create more pressure in a chamber than a RB ...I do believe, try it...
I'll go watch it again tonite...

Wobble · June 17, 2009, 09:12 PM

According to an article in the excellent magazine, Guns of the Old West, titled "Guns of Comanche Moon and Lonesome Dove," Gus carried the 1847 Walker his whole life (in the story).

Although the article doesn't say specifically what cartridge conversion was used in the movie, the article talks about the .45 LC R&D conversion cylinder that is commonly available for that gun now.

Therefore, it would have been easy and cheap to use an available conversion cylinder and fire .45 LC blanks for the movie.

I have an Uberti 1847 Walker and it is a massive gun -- a hand cannon. I can't imagine it being shot for long periods of time without suffering severe arm fatigue. Even carrying it on a belt or holster would have been difficult.

mykeal · June 17, 2009, 09:19 PM

The key to carrying a Walker in a belt holster (it was intended to be carried in a saddle holster, and was originally called a "Horse Pistol" by Colt's) is to have a very heavy, thick belt and holster made of horsehide. The gun only weighs 4 1/2 lbs, which is admittedly a lot for a handgun but it isn't like a bowling ball. That much weight will eat a normal belt an holster alive in a very short time, and the resulting lack of control has the gun banging around against your hip and thigh with really unpleasant effect. But, with a good strong belt and holster you have control of the weight, and the belt distributes the weight more evenly so it isn't noticed quite as much.

Now, as for forearm and shoulder strength to hold it on target...use two hands.

Smokin_Gun · June 18, 2009, 01:43 AM

And suspenders to keep yer britches up... :O)

Hawg · June 18, 2009, 04:12 AM

Quote:

I read somewhere that the Walker in the Lonesome Dove mini-series was converted to fire .38 special blanks. It was neutered into a prop gun only!

It was converted to .38 spcl. but I don't remember anything saying it fired blanks only. Knowing Hollyweird you're probably right.

EmptyHull · June 18, 2009, 05:25 AM

How about the long shot with the Henry! Awesome movie. Tim

pwillie · June 18, 2009, 06:52 AM

Did not Gus,carry his cross draw? I have a Dragoon and tried it cross draw,works better for me.

Arquebus · June 18, 2009, 11:40 AM

Quote:

with 35gr of fffg and a '255gr' conical it kicked harder than my 42gr load of fffg with a .457"RB

Don't forget a .457" roundball only weighs 144gns, that's a little over half the weight of the standard .45LC bullet.

ClemBert · June 18, 2009, 11:46 AM

Quote:

According to an article in the excellent magazine, Guns of the Old West, titled "Guns of Comanche Moon and Lonesome Dove," Gus carried the 1847 Walker his whole life (in the story).

Just read an internet blurb that said in the book, Gus carries a Dragoon not a Walker. I wonder if in the book it talks about whether or not the firearm has been converted to cartridge.

LHB1 · June 18, 2009, 01:13 PM

When Gus left to go after Blue Duck, he asked someone to get him a box of ammo from the wagon so his movie gun was supposedly chambered or converted for cartridge use.

Hawg · June 18, 2009, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Just read an internet blurb that said in the book, Gus carries a Dragoon not a Walker. I wonder if in the book it talks about whether or not the firearm has been converted to cartridge.

Actually you weren't supposed to notice the gun in the movie was converted.

RK65 · June 18, 2009, 03:51 PM

Gus's cross draw setup inspired me to make my own cross draw holster for my Walker.
I used it in a CAS shoot and it worked fine around the range, of course you don't draw as fast as the guys with the handy Peacemakers. I didn't had to pull up my pants too much. See attache pic.
Taking a Walker to a CAS shoot is not about speed, I guess, more about just having fun making noise and smoke.

ClemBert:
>>Just read an internet blurb that said in the book, Gus carries a Dragoon not a Walker.

CLEM, Correct me if I am wrong but I thought a Walker is considered a Dragoon pistol(revolver) too.

mykeal · June 18, 2009, 04:02 PM

Quote:

CLEM, Correct me if I am wrong but I thought a Walker is considered a Dragoon pistol(revolver) too.

They were both considered 'Horse Pistols'. The names Walker and Dragoon are contemporary.

ClemBert · June 18, 2009, 05:11 PM

Quote:

CLEM, Correct me if I am wrong but I thought a Walker is considered a Dragoon pistol(revolver) too.

I meant "Dragoon" in the sense of the Colt model type of revolver used rather than the general term as in a "horse mounted soldier".

Walker Revolver versus Dragoon Revolvers

EmptyHull · June 18, 2009, 05:24 PM

Nice pic RK65. Tim

RK65 · June 18, 2009, 06:53 PM

ClemBert, sorry for the misunderstanding on my side.

>>Nice pic RK65. Tim

Thanks

Oldfalguy · June 19, 2009, 05:33 PM

While I would like to have a Walker I just do not see me shooting it-
It FEELS like a child's bowling ball (hahaha) in that its seems so much heavier than my S&W model 57 8" and that is about all the gun i want to shoot with one hand. Held one at a funshow, dang it was something else-

hodaka · June 19, 2009, 07:23 PM

Just the tool to whack a surly bartender.

Thermodyne · June 21, 2009, 02:57 PM

Historically, Walkers were converted to fire 44-40 rifle loads as opposed to pistol loads. AFAIK it was only a bullet weight/length difference but did raise the pressure a lot.

Hawg · June 21, 2009, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Historically, Walkers were converted to fire 44-40 rifle loads as opposed to pistol loads. AFAIK it was only a bullet weight/length difference but did raise the pressure a lot.

There is/was no 44-40 rifle load. Just the one load for both but the .44 bore was too big to convert to 44-40. The original conversion was .45 Colt.

June 17, 2009, 07:13 PM	#1
ClemBert Senior Member Join Date: March 2, 2009 Location: Orlando Posts: 936	Walker used in Lonesome Dove min-iseries I DVR-ed and watched the mini-series "Lonesome Dove" that was re-released on AMC this past weekend on the series 20th anniversary. I noted seeing Robert Duval wielding a Walker Colt as his holstered sidearm. It appeared to be converted to a cartridge firearm. The question is, what cartridge do you suppose the Walkers were converted to? Surely not .45 Colt as that would have been a downgrade in powder capacity. Also noted a few of the other actors are using 1860 Colts some of which appear to be converted to cartridge. It was cool to see some period correct firearms. I'm not sure what the exact year as depicted is but I'd guess late 1870's or 1880's.

June 17, 2009, 08:52 PM	#6
Smokin_Gun Senior Member Join Date: December 4, 2005 Location: Mojave Desert, CA Posts: 1,195	I don't remember seein' the Walker as anything but a C&B revolver...but maybe that was jus' my minds eye watchin'...as I recall the scene in the bar where thier pictures were hangin' it was a C&B Rev... I'll have to watch it again... I noted only a Union cap box on Robert's lt no cartridges...just the Walker a knife and a black capbox. I must have watched it ten times at least when I copied it a time ago as it came to the Video rental stores and never noticed cartridges other than in the rifle. I had a .45Colt conversion for my Colt Dragoon...with 35gr of fffg and a '255gr' conical it kicked harder than my 42gr load of fffg with a .457"RB...remeber a cart has the ability to create more pressure in a chamber than a RB ...I do believe, try it... I'll go watch it again tonite... __________________ "I Smoke Black Powder" "Favor an 1858 Remington" SGT. Smokin' Gun, Mosby's Rangers 43rd Virginia Cavalry C.S.A. SASS# 19634, ... Admin:http://blackpowdersmoke.com/oldcoots/index.php

June 18, 2009, 01:43 AM	#9
Smokin_Gun Senior Member Join Date: December 4, 2005 Location: Mojave Desert, CA Posts: 1,195	And suspenders to keep yer britches up... :O) __________________ "I Smoke Black Powder" "Favor an 1858 Remington" SGT. Smokin' Gun, Mosby's Rangers 43rd Virginia Cavalry C.S.A. SASS# 19634, ... Admin:http://blackpowdersmoke.com/oldcoots/index.php

June 18, 2009, 06:52 AM	#12
pwillie Senior Member Join Date: June 8, 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 115	Did not Gus,carry his cross draw? I have a Dragoon and tried it cross draw,works better for me. __________________ "Happy to be here"

June 18, 2009, 01:13 PM	#15
LHB1 Senior Member Join Date: March 25, 2005 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 1,545	When Gus left to go after Blue Duck, he asked someone to get him a box of ammo from the wagon so his movie gun was supposedly chambered or converted for cartridge use. __________________ Good shooting and be safe. LB

June 17, 2009, 07:20 PM	#2
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,542	The convenience of cartridge loading would outweigh the theoretical loss in powder capacity of the percussion cylinder versus .45 Colt. My old Haven and Belden book shows a Dragoon converted to .44 rimfire; but nothing on Walkers. There is a book on the subject you might refer to.

June 17, 2009, 07:25 PM	#3
simonkenton Senior Member Join Date: April 25, 2008 Posts: 891	I noticed Robert Duvall wielding the Walker. What a cannon! I was inspired to go look one up at cabelas.com, damn thing weighs 4 1/2 pounds. You would need to have a servant to carry your pistol.

June 17, 2009, 07:30 PM	#4
ClemBert Senior Member Join Date: March 2, 2009 Location: Orlando Posts: 936	Kind of sounds like it was neutered by a conversion to .45 Colt (assumed at this point). The converted Walker would not have been any more powerful than a converted 1860 Colt or 1858 Remington. None-the-less it was GRAND to see a Walker, even if converted, being used as a holstered sidearm in the mini-series.

June 17, 2009, 08:29 PM	#5
Deadguy Member Join Date: April 17, 2008 Location: WI Posts: 93	I read somewhere that the Walker in the Lonesome Dove mini-series was converted to fire .38 special blanks. It was neutered into a prop gun only!

June 17, 2009, 09:12 PM	#7
Wobble Senior Member Join Date: April 20, 2009 Location: Georgia USA Posts: 163	According to an article in the excellent magazine, Guns of the Old West, titled "Guns of Comanche Moon and Lonesome Dove," Gus carried the 1847 Walker his whole life (in the story). Although the article doesn't say specifically what cartridge conversion was used in the movie, the article talks about the .45 LC R&D conversion cylinder that is commonly available for that gun now. Therefore, it would have been easy and cheap to use an available conversion cylinder and fire .45 LC blanks for the movie. I have an Uberti 1847 Walker and it is a massive gun -- a hand cannon. I can't imagine it being shot for long periods of time without suffering severe arm fatigue. Even carrying it on a belt or holster would have been difficult.

June 17, 2009, 09:19 PM	#8
mykeal Senior Member Join Date: October 8, 2006 Location: Northern Michigan Posts: 2,772	The key to carrying a Walker in a belt holster (it was intended to be carried in a saddle holster, and was originally called a "Horse Pistol" by Colt's) is to have a very heavy, thick belt and holster made of horsehide. The gun only weighs 4 1/2 lbs, which is admittedly a lot for a handgun but it isn't like a bowling ball. That much weight will eat a normal belt an holster alive in a very short time, and the resulting lack of control has the gun banging around against your hip and thigh with really unpleasant effect. But, with a good strong belt and holster you have control of the weight, and the belt distributes the weight more evenly so it isn't noticed quite as much. Now, as for forearm and shoulder strength to hold it on target...use two hands.

June 18, 2009, 05:25 AM	#11
EmptyHull Senior Member Join Date: March 29, 2009 Posts: 145	How about the long shot with the Henry! Awesome movie. Tim

June 18, 2009, 05:24 PM	#20
EmptyHull Senior Member Join Date: March 29, 2009 Posts: 145	Nice pic RK65. Tim

June 18, 2009, 06:53 PM	#21
RK65 Junior Member Join Date: February 17, 2009 Posts: 4	ClemBert, sorry for the misunderstanding on my side. >>Nice pic RK65. Tim Thanks

June 19, 2009, 05:33 PM	#22
Oldfalguy Senior Member Join Date: January 25, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 126	great pics While I would like to have a Walker I just do not see me shooting it- It FEELS like a child's bowling ball (hahaha) in that its seems so much heavier than my S&W model 57 8" and that is about all the gun i want to shoot with one hand. Held one at a funshow, dang it was something else-

June 19, 2009, 07:23 PM	#23
hodaka Senior Member Join Date: April 23, 2006 Location: South Texas Posts: 2,010	Just the tool to whack a surly bartender.

June 21, 2009, 02:57 PM	#24
Thermodyne Senior Member Join Date: June 2, 2009 Posts: 111	Historically, Walkers were converted to fire 44-40 rifle loads as opposed to pistol loads. AFAIK it was only a bullet weight/length difference but did raise the pressure a lot.