Re-reading "The First Fast Draw". LL has Cullen mention Samuel Colt inventing the "first successful repeating pistol". LL puts it that Colt designed the .45 for the Texas Rangers by order of Samuel H. Walker. Out of my interest and curiosity about historical figures that LL mentions, I looked up Walker. According to the Texas DPS website, Walker made suggestions to improve the pistol which Colt accepted. And, the pistol became known as the Walker Colt. The Rangers used the pistol very effectively. The Texas DPS likens the effect of the invention of the Walker Colt on the frontier as the equivalent of a nuclear bomb. An interesting note is that Walker joined one of several Ranger companies that took part in the 1846 war with Mexico. The Rangers were so dangerous that they became known as "Los Diablos Tejanos" or the Texas Devils. Alas for Walker, it was the end of the line as he was killed in action during the war.

Justintime

Years back I bought my Dad a Uberti made Walker replica...who (apparently) actually supplied the basic parts to Colt for their brief revival of the pistol back in the 1980s I think?

Anyway, what struck me about it was not just the enormous size, but the weight. It's heavier than hell. The later 1851 seemed superior in its lighter weight and smaller size.

Someone told me once that the weight of a gun helps to absorb the recoil. If that is true, a lighter Walker Colt must have had a serious kick when fired.

Justintime

>what struck me about it was not
>just the enormous size, but the weight.
>It's heavier than hell. The later 1851
>seemed superior in its lighter weight
>and smaller size.

I don't believe the Walkers, or the subsequent Dragoons, were primarily designed as "belt guns." They were true horse pistols, carried in scabbards on either side of the saddle's pommel. Again going on memory, I think the over design, and over powering, of the Walker was quickly recognized. The Dragoon wasn't much lighter but it was somewhat shorter and the powder charge was reduced. Clearly, the better balance in a .44 was eventually achieved in the 1860 Army.

Regardless of how often these guns show up in stories they were very expensive and there weren't all that many built and it took a LONG time for them to filter out onto the civilian market. The movies, which like a lot of shooting, tend to pretend that new revolvers and then cartridge pistols were common. This is probably inaccurate. Dad knew guys in the 1920s who still carried cap and ball revolvers for protection. It was what they could afford ... very similar to someone carrying a 1950s era revolver today.

The article I read said that they were called the Walker Colt because Samuel Walker had made some suggestions to Colt which they adopted. I wonder if reducing the weight was one of his suggestions.

Justintime