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Old February 1, 2014, 08:23 AM   #51
maillemaker
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http://www.amazon.com/History-Revolv.../dp/0517011697

This book is cheaper ($35) but since I'm already doing inter-libarary loan I just added it to my request.

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Old February 1, 2014, 09:13 AM   #52
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Wilson's , Colt, An American Legend reproduces the introductory letters between Walker and Colt in NYC but doesn't go into further design elements other than to say they designed the revolver together. I read somewhere that they fell to quibbling about details and colt transfered his affections to Jack Hayes by the time the revolvers were shipped.
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Old February 2, 2014, 10:11 AM   #53
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So today I got to the range with a workup of loads for my Uberti Colt Walker. I think this might be my new skirmish revolver. If only it wasn't so darn heavy!

I worked up loads using 30, 35, 40, and 45 grains 3F Shuetzen, using cream of wheat as a filler. I got the best groupings I've gotten out of any of my black powder revolvers.

I accidentally loaded one of my 40 grain loads with 5 35 grain loads so I did not shoot it on the 35 grain course of fire, hence only 5 shots in that target. But it made a fantastic group.

It's hard to tell it from the picture, but on the 45 grain target there are 3 shots in one hole and 2 shots in another hole.

http://i.imgur.com/aYAQNM5.jpg

This was shooting off of a bench.

I'm going to make up some more cartridges in the 35-45 grain range and try it again to see which one consistently makes the best group.

I love shooting the Walker. It gets a lot of attention on the range.

Steve
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Old February 2, 2014, 10:26 AM   #54
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very good groups. The original walker a freind has has "bullrun" scratched into one of the grips. Don't know if it was actually at BR or the inscription is BS.
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Old February 2, 2014, 11:51 AM   #55
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digression

Pattersons came first. about 4x the parts as found on the later revolvers. Amazingly, the two I have haven't suffered any parts breakage. They are reasonably shootable






I believe Uberti has discontinued these while Pietta may still be making them. They are far from the best recreational shooters but are interesting in movies depictin the period.
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Old February 2, 2014, 05:39 PM   #56
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Had my walker at the range today to try out my paper cartridges. Made from tea bags. They worked great. One of the guys I shoot with shoots a lot of handgun competition. Sunday is practice day and goof off day. We like to call it hecklers corner. He has all of us shooting at the edge of playing cards at 25 feet. Handed him the walker today and he cut 2 cards in 3 shots. I think my new sight is working just fine.
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Old February 13, 2014, 11:30 AM   #57
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I have received the book A History of the Colt Revolver from 1836 to 1940 by Haven and Belden from the Library.

I have read through all of the author's chapters up to the 1860 and there is no mention of the design requirements of the Walker. However, I have not yet read any of the correspondence that is included later in the book.

Steve
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Old February 13, 2014, 12:03 PM   #58
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keep us posted on that
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Old February 14, 2014, 02:37 PM   #59
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The US Navy and the US Army were both buying revolvers from Colt in the 1850-60 time frame. The navy bought .36 cal 1851's, the army bought .45 cal Walkers, Dragoons and 1860's. They were both bought to kill your opponent. The navy thought that .36 was enough to do the job as proved by the early gunfighters. The army insisted on buying .45. The army might of thought the .45 would be more effective at a longer range as opposed to the shorter range of a naval battle at the time. Or it could have been thinking of larger than man size targets. Think about it, it is a lot easier to hit the horse than its rider on a moving horse and especially so when you are mounted and moving also. It might have been something that people of that era just took for granted and assumed everyone else thought the same way too. It is not uncommon in human history to forget what was common knowledge to our ancestors.
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Old February 14, 2014, 03:41 PM   #60
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It's all well and good to speculate but the assertion that is commonly made, as in the Uberti web site video and on the wikipedia page for the Walker, is that Samuel Walker specifically made a requirement to Samuel Colt that the Walker be capable of shooting horses.

So far, I've not been able to substantiate that claim.

I still very much believe that people have misunderstood the term "horse pistol" to mean it was for shooting horses. In fact, it was to be carried and used on horse. Other kinds of pistols are referred to as "belt pistols" and clearly these are for being carried on the belt not for shooting belts. Others were known as "pocket pistols" and these were for being carried in pockets not for shooting them.

I have not yet encountered any real specifics from Walker concerning the design of the Walker revolver, other than some ergonomic issues concerning the sights and the grip.

It is my belief currently that Colt wanted to make as large a revolver as practically possible that could perform nearly as well as a rifle or carbine and have multi-shot capability.

An officer commenting on the Walker said it was as good as a rifle and better than a musket at 100 yards. At 60 grains of powder, it had the same service charge as later .58 rifled muskets would use. I think this is what Colt was trying to accomplish.

Steve
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Old February 14, 2014, 04:48 PM   #61
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John S " R.I.P" Ford watched somebody kill a horse at distance with the walker revolver- maybe he was shooting at the specific horse and maybe not. This is what is supposed to have made him remark that the revolver hit as hard as the .54 Mississippi Rifle. The Missippi rifle was being produced at Eli Whitney's factory and would later be modified to shoot miniw-type bullets of the same caliber. It got the name Mississippi because the guys from Mississippi lead by Jefferson Davis distinguished themselves with it.

This Miss. replica sent a 230 grain ball- in use in the Mexican War period 1423 fps over 70 grains of goex ffg. A great deal more energetic than the Walker or the dragoon pictured with it.
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Old February 15, 2014, 02:05 PM   #62
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In fact it was Walker himself who equated the performance of the Walker equal to a rifle at 100 yards and better than a Musket.

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Old February 24, 2014, 01:46 PM   #63
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Well, took my Uberti Colt Walker to its first N-SSA skirmish this last weekend.

Took first place 25 yard revolver, first place 50 yard revolver, and 1st place aggregate revolver.

This is going to be my regular skirmish revolver, methinks!

Steve
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Old February 24, 2014, 02:22 PM   #64
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It sounds like you know how to shoot it very well. I note that, in my book, I repeat the story about Walker wanting "revolver as long as your arm -horse-capable , etc" I know I heard it somewhere. I just don't know if it's true. Compiling the book, I gave myself some wiggle room with a discussion about the illusive nature of True Facts surrounding the historic narrative and indicated when the available data was questionable , I fell back on history as "we would have liked it to be."
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Old October 8, 2018, 10:54 AM   #65
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I converted my two walkers to .45 colt cartridge before I ever shot them. I know, I know, I’ve missed a lot. Anyways, I had been shooting cowboy with them off and on for about five years or so. I shoot a smokeless powder with a .454 200g rnfp bullet. The guns have always shot about 6” high at 20-25 yards.
I have just started to get back into cowboy and this week am switching to bp. I had taken that commercial cast bullet and relubed it with beeswax and crisco and got 35g of dupont ffg in the case. I thought my point of aim would change but none that I could tell. I usually shoot gunfighter with one in each hand so there is that variable but I’m faily consistant on the high impact.

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Old October 10, 2018, 09:21 PM   #66
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You must have huge forearms and very strong wrists!!!! Two handed (one revolver) is hard enough to hold 'out there' very long! When I went back to shooting my ROAs, they seem like a feather in comparison.... And yep, you missed a lot by not keeping them cap/ball.
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Old October 11, 2018, 08:05 AM   #67
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Fortunately I have the ability to switch back to the original percussion cylinders and give the c&b shooting a go. .... That has been on my mind a lot.
It’s funny that at a shoot I typically shoot the Walkers 6 times, 5 rounds each for a total of 60 rounds. In all I may point them down range for a tremendously long time of three minutes. (30 seconds a pop). Usually it is my shoulders that ach a bit the next day.
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Old October 13, 2018, 10:55 AM   #68
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What a great thread, thanks to all from a rookie!
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