Heavy C&B pistol?

[Harter66]

I'm not fresh in the pool just this forum because, I don't know why actually......

Anyway I have a a couple of 58's been through 2-3 Colts 60s, have a flint lock 45 and 4 Caprock rifles 1 becoming eventually a 20 or 28 GA smooth bore to go with it's brand new 45 cal rifle bbl (waste not right?).

So what do you say about Colts Dragoons Vs Walkers. I'm versed in "get a horse to go with that if you plan on leaving camp".  :-P

[Vann]

I love the Walkers, they are fun to shoot. I wouldn't want to carry one around for a long time, but that much power in a cap n' ball pistol is just plan awesome. Only downside is the loading lever dropping with full power loads.

I've never shot a dragoon so I can't comment there, but that's still a lot of pistol.

[AtomHeartMother]

Walkers spec at 4 pounds 9 ounces...and mine is right at that weight. Honestly, dragons aren't much lighter. As Vann said, loading lever drops can be an issue with walkers, but dragons can drop too. I modified my spring and lever slightly and it rarely drops on heavy loads now. One trick is to tighten up the hinge screws, but don't go crazy with it. Back in the day, they used a small leather loop over the barrel to keep the lever up. You can't go wrong with either though, imho...

[Bent Ramrod]

I don't have any experience with Dragoons but do have an ASM Walker replica. What with the hammer and hand slots and the screw holes, there is not a lot of "meat" on the back of the frame around the threaded hole for the cylinder arbor, and a full charge 60-gr load puts a fair amount of strain on the gun. A few firing sessions with full-house loads and the arbor was wobbling in the frame when the barrel and cylinder were removed. I glued it back together with JB Weld but haven't fired it yet to check. It's on my to-do list, but other things get in the way.

A better made copy might not have this problem, or, alternatively, you could use normal .44 C&B pistol charges (28 grains or so) and a lot of filler. But it's always seemed pointless to me to buy a genuine Horse Pistol and fire wimp loads in it.

You'll have an easier time reloading with a capper and a Walker flask. It isn't as user friendly for finger loading as an 1860 Army.

I've not had the problem with the rammer dropping. The hook under the barrel seems to catch the loading lever just right.

[doc1876]

loading lever, and if you wish, you can get a 2nd or a 3rd with a sholderstock. I have one on an 1860, and it really brings out the green looks from the other shooters.
Check out Cherry's fine guns right now, as they have a pretty fair selection of older new in the box for sale.

[Omnivore]

I comes down to which one interests you more. There's no right or wrong answer. The Walker is the earlier, and thus less refined design, the three Dragoons represent more refinement, and the '60 Army is the culmination of Colt's percussion 44s. I reckon you'll eventually want one of each, so start with what is the most interesting to you.

I sort of did it the other way 'round. I have a '60 Army, '61 Navy and a '62 Police (and a couple of Remingtons) but no Walker or Dragoons. Yet. I don't have a recommendation, mainly because these guns are not purchased for serious purposes, and so it doesn't matter which one is "best" really.

One could argue that for ease of use, if you're just starting out in cap and ball, get the more refined designs first and work back. That, to me, would mean a Remington New Model (Army or Navy), then the late Colts and so on,working back. For the most popular in terms of numbers sold back in the day, it was either the '51 Navy or one of the 31 caliber pocket model Colts.

The fact of the matter is, there isn't a whole lot of difference, meaning that one cap and ball revolver isn't a vastly different experience from another, but then it depends on the quality of the individual piece and that is usually a matter of luck.

So you see there are several ways of looking at it, so pick your favorite.

For just a matter of ease of use and simplicity of maintenance, if that's what counts most to you, I'd say go for a Remington. Everyone has their own reasons for picking a certain model though.

[Harter66]

I have iron 36 cal Rem 58 and a brass 44 58 both Pietta and a nickel 60 in 44 . I've never been a "magnumitus" sort of guy but there's this "Goon" I talked to at some length and shot a couple of his jobs and I just can't decide . I have almost enough Cabelas card points to pull 1 off the next time they go on sale .

The 4 # pistol doesn't sound like fun to pack ,says the guy that packs an advertised 3# Blackhawk around .

It doesn't seem like there are many Dragoons in circulation so maybe that's the 1 . I'm into the history but not hung up on the minutia of the details as far as the pieces go. If that makes sense. I guess it will probably come down to which 1 hits on sale when I'm ready . Thanks guys .

[Good Cheer]

Have owned the heavies, Dragoon and Walker. The weight and size of the arms make them a novelty but for me limit their utility. Had a lot of fun learning how to create boolits for them that replicated the original bullet weights and service loads. As for choosing between them, don't reckon any is my favorite... but maybe the 3rd Model gets the vote.

[725]

I'm in Omnivore's camp on this one. Go with what interests you. Between the Walker and three generations of Dragoons, you have 4 serious thumpers. If you want to move up to stunning levels of whoop a$$, you can't beat the old T/C Scout pistol for unvarnished blunt trauma. :)

[bob208]

I had a walker shot it and sold it . way too heavy for anything but truck use. got a second model dragoon it is a little better but still too heavy. the only good thing is the loading leaver does not drop.


for every day use and carry a 58 Remington in .44 is way better and with full loads hits just about as hard as the heavies. that is what I use now.

[heelerau]

I have an unmarked 3rd Mod Dragoon, it is a lot of fun, have to use a rubber band to retain the loading rod when using hefty charges. I did shoot cowboy action with it and a Navy for awhile and found it very reliable. You do need to be pretty strong to handle them because of the weight.

[Mk42gunner]

I have always wanted a third model Dragoon, but haven't found one when I had the cash. I do have an ASM Walker that I shot a few times and now it languishes in the safe. It isn't that it is so heavy, but more that it is awkward to hold. The grips could be a lot bigger on that gun. And yes the loading lever drops with great regularity.

My first C&B revolver was an 1851 Navy, so the Navies feel right to me; with the 61 being the best. Anything larger or smaller just seems off.

An 1860 Army feels just a bit large, but is comfortable to shoot.

My 1849 Wells Fargo model is slated for a cartridge conversion since it is a PITA to load, but it is fun to shoot.

Robert

[bob208]

the 51 and 61 navy grip frame and grips will fit on a 60 army. that makes it handle more like a 73 saa.

[Fly]

The third model Dragoon is the way to go. It is lighter than the walker & almost the same punch. I love
mine & it is very accurate. It shoots high as every Colt does. I just adjust by aiming low. That thing will
kill a hog at 85 yards, no problem.

Fly :bigsmyl2:

[doc1876]

the 51 and 61 navy grip frame and grips will fit on a 60 army. that makes it handle more like a 73 saa.
You are going backwards. Put the 60 army grips on a 73. Now you got something.

[Ragnarok]

I lusted after a third model Dragoon for several years..and found a nice used one at a gunstore and bought it. Mine is a Uberti 'civilian' style third model.

Really a nice revolver although it does shoot a bit high(approx. 75 yards for point of aim). I did have a few issues with the loading lever dropping with full power loads...but fixed that. Seems Uberti's lever-latch spring needs to be a bit longer or stronger. I examined the deal with the latch and spring removed from the lever...decided to just add a spring-spacer in the lever hole(about an 1/8" spacer)...this put enough tension on the factory latch spring to keep the lever up and latched with a full charge load.


As far as fun the big Dragoon revolver does it's job...lotsa fun to shoot. Accuracy is decent enough...and I can hit a gallon can at 75 paces with ease. Have to aim low at closer ranges.


The Uberti Dragoons are nice revolvers...they have the 'safety pins' in the back of the cylinder like the originals and are a lot less crude than most brands of BP revolvers I've owned.


I liked my Uberti Dragoon enough that I bought myself a Uberti .36 Navy clone. The Navy revolver being really a nice shooter too and a lot easier to handle than the Paul Bunyon-sized Dragoon.

[Uncle R.]

I'd kinda like to have a third model Dragoon just for the movie nostalgia.

Rooster Cogburn (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000078/): Why, by God, girl, that's a Colt's Dragoon! You're no bigger than a corn nubbin, what're you doing with all this pistol?
Mattie Ross (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0200981/): It belonged to my father, he carried it bravely in the war, and I intend to kill Tom Chaney with it if the law fails to do so.
Rooster Cogburn (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000078/): Well, this'll sure get the job done if you can find a fence post to rest it on while you take aim.

I favor the 1860 Army first overall, for its substantial power, classic beauty, fine balance and feel in the hand.
My second choice would be the 1861 Navy. Fine pointing and handling characteristics, classic lines, but less power than I'd like.
A very close third would be a '51 Navy for all of the reasons above.

The 58 Remington is a good sturdy design and while I admit they're probably stronger and more reliable than the Colts they just don't look as nice or feel as good in the hand to me.

Uncle R.

[Good Cheer]

Another plus, the 1860 and 1861 Colt loading lever system is engineered for loading boolits rather than just round ball. The 1858 Remington linkage is not as robust and must be taken into consideration when duplicating the original service loads.

[rodwha]

When I first became interested in a BP revolver I was interested in the Walker or Dragoon as I liked the designs and felt they looked much better than the '60 Army and even more so then the Remington. However my father told me to hang on and not trade my Taurus .44 at a gun show and brought me a '60 Army and a ROA to swap him with. I took the Ruger of course, and slowly I began to be swayed on the Remington design, which became my second pistol.

I still need a Walker but it's lower on my list. I'd take it over a Dragoon because of the history behind it. Had it not been for that pistol we likely never would have owned any. I typically get a few guys over to watch and/or ask questions when I shoot the pistols I have. How much more so with a horse pistol using 50% more powder with what I have to assume would really be thunderous!

[Harter66]

As I have read the story a pair of Dragoons nearly prevented the Little Big Horn . Seems ol George was on a buffalo hunt with them in a saddle horn holster and upon drawing them shot his horse out from underneath himself . It is supposed to have happened about 2 weeks before the the fateful day .

I lusted after a 73' Colts for years . It was the history, but also the lines and ...... it was probably The Duke but maybe it was Roy or the Lone Ranger. Anyway I aquired 1 in a beautiful ,slick , glass triggered percussion Pietta. I shot it a few times and fondled it a lot ,the more I messed with it the less appeal it had for me . I will admit that the 60s do have a feel and such graceful lines but I've had 3 and get suduced by the feel but the function kills it. I have the 3rd 1 now and have the knowledge to "fix" things like the cap jams.

I'm looking forward to getting the big gun and it's looking more and more like a Dragoon is going to be it .