Capt. Kirk, see your Dragoon, raise you a Walker

[Geraldo]

I posted that I wanted a Uberti Walker Colt, and fortunately one of my fellow forumites had one he was willing to part with. I know they weren't as common as Dragoons, but I've always wanted a Walker, the .500 S&W of its day.

So here it is, the much bigger brother of my 1860 Army.

[daddywpb]

That's purdy! I've always wanted a Walker also.

[wellfedirishman]

Nice. They are a blast to shoot, especially with 60 grains of BP! I posted a range report on the same gun recently.

I am not sure what would be required to see and raise over a Walker. A deck cannon maybe? :)

[Captain*Kirk]

Sooo-weet!

I was sort of torn between the Walker and the Dragoons. The couple things that swayed me from the Walker was the feedback from "the front" about it's annoying habit of dropping the loading lever with charges of over 45 grains (and what's a Walker for, if not to rattle your teeth shooting Full-House loads!?):veryconfu
There is purportedly a very simple fix for this; I just didn't feel like dealing with it on a brand-new gun.
Then there was the weight; almost a full 3 ounces more, with nearly two inches of barrel extra. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing; just, in the end, the Dragoon won out. This time.
That being said, I'm already eying a Walker as the next possible purchase.
So, congrats to you on your new purchase! You have the grand-daddy of all Colts, and a big, strapping lad he is!:holysheep
We will be expecting a full range report from you when the weather breaks!!!

[Geraldo]

I am not sure what would be required to see and raise over a Walker. A deck cannon maybe? :)

A pair of Dragoons?

[Geraldo]

Sooo-weet!

That being said, I'm already eying a Walker as the next possible purchase.
So, congrats to you on your new purchase! You have the grand-daddy of all Colts, and a big, strapping lad he is!:holysheep
We will be expecting a full range report from you when the weather breaks!!!

The weather should break soon, we were up over 80 yesterday [smilie=l: The weather here is fine, but unfortunately I won't be able to get to the range until next weekend.

I've never met a cap and ball pistol I didn't like, so a Dragoon could be in my future. When I showed the Walker to my wife, I also showed her the Uberti box, which has a photo of all or most of their C&B pistols on it and said, "See, you're supposed to collect the entire set."

Anyway, when the weather breaks we'll need to have a horse pistol match. Dragoons and Walkers with maximum loads. :mrgreen:

[Captain*Kirk]

When I showed the Walker to my wife, I also showed her the Uberti box, which has a photo of all or most of their C&B pistols on it and said, "See, you're supposed to collect the entire set."

Oh, man...... you are GOOD.:rolleyes:
I'm not anywhere near that creative!
(Mind if I borrow that line?):-)

I'll see your Walker and raise you a Remmie......
http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy140/Buellosaurusrex/Smokepoles/1858Rem.jpg

[Geraldo]

[QUOTE=Captain*Kirk;1177448]Oh, man...... you are GOOD.:rolleyes:
I'm not anywhere near that creative!
(Mind if I borrow that line?):-)

To be honest, I'm not sure she bought it, but go ahead and try it out and the best of luck!

Raise a Remington ,eh? I can't let that go uncalled...

[Captain*Kirk]

Raise a Remington ,eh? I can't let that go uncalled...

Talk is cheap. Show your next card.....:bigsmyl2:

[Geraldo]

Talk is cheap. Show your next card.....:bigsmyl2:

Alrighty then. You're gonna have to beat three of a kind, all .44s...Uberti Walker, Pietta 1860, and a stainless ROA!

:Fire:

[Captain*Kirk]

Geraldo...do I look stupid?
Anyone can see that's only a pair of Colt's, Walker high, with an ROA wild card.
I've got 3 of a kind, Dragoon high, with a Remmie wild card. Beat that![smilie=w:

[Geraldo]

Beat that!

"To the last, I will grapple with thee... from Hell's heart, I stab at thee! For hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee! "

Then again maybe I'll just admit that I am defeated. :(

You are a regular Josey Wales!

On the bright side, now I can tell my wife that I need to buy more Colts because I've been humiliated by Captain Kirk's superior arsenal. [smilie=w:

[Captain*Kirk]

"To the last, I will grapple with thee... from Hell's heart, I stab at thee! For hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee! "

Then again maybe I'll just admit that I am defeated. :(

You are a regular Josey Wales!

On the bright side, now I can tell my wife that I need to buy more Colts because I've been humiliated by Captain Kirk's superior arsenal. [smilie=w:

Now.... wait a minute...weren't we playing for that fine new Walker?
(no? Oh, damn thee! I got so involved with the game I forgot to place a bet!)[smilie=b:
Curse you, Red Baron!:groner:

I shall return, sir, with higher table stakes. Later.

[Captain*Kirk]

(Dang it....I really wanted that Walker! I coulda had a FULL HOUSE!)

[wgr]

tell me if im wrong . i heard /read that the walker was the most powerfull handgun made up till the 44mag. thinks bill

[Southern Son]

I have read the same thing, wgr.

As practical as the Ruger Old Army is, the 1860 is just so much more pretty. I am still thinking of getting a C&B revolver, and I am leaning towards the Remmington, not quite as pretty as the 1860, but much prettier than the ROA. The only thing that put the Remmington above the 1860 is that I have heard the 1860s have been known to shoot themselves loose, have either of you fellows had that problem?

P.S. Thanks for posting those photos, even the ROA is prettier that my 686.

[Geraldo]

Southern Son, I've had the ROA the longest, so I haven't had a chance to shoot the 1860 loose yet ;) I'm not shooting real stiff loads in it (after all, I have a Ruger and a Walker for that), so I doubt if I ever will. My 1860 shoots high at 15 yards, which is normal, but in my first outing I was able to shoot it well offhand. I've always liked to looks of the creeper loading lever Colts (1860 Army, 1861 Navy, 1862 Police), so that was a factor for me.

They are fun, and as Captain Kirk and I can attest, addictive. But they can also be frustrating. If you've shot BP rifles or pistols and enjoyed it, you'll like C&B pistols as well.

As for Walker power, I always heard it as the .357, not the .44, but I think either comparison is based just on the numbers. The original Army load for the .45 Colt SAA of 40gr of BP was a serious round. That said, I'll be shooting the Walker with the same loads I use in my .45 rifle.

[Captain*Kirk]

I have read the same thing, wgr.

As practical as the Ruger Old Army is, the 1860 is just so much more pretty. I am still thinking of getting a C&B revolver, and I am leaning towards the Remmington, not quite as pretty as the 1860, but much prettier than the ROA. The only thing that put the Remmington above the 1860 is that I have heard the 1860s have been known to shoot themselves loose, have either of you fellows had that problem?

P.S. Thanks for posting those photos, even the ROA is prettier that my 686.

I think you'd have to do a whole heckuva lot of shooting to "shoot one loose".
A brass frame, maybe.....
The Remmie is a much stronger (IMHO) gun...esp. in stainless...and functions very reliably. I've never fired one of the ROA's, but my Super Blackhawk is built like a brick sh*thouse so I don't doubt it's durability.
Besides, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Buy what looks and feels right to you, not someone else. After all, you're the one stuck shooting it.

I don't have a whole lot of rounds through my '60 Army, but it's given me little trouble aside from shooting the front sight loose and the typical broken hand spring. Not bad for my first gun build.....

[Captain*Kirk]

tell me if im wrong . i heard /read that the walker was the most powerfull handgun made up till the 44mag. thinks bill

I read this just the other day; the comparison was between the Walker and the .357 Magnum. No matter; it's still a hand-howitzer by anyone's standards!
As is the Dragoon, as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walker_Colt

[Captain*Kirk]

They are fun, and as Captain Kirk and I can attest, addictive. But they can also be frustrating. If you've shot BP rifles or pistols and enjoyed it, you'll like C&B pistols as well.

Southern Son:

I agree; it can be a bit frustrating if you don't have anyone to ask questions to, as it was when I began shooting them. It was "read & experiment".
With all the help available on forums such as this and resources like the internet, those dragons have mostly been slain.
In any case, feel free to ask any questions you might have; I'll answer as best I can.

[StrawHat]

Sooo-weet!

I was sort of torn between the Walker and the Dragoons. The couple things that swayed me from the Walker was the feedback from "the front" about it's annoying habit of dropping the loading lever with charges of over 45 grains (and what's a Walker for, if not to rattle your teeth shooting Full-House loads!?):veryconfu
There is purportedly a very simple fix for this; I just didn't feel like dealing with it on a brand-new gun.
Then there was the weight; almost a full 3 ounces more, with nearly two inches of barrel extra. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing; just, in the end, the Dragoon won out. This time.
That being said, I'm already eying a Walker as the next possible purchase.
So, congrats to you on your new purchase! You have the grand-daddy of all Colts, and a big, strapping lad he is!:holysheep
We will be expecting a full range report from you when the weather breaks!!!

Here is a way to beat the dropping lever problem, the length and the weight are also lessened with this fix.

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc194/StrawHat/IMGP1003.jpg

And a short strait, all snubbies.

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc194/StrawHat/Colt%20clones/SnubbieRevolvers001.jpg

[Captain*Kirk]

Here is a way to beat the dropping lever problem, the length and the weight are also lessened with this fix.

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc194/StrawHat/IMGP1003.jpg

And a short strait, all snubbies.

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc194/StrawHat/Colt%20clones/SnubbieRevolvers001.jpg

I guess that's one way to do it!
As to the straight...yep, three of a kind. You should've been in the game. (I almost won a Walker!):violin:

[Geraldo]

I guess that's one way to do it!
As to the straight...yep, three of a kind. You should've been in the game. (I almost won a Walker!):violin:

Come on now, Kirk, you were the guy who saved a whole three ounces by getting a Dragoon instead of a Walker, so this chop-job should be right up your alley :kidding:

I love the cut down 1860s, but cutting a Dragoon or Walker still leaves you with a substantial revolver. The idea is to make a concealable pistol, not to make a horse pistol into a belt pistol. At least that's my not so humble opinion.

[JesterGrin_1]

I have the Ruger Old Army 1976 in Stainless. And after oh 38 years with it I have just not been able to find a real reason to get another Black Powder Pistol. I mean really what out there compares to the ROA. :)

[Captain*Kirk]

I have the Ruger Old Army 1976 in Stainless. And after oh 38 years with it I have just not been able to find a real reason to get another Black Powder Pistol. I mean really what out there compares to the ROA. :)

All I got to say is....
You ain't lived yet!

[Captain*Kirk]

Come on now, Kirk, you were the guy who saved a whole three ounces by getting a Dragoon instead of a Walker, so this chop-job should be right up your alley :kidding:

I love the cut down 1860s, but cutting a Dragoon or Walker still leaves you with a substantial revolver. The idea is to make a concealable pistol, not to make a horse pistol into a belt pistol. At least that's my not so humble opinion.


G-Man:
I wasn't really trying to save ounces...I just like the lines of the Dragoon a tiny bit better, and being a tinkerer by nature, I know the loading lever thing would've drove me bananas until it was fixed, permanently.
And cutting down a Walker or Dragoon makes not a concealable pistol, but rather, the equivalent to a sawed-off shotgun.:Fire:

[JesterGrin_1]

I did not say I have not used them. I do not feel that they are better than the ROA. :)

I even had a Colt Walker. Made by Colt. It was nice for what it was.

[Captain*Kirk]

I did not say I have not used them. I do not feel that they are better than the ROA. :)

I even had a Colt Walker. Made by Colt. It was nice for what it was.

Never having held or fired an ROA, I don't feel I'm qualified to comment one way or the other. If you really want my opinion, you can mail me your ROA and I'll try it out for a week![smilie=1:

I actually looked into buying one of the Colt Walkers back when they were making them, but a Browning Hi-Wall in .45/70 seduced me and I took it home....for around the same money.:roll:

I guess I could always buy the Uberti if the urge gets too strong, but man, those Colt re-issues were nice!

[Geraldo]

Obviously I own a stainless ROA, and they have their cool points. 1970s look=cool. Stainless steel for easy cleaning=cool. Reloading manual doesn't list a max load, just says it's safe for as much powder as you can fit under the ball=very cool.

That said, when I handle the reproductions, I think of my ancestors who served in the 16th and 120th OVI Regiments, and that is waaaay cool.

[Geraldo]

G-Man:
I wasn't really trying to save ounces...I just like the lines of the Dragoon a tiny bit better, and being a tinkerer by nature, I know the loading lever thing would've drove me bananas until it was fixed, permanently.
And cutting down a Walker or Dragoon makes not a concealable pistol, but rather, the equivalent to a sawed-off shotgun.:Fire:

I do have my concerns about the loading lever, but we'll see how that goes on a range trip. Might not be an issue at all.

By the way, Captain K, did I mention that I have an Uberti Leech and Rigdon .36on the way. :bigsmyl2:

[Captain*Kirk]

I do have my concerns about the loading lever, but we'll see how that goes on a range trip. Might not be an issue at all.

By the way, Captain K, did I mention that I have an Uberti Leech and Rigdon .36on the way. :bigsmyl2:

No, you didn't. Did I mention I hate you? *sarcastic grin*
You have to post pix of that.
What attracted you to the L&R over, say, a Navy?

[Geraldo]

What attracted you to the L&R over, say, a Navy?

Honestly, the price. I would much prefer a Navy, but in the end the only difference I can see between the current L&R, 1851, and 1861 Navies is the barrel. So I told myself I won't really care when shooting.

[Captain*Kirk]

Honestly, the price. I would much prefer a Navy, but in the end the only difference I can see between the current L&R, 1851, and 1861 Navies is the barrel. So I told myself I won't really care when shooting.

You have a valid point.
Still, half the fun of owning BP revolvers is playing with them. I don't like to play with anything ugly. (Not that your L&R is ugly...)
I'm not sure if I could enjoy playing with a LeMat or a Schofield, though.
They may be impressive artillery, but they don't move me.
Ain't got a thing, if it ain't got that bling!

In the L&R photos I've seen, the design appears to be similar to the Dragoon.
Not a bad-looking gun, if I do say so myself.

[StrawHat]

[QUOTE=Geraldo;1182145] ...but cutting a Dragoon or Walker still leaves you with a substantial revolver. The idea is to make a concealable pistol, not to make a horse pistol into a belt pistol. At least that's my not so humble opinion... /QUOTE]

The barrel on that Walker was cut before I purchased it. Not sure what the owner had in mind but I intended to bore it out nad sleeve it with a new 45 barrel. But then I started handling Short Mort and found the shorter tube improved the way it handled. So, it will stay as is. Nope, it will never be a concealed piece or even a fast draw piece but it sure does get comments when it goes boom. And the loading lever doesn't drop!

[Geraldo]

Strawhat, I'm sure you get comments when you touch that cannon off :shock: I should find out today if my loading lever drops, maybe I'll be hacksawing this evening. Well, not really, but I might be annoyed by the lever.