Colt sold his revolvers for about the equivalent of one ounce of gold. Between 1850-1860 the price of gold in USD was $21.00. It's been said that 1 oz. of gold will always buy you a good pistol or a good suit of clothes. The current market for gold, about $1,500.00, will still buy a very good pistol or suit of clothes.
1851 was a good year for gold what with the gold rush happening in CA...prolly served to 'depress' the price per oz, I'd guess...still better than today's cost per oz...
To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day Hardly spoke to folks around him, didn't have too much to say, No one dared to ask his business, no one dared to make a slip The stranger there among them had a big iron on his hip, Big iron on his hip
@@HereticalKitsune I knew some one would post thouse two comments. the first been the music from when (wikipedia says 1960) and fallout New Vegas. So Sorry Ian but I had a song stuck in my head throughout the whole video.
Eh, that should be from looking down a decorated Browning Hi-Power 9mm. A revolver like this however, that should put you in the mind of some sweet revenge...
Glad you put their price in context with a typical salary. I'm really tired of the old "guns were so much cheaper back then". They were not. They never were.
@Jim Man that and I have never seen a movie depict a realistic level of bp smoke during a gun fight. In most movies, for the amount of shots fired, everyone would have been blinded by a grey haze.
@@EFCasual sure. $20 in 1860 was an ounce of gold (defined in law). What's today's spot price of gold? $1500 an ounce? Income has gone up a lot faster than the price of gold (which has zero relationship to the way the stock market moves).
I was born raised in Connecticut. It honestly hurts my heart how much the state tries to deny and shy away from its robust and historical firearm history.
This may not be relevant, but when I was very young, I lived in New Britain and my dad worked in Hartford. Sometimes he drove me into the city. Because I was a kid, I mostly just thought of it as an old, poor place. I knew it had factories, but I didn't know what they made. I was surprised when Ian mentioned Hartford in this video, which sent me on a Wikipedia rabbit hole. Cool stuff.
Walker revolvers success was not just from power and capacity. The fact that they roundhouse kick the opponent after being emptied made them truely formidable.
@@topbreak38 think its more. yes thouse also explode sometimes but not as ofthen as other. or those also explode but they are in general better. Heck even modern Guns explode sometimes. okey most are designed such that a explosion don't kill its user. sometime not even harming them... the moment you have something that involves fire, explosive, pressure or gas expect it to explode and design it to be as safe as posible. also count on the end user disabling the safety device/valve.
The Walker remained the most powerful handgun in mass production right up until the 357 magnum You can't really count the early Tranter .577 "stopping revolvers" as they tended to be bespoke or very limited run and were barely practical to fire UNLESS you were being eaten by a tiger as the alternative
Fascinating, need a Walker for comparison? Here it is. A table full of rare guns laying around like this is every day.Thanks Ian this is a marvelous history lesson.
Its good to see that in the 4 years gap between the walker and dragoon video Ian had improved so much on his videos. His presentation is way way smoother now and he no longer clicks his tongue whenever he needs to jump to the next point on his list. Plus, less jumpcut and some videos no longer have jumpcut even. Love this channel.
This is the first reference I have found to users of Colt Walker Revolvers tying the loading rammer to the barrel. My great aunt once showed me a Daguerreotype image of a man she told me was my third great uncle, Timothy Hart (born 1810 - yes I am that old) who rode with Mabry Gray's Company of Texas Mounted Volunteers during the Mexican War. The image shows Timothy holding what I believe was a Colt Walker Revolver which had a band of cloth or yarn tied around the barrel and loading lever of the pistol. When I originally viewed the image, I thought that this was just a decoration but, now I realize that this was very likely an attempt to solve the problem of the loading lever dropping away from the barrel which would have been a problem for a mounted rider who was shooting the pistol one handed while on horseback. Unfortunately, my great aunt passed away about 40-years ago and that Daguerreotype image has vanished without a trace. No one on that side of my family remembers it or had any idea that Timothy Hart served with that Texas Ranger Company... That is a shame. My great aunt was a depository of family history and I regret that I did not pick her brain about what she had been told about the family during the War for Texas Independence or the Mexican War. "Mustang Gray" and his company of Mounted Volunteers were very harsh men and gave captured Mexicans no quarter. I can believe this because blood was hot at that time. Timothy's brother in law, William Quinn was killed at the Battle of Coleto (one day before the massacre of Colonel Fanin's captured troops at the Massacre of Goliad) and his brother was believed to have been murdered by Mexican Irregulars in 1837. I don't know if the Daguerreotype image was taken while Timothy Hart was serving with than Ranger Company or taken sometime later...
Awesome family history too bad your Aunt didn’t have his dragoon. I have a Reproduction modern Colt Dragoon 3rd model that I just bought used at a gun show. I need to go out at test this smoke wagon.
Forty five years ago, I owned an Italian repro Third Model Dragoon. It gave decent accuracy out to 100 yards, as long as you kept the powder load at about 35 grains. Sure packed a whallop.
“Glanton leveled the huge pistol in one hand and thumbed back the hammer. The explosion in the dead silence was enormous. The cat simply disappeared. There was no blood or cry, it just vanished.” From Blood Meridian. The Colt revolver made for slaying dragons.
Little known fact: a Colt Paterson saved the life of Giuseppe Garibaldi in a firefight in Uruguaian civil war, where he managed to keep at bay a bunch of Rosistas with his 6 shooter. No Colt, then a much more difficult Italian independence.
In the book Empire of the Summer Moon about the Comanches when talking about the Texas Rangers fighting the Comanches initially with two single shot pistols and a single shot rifle it went in to pretty good detail about how Jack Hayes trained his men to fight like the Comanches and ultimately by extension live and travel like them too. Throughout that it goes into pretty good detail about how incredibly crucial those Patterson colts were in competition with the Comanches and how the second in command Samuel Walker got into contact with Samuel Colt about how important the colts were as well as the development of the Walker Colt. The idea behind that ridiculously heavy charge in the Walker was that he wanted a handgun that could kill a man at 100 yards like they could with their carbines.
"The captain carried a pair of dragoon pistols in scabbards that mounted across the pommel of the saddle- these guns were United States issue, Colt’s patent, and he had bought them from a deserter.” -Cormac Macarthy, Blood Meridian
Wonderful video! I am a big Colt fan! A loyal fan stays true to their faith. Colt has had so much history in the last 175 years. So many landmark guns! My favorite is the famous Colt single action army revolver!
Ian, this lecture is superb. Incredibly accurate and precise. And I finally saw how Sam shortened the Walker cylinder and made use of the barrels which had already been made. Dad gave me his daddy's 1860 Army, an old Allen & Wheelock rifle, and a Spencer carbine to play cowboy & Indians. I made all 3 function again. I disassembled and cleaned that Spencer last year for my Brother, no doubt it's first cleaning in 120 years or so. LIFE did an article on Cased Colts back in the mid 60's, and I wanted some. Eventually I copied the sea captain's case for my Signature Series Walker. Cased my original 1860 with another, and a modern shoulder stock. Then started on Colts & Remingtons from Cabella's. These are affordable, with accoutrements from Dixie Gun Works. Single, double, and a triple casing, all in French style. These I presented to beloved relatives. How many 10 year old girls got a brace of cased police pistols for a birthday? Please continue giving us your wisdom.
I have original 1st and 3rd Model Dragoons and they are handsome handguns. The 3rd is cut for the shoulder stock. I'm getting to the age now where I can't hold them at arm's length for very long! Absolutely the favourites of my collection...
CAPT WALKER was later killed, speared by a Mexican Lancer.as an aside the pistol was designed to be issued to Dragoons and carried in holsters attached to both sides of a saddle hence it was known as THE DRAGOON HORSE PISTOL.
Nice detail, at around the 9 minute mark when he talks about the version 2 Dragoon, the closeup on the cylinder, you can faintly see the battlefield carvings he mentions in the Walker video.
The dragoon was a cavalry soldier on offence but infantry on defence. This concept was used up to the civil war. Effective distance for these heavy revolvers was up to 200 yards. A heavy powder charge was needed. The idea of power to drop a horse would put the opposing cavalry on the ground with only edged weapons. Maybe a single shot carbine. As tactics changed a powerful light hand weapon was needed. The 1860 Colt and 1858 Remington revolvers allowed cavalry a light weapon which could be carried on the person rather than slung on a horse. Effective range needed dropped to 50 yards needing a less powerful charge. Most civil war field charges were 30 to 35 grains. The standard issue rounds were 40 grains over a 150 grain conical ball. This was still a rather heavy load.
@@joekeys9021yeah the nambu did have a few flaws & isn't that also why they experimented with the smaller sizes? Also, arisaka's were built ok for the time which is surprising considering the volume & speed with which they were pumped out.. Yes, a number have failed in recent years but that has to do as much with modern ammo being more powerful as it does them just being older & HIGHLY mass produced. I'm honestly shocked MORE haven't blown up though.
In a Source mod, Fistful of Frags, the most powerful gun is literally the Walker, which kills in 1 shot. But in the game, the reloads are accurate, meaning that it takes a full minute for fully reload. I'm glad to know that the reason it was so powerful was because it almost had enough gunpowder for a rifle.
I think, Samuel Colt ,fortunately,made his revolvers at the time when the Lathe and other Tools mashinery becomes quite popular, which made possible the mass production of such weapons.It was ' at the right time and right place" success story He has had lot of luck,as well ,remember comanche vs colt paterson Fights.
Round guards on something that pre-dates the Gold Rush is like putting a rail and red-dot on a Winchester 92: Sure, it'll help. But it looks so danged wrong...
So something I never thought about the “stocked” revolver. I seems to me that this frame could have been used/adapted for a close quarters assault weapon (19th century SWAT) Longer barrel, larger caliber bullet, higher capacity cylinder, and the ability to quick change the cylinder
Barrel-Cylinder Gap means you inevitably end up with a face full of hot, high-pressure gas and lead shavings. Some models introduced had shields on the left grip frame, but it's an innate problem with such a weapon system.
@@jimtreebob2096 dont panic dude. i got this.no need to duel the girlfriend, and it was a strong action that allowed her chamber reaming... an enjoyable task for the home gunsmith... I'm keeping this one
I've been involved with Black Powder competition for 20 years and I've found a 60 grain Powder charge is one of the most common Powder charges for a 50cal rifle today..... That's a modern reproduction with modern steel..... The 45cal Walker Colt's steel was greatly inferior to today's steel and the smaller caliber...... This shows how highly powered these hand cannons were over the first "Paterson Revolver" that was originally designed..... And why they were reduced in power in the later Dragoon models.....
Phill I’m new to this game, not guns I collect class three weapons for 40 years but I recently bought a reproduction Colt 3rd model Dragoon. I want to shoot it so is 50 grains of black powder too much ?
Ian, my favorite videos are when you look at cap & ball handguns. Have you ever thought of doing a side by side comparison of the original specimens compared to the modern reproductions (often from Italy)? A series on this would be very interesting and informative!
Hi ian, have I mentioned the channel capandball? He is in Hungary but speaks very good English. He does a lot of black powder shooting and game hunting. He also fires MP40's etc. Watching him construct the paper/ wax ammunition is interesting in it self. He's also a championship shooter with many victories. I think an episode done with him would be very educational for viewers viewers.
To the hive of Aguafrias came a stranger one grim day . Hardly spoke to the Arbites, didn't have too much to say . No one dared to slit his purse-strings, no one dared to make a slip , for the black-clad man among them had a boltgun on his hip . Boltgun on his hip.
Very good video as always and with old revolvers i love 😍. I wish you could make a video about the remington 1858 and its latest versions (1861 and 1863). This is my favorite cap and ball revolver ❤! Congratulation again and greetings from France (Brest town in brittany's far west 😁)👍👍. And sorry for my bad english, i'm trying to emprove myself 😅.
Gotta say, any time I have a gun-liking client, I always tend to recommend either your channel, or RIA auctions directly. Such a vast and diverse spread of guns on display there, I only wish I could go there sometime.
The only one I wasn't aware of existing was the one with the shoulder stock but I didn't realise that the three versions were so different to each other as from a distance they all look pretty much the same as the others apart from the small details other than the shoulder stock one that is. I also really like your videos keep up the good work
If you have a replica, you know that the V main spring can also have some alignment issues and if you don't get things put together right, they can seem to fit but jam up your gun. Flat spring is much better.
I have original 1st and 3rd Model Dragoons. They are great guns and can be bought as replicas. It is quite an experience handling one, so I hope you get your wish!
Great collection of Dragoons. All are represented except for the Whitneyville Hartford Dragoon that had the same exact larger grip with iron backstrap as the Walker. The 1st, 2d, and 3rd all had the smaller grip with the brass backstrap. Wish Ian would do the Whitneyville-Hartford Dragoon so we can see the very earliest "Colt" Dragoon.
If the Uberti replicas are an accurate representation of the historical pieces (🤷♂️) then the Walker grip merely _looks_ longer in photos because it's actually thinner than the Dragoon grip. The upper portion of an Uberti Walker grip is square in proportional thickness-- the width of the grip and the front-to-back thickness are the same. The Dragoon grip is oval-- thicker than it is wide. I've held both models in hand, and the Walker is like grabbing hold of a broom handle while the Dragoon feels like a gun.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge on these very special and extraordinary firearms....I've never shot, seen, or ever held one. The only time I can ever reference to one is when Clint Eastwood used them in his great movies. Especially in one movie he wood do a reload with the whole cylinder.....
Hi Ian. Once again, great video. Figured this one would be a good one to watch with my new F.W.tee shirt. A birthday present from my wife. Very nice shirt by the way. Happy to own it! Wearing it to work tomorrow.
The 1969 John Wayne film was the reason I bought my two Dragoons! Interestingly, the gun carried in that film was actually a Colt Walker. In the new True Grit film, Mattie carries the correct 2nd Model Dragoon.
@@petehall889 I actually knew that about the gun in the film being a Walker. I'm not big into black powder, but a couple years ago a friend of mine who knows a lot more about cap and ball guns told me that fact and it crushed my dreams a little bit haha
I’ve got a reproduction Colt Dragoon 3rd model that I knew nothing about. Thx Ian now I know something about these pistols, I just need to get out and shoot it.
Interesting thing about walkers and dragoons, it's my personal belief that while the walker was prone to being overloaded and had a tendency to explode, many early heavy horse revolvers were sent back with broken springs. I had a long conversation with a one of the fine folks at the cody firearms museum and we talked about the weight of the action being extra rough on small springs used. He told me that many horse pistols in private ownership today do not have their original springs, and I think much of that has to do with the action putting too much stress on them to move heavy party around. I only have personal experience with modern reproductions of those firearms my self so my knowledge of the ruggedness of the original springs is quite limited, but I think it could explain why so many early horse pistols saw repairs at the factory within their service life.
Thing is, if you have replacement springs available, it's much easier to replace the spring at depot or even in the field rather than sending it back to Hartford. Burst cylinders and barrels are structural compromises-- a cracked spring is just a component failure.
So, why did the Dragoon, with the shorter cylinder, keep the longer Walker frame? Why not shorten the frame to match the new cylinder, saving weight? The Walker trigger guard was already short enough to accommodate the Dragoon cylinder length decrease. I also notice the back end block (where it touches the cylinder) of the barrel is shorter on the Dragoon than the Walker, so again, why not the frame?
@Peter Angles They are so cheap its worth it even if you have to send them immediately to an gunsmith to polish the action. Especially their pt92s that are literally licensed production from beretta, including using the same machinery after beretta left their factory in Brazil.
![[#2024MAMA] G-DRAGON - 무제(Untitled, 2014)+POWER+HOME SWEET HOME+뱅뱅뱅+FANTASTIC BABY | Mnet 241123 방송](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ox29z5Nf1Uk/mqdefault.jpg)
Colt sold his revolvers for about the equivalent of one ounce of gold. Between 1850-1860 the price of gold in USD was $21.00. It's been said that 1 oz. of gold will always buy you a good pistol or a good suit of clothes. The current market for gold, about $1,500.00, will still buy a very good pistol or suit of clothes.
Makes sense. World's best gun at the time.
1851 was a good year for gold what with the gold rush happening in CA...prolly served to 'depress' the price per oz, I'd guess...still better than today's cost per oz...
An actually interesting and meaningful comment on youtube??? What has it all come to?
That's really cool to know
Some things never change
To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day
Hardly spoke to folks around him, didn't have too much to say,
No one dared to ask his business, no one dared to make a slip
The stranger there among them had a big iron on his hip,
Big iron on his hip
I don't want to set the world on fire.... :)
here's the video for it ruclips.net/video/999RqGZatPs/видео.html
Texas red
thanks mae
@Kerosin Fuchs night in the woods
is that the big iron that killed texas red?!
Damn. Just listened first half of the song and you spoiled the rest!
Yea, he even might have went on livin'
, but he made one fatal slip.
@@RavingRaptor when he tried to match the ranger
The very same the ranger had fired before Texas red had even cleared leather
For a bullet fairly ripped
"a truly _revolutionary_ advancement"
he must be spinning in his grave
i cringed but thats a good one
@@Strawberry92fs but revolution like a rotation...
I wonder how many years waiting to place it!!
Booo!
Nah he was a Dad so he loved it.
"A truly revolutionary... _points at camera_ eh heh heh~ uh, advancement. Sorry."
Keep on making us smile with moments like this, Ian.
0:27
"Samuel Colt invents the revolver."
- literally shots fired in the background -
I swear if that's not edited in...
@@iota-09
Nah, sounds more like someone dropped something in the auction house. But still, nice effect right on time. 😁
@@ShootAUT Apparently, it's packing tape.
BIIIIIG IROOOON, BIIIIG IROOOON,
When he tried to match the ranger with the Big Iron on his hip.
Big Iron on his hiiiiiip
Fallout New Vegas vibes are strong in this one.
@@HereticalKitsune I knew some one would post thouse two comments. the first been the music from when (wikipedia says 1960) and fallout New Vegas.
So Sorry Ian but I had a song stuck in my head throughout the whole video.
I’m so proud of this community.
Marty Robbins lives on
Literally the song that plays in my mind anytime I'm playing New Vegas, even when there's no music.
I clicked on this video knowing exactly what the comment section would be like and was not disappointed.
*Video focuses down the barrel*
Voice in my head: Truth is the game was rigged from the start.
Eh, that should be from looking down a decorated Browning Hi-Power 9mm. A revolver like this however, that should put you in the mind of some sweet revenge...
@@Sacremas new vegas bounties?
@@haha-on5fd Someone got it! You made my day good sir. :)
Comment and reply sections like this is why I love the new vegas community.
Glad you put their price in context with a typical salary.
I'm really tired of the old "guns were so much cheaper back then".
They were not. They never were.
@Jim Man that and I have never seen a movie depict a realistic level of bp smoke during a gun fight. In most movies, for the amount of shots fired, everyone would have been blinded by a grey haze.
It's 2020. A Hi Point was $100 USD last year. Checkmate, atheist.
"Guns are very expensive and difficult to get. Why don't you hire men?"
"Men?"
"Gun men. Nowadays men are cheaper than guns."
It looks a bit different if you measure value in gold, land, or barrels of oil.
@@EFCasual sure. $20 in 1860 was an ounce of gold (defined in law). What's today's spot price of gold? $1500 an ounce?
Income has gone up a lot faster than the price of gold (which has zero relationship to the way the stock market moves).
This makes my iron become THE BIG IRON
You are a very naughty Hobbit Jerkins.
Put that thing away kid! You'll poke your eye out
I was born raised in Connecticut. It honestly hurts my heart how much the state tries to deny and shy away from its robust and historical firearm history.
Yes, these days certain history is either ignored or vilified due to the current political sensibilities.
This may not be relevant, but when I was very young, I lived in New Britain and my dad worked in Hartford. Sometimes he drove me into the city. Because I was a kid, I mostly just thought of it as an old, poor place. I knew it had factories, but I didn't know what they made. I was surprised when Ian mentioned Hartford in this video, which sent me on a Wikipedia rabbit hole. Cool stuff.
False flags will do that
Price you pay for being in the blue state gulags.
C'mon down to the free lands like Florida and Texas.
@@bugwar5545 I live in Texas, people still fall prey to petty ideology and quarrel about stupid things all the time.
"You take a sip from your trusty vault 13 canteen"
best reference so far. 👍
Wrong brand and time
You three mean the BFR
From magnum research
It can also be chambered in 500 s&w
Moral of the story: gun may explode, but you should be safe as long as you don't piss off a mailman in Nevada
Or an Arizona Ranger
Good reference
Or not send in a certain hank his pie 🥧.
Or a stranger with a bug iron on his hip.
Walker revolvers success was not just from power and capacity. The fact that they roundhouse kick the opponent after being emptied made them truely formidable.
And occasionaly can be used as a hand grenade
3:18
First batch of 1000 Colt Walkers: *occasionally explode*
US Army: "Excellent, we'll have another 1000 of those!"
You know . . . minor issues.
It's a *B I G I R O N*
"occasionally grenade"- the logistic and supply guy
@@topbreak38 think its more. yes thouse also explode sometimes but not as ofthen as other. or those also explode but they are in general better.
Heck even modern Guns explode sometimes. okey most are designed such that a explosion don't kill its user. sometime not even harming them... the moment you have something that involves fire, explosive, pressure or gas expect it to explode and design it to be as safe as posible.
also count on the end user disabling the safety device/valve.
You sound surprised.
"20 men had tried to take him, 20 men had made a slip...."
21 would be the ranger ....
The Walker remained the most powerful handgun in mass production right up until the 357 magnum
You can't really count the early Tranter .577 "stopping revolvers" as they tended to be bespoke or very limited run and were barely practical to fire UNLESS you were being eaten by a tiger as the alternative
Prepare for Fallout NV References traveler as you go into the comment section.
ruclips.net/video/4AWUPFwieWo/видео.html there you are
ruclips.net/video/4AWUPFwieWo/видео.html ther you are
That’s... why I’m here
I've already hit some of them in some of the replies it's to late to turn back now
Thank you kindly stranger, much obliged.
Fascinating, need a Walker for comparison? Here it is. A table full of rare guns laying around like this is every day.Thanks Ian this is a marvelous history lesson.
100% of the comments on this video: B I G I R O N
You can't invoke a meme without people reacting to it hahaha
Hey, did a feller named Texas Red come through here? I've been looking for him.
I specifically chose this video in the hopes of seeing said comments. Am not disappointed.
I was actually wondering if he has a model with an octagon barrel
B L O O D. M E R I D I A N
Its good to see that in the 4 years gap between the walker and dragoon video Ian had improved so much on his videos. His presentation is way way smoother now and he no longer clicks his tongue whenever he needs to jump to the next point on his list. Plus, less jumpcut and some videos no longer have jumpcut even. Love this channel.
Really outstanding when you can do a video like this showing all the variants of a firearm
Love my boy Marty Robins.
"Please tell her won't you mister that she's the only one.
But a woman's love is wasted when she loves a runnin gun."
I really need to get the context to this comment please, ive been thinking about this for 4 h o u r s
@@Sosig593 ruclips.net/video/HZr4XbE4FkY/видео.html all you need to know
Now my strength is slowly fading and my eyes are growing dim
And my thoughts return to Jeannie
and the home that we had planned
This is the first reference I have found to users of Colt Walker Revolvers tying the loading rammer to the barrel. My great aunt once showed me a Daguerreotype image of a man she told me was my third great uncle, Timothy Hart (born 1810 - yes I am that old) who rode with Mabry Gray's Company of Texas Mounted Volunteers during the Mexican War. The image shows Timothy holding what I believe was a Colt Walker Revolver which had a band of cloth or yarn tied around the barrel and loading lever of the pistol. When I originally viewed the image, I thought that this was just a decoration but, now I realize that this was very likely an attempt to solve the problem of the loading lever dropping away from the barrel which would have been a problem for a mounted rider who was shooting the pistol one handed while on horseback.
Unfortunately, my great aunt passed away about 40-years ago and that Daguerreotype image has vanished without a trace. No one on that side of my family remembers it or had any idea that Timothy Hart served with that Texas Ranger Company... That is a shame. My great aunt was a depository of family history and I regret that I did not pick her brain about what she had been told about the family during the War for Texas Independence or the Mexican War.
"Mustang Gray" and his company of Mounted Volunteers were very harsh men and gave captured Mexicans no quarter. I can believe this because blood was hot at that time. Timothy's brother in law, William Quinn was killed at the Battle of Coleto (one day before the massacre of Colonel Fanin's captured troops at the Massacre of Goliad) and his brother was believed to have been murdered by Mexican Irregulars in 1837.
I don't know if the Daguerreotype image was taken while Timothy Hart was serving with than Ranger Company or taken sometime later...
awesome. thanks for sharing.
Awesome family history too bad your Aunt didn’t have his dragoon. I have a Reproduction modern Colt Dragoon 3rd model that I just bought used at a gun show. I need to go out at test this smoke wagon.
watch out! the comments! they are about the... B I G I R O N
Forty five years ago, I owned an Italian repro Third Model Dragoon. It gave decent accuracy out to 100 yards, as long as you kept the powder load at about 35 grains. Sure packed a whallop.
“Glanton leveled the huge pistol in one hand and thumbed back the hammer. The explosion in the dead silence was enormous. The cat simply disappeared. There was no blood or cry, it just vanished.” From Blood Meridian. The Colt revolver made for slaying dragons.
Dragoons were so-named because the gun made men _into_ dragons.
Great. Now I gotta listen to the audiobook again, and I don't know if my soul is ready to view the evening redness in the west, again.
@@theprojectproject01 It’s a hell of a book that’s for sure.
I just posted a comment asking if these are the same guns from that incredible story, should have just scrolled down a couple comments lol
Great book
Josey Wales (Clint Eastwood) carries two Colt Walker 1847 revolvers in twin holsters as his primary sidearms.
THat's the reason I like this pistol
That’s right
I’ve got two of them because of that movie
I bet after wearing them all day he wanted them off
They sure are heavy
@@federicofernandez1361 I believe they were originally designed as saddle pistols and not meant to be carried on a belt, but hey - "Hollywood."
They were issued in pairs to the Rangers.
Little known fact: a Colt Paterson saved the life of Giuseppe Garibaldi in a firefight in Uruguaian civil war, where he managed to keep at bay a bunch of Rosistas with his 6 shooter. No Colt, then a much more difficult Italian independence.
Fun fact, a Paterson is a five shooter.
@@gaetandenis9672 I stand corrected 😉
Nah the sixth shit comes from the shrapnel of the exploding cylinder.
My friend is from pizzaland, i must remember this historical instance.
@@1nfamyX Always happy to help the good people of obesityland
The Dragoon with the stock looks absolutely stunning. I love the lines and the stock mounting mechanism.
"Colt's Dragoon!"
"Yer no bigger than a corn nubbin. What're you doin' with a pistol like that?"
True grit?
@@johnbacon4997 yep
Imagine Arthur Morgan’s lightening fast reloads with percussion caps added to the mix
In the book Empire of the Summer Moon about the Comanches when talking about the Texas Rangers fighting the Comanches initially with two single shot pistols and a single shot rifle it went in to pretty good detail about how Jack Hayes trained his men to fight like the Comanches and ultimately by extension live and travel like them too. Throughout that it goes into pretty good detail about how incredibly crucial those Patterson colts were in competition with the Comanches and how the second in command Samuel Walker got into contact with Samuel Colt about how important the colts were as well as the development of the Walker Colt. The idea behind that ridiculously heavy charge in the Walker was that he wanted a handgun that could kill a man at 100 yards like they could with their carbines.
"The captain carried a pair of dragoon pistols in scabbards that mounted across the pommel of the saddle- these guns were United States issue, Colt’s patent, and he had bought them from a deserter.” -Cormac Macarthy, Blood Meridian
Wonderful video! I am a big Colt fan! A loyal fan stays true to their faith. Colt has had so much history in the last 175 years. So many landmark guns! My favorite is the famous Colt single action army revolver!
Samuel Colt presence is so powerful that when Ian said his name, there was a gunshot in the distance, probably in heaven
Ian, this lecture is superb. Incredibly accurate and precise. And I finally saw how Sam shortened the Walker cylinder and made use of the barrels which had already been made. Dad gave me his daddy's 1860 Army, an old Allen & Wheelock rifle, and a Spencer carbine to play cowboy & Indians. I made all 3 function again. I disassembled and cleaned that Spencer last year for my Brother, no doubt it's first cleaning in 120 years or so. LIFE did an article on Cased Colts back in the mid 60's, and I wanted some. Eventually I copied the sea captain's case for my Signature Series Walker. Cased my original 1860 with another, and a modern shoulder stock. Then started on Colts & Remingtons from Cabella's. These are affordable, with accoutrements from Dixie Gun Works. Single, double, and a triple casing, all in French style. These I presented to beloved relatives. How many 10 year old girls got a brace of cased police pistols for a birthday? Please continue giving us your wisdom.
Did a stranger come to town with that big iron on his hip?
I have original 1st and 3rd Model Dragoons and they are handsome handguns. The 3rd is cut for the shoulder stock. I'm getting to the age now where I can't hold them at arm's length for very long! Absolutely the favourites of my collection...
CAPT WALKER was later killed, speared by a Mexican Lancer.as an aside the pistol was designed to be issued to Dragoons and carried in holsters attached to both sides of a saddle hence it was known as THE DRAGOON HORSE PISTOL.
Wasn’t he shot in the chest/head by a Mexican sniper?
Nice detail, at around the 9 minute mark when he talks about the version 2 Dragoon, the closeup on the cylinder, you can faintly see the battlefield carvings he mentions in the Walker video.
The dragoon was a cavalry soldier on offence but infantry on defence. This concept was used up to the civil war.
Effective distance for these heavy revolvers was up to 200 yards. A heavy powder charge was needed.
The idea of power to drop a horse would put the opposing cavalry on the ground with only edged weapons. Maybe a single shot carbine.
As tactics changed a powerful light hand weapon was needed. The 1860 Colt and 1858 Remington revolvers allowed cavalry a light weapon which could be carried on the person rather than slung on a horse. Effective range needed dropped to 50 yards needing a less powerful charge. Most civil war field charges were 30 to 35 grains. The standard issue rounds were 40 grains over a 150 grain conical ball. This was still a rather heavy load.
I LOVE EVERYTHING FROM THE VIDEO TO THE COMMENTS! Lets drink to this moment. *You take a sip from your trusty vault 13 canteen*
Take 1 sip and 19 more!
Right!? History and comedy gold all at the same time.
A pistol that doubles as a hand grenade, truly ahead of its time... 😂
Must have inspired later Samsung phones!
@@Sacremas almost pee'd a bit when I read that... well said
Right before the nambu pistols, lol
@@joekeys9021yeah the nambu did have a few flaws & isn't that also why they experimented with the smaller sizes? Also, arisaka's were built ok for the time which is surprising considering the volume & speed with which they were pumped out.. Yes, a number have failed in recent years but that has to do as much with modern ammo being more powerful as it does them just being older & HIGHLY mass produced. I'm honestly shocked MORE haven't blown up though.
Jakobs and tediore
In a Source mod, Fistful of Frags, the most powerful gun is literally the Walker, which kills in 1 shot. But in the game, the reloads are accurate, meaning that it takes a full minute for fully reload. I'm glad to know that the reason it was so powerful was because it almost had enough gunpowder for a rifle.
I love my 1848 Dragoon replica. Really fun gun to shoot.
Nice it is great to get to see all of them and hear the history. Thank you!
I got exactly what I expected and wanted from the comment section, you are all beautiful people.
I love the cross-hatched detailing on each barrel
I think, Samuel Colt ,fortunately,made his revolvers at the time when the Lathe and other Tools mashinery becomes quite popular, which made possible the mass production of such weapons.It was ' at the right time and right place" success story
He has had lot of luck,as well ,remember comanche vs colt paterson Fights.
Wow, that is a lot of Colt Dragoon revolvers in one place. Very Cool video Ian !!!!!!
Square backed trigger, like Marlin's squared lever.......so your knuckles *know* how much powder you're burning
so your saying go round...
Round guards on something that pre-dates the Gold Rush is like putting a rail and red-dot on a Winchester 92: Sure, it'll help. But it looks so danged wrong...
Some people like them . Some people have their second finger get smacked .
STERLING MALORY DUCHESS ARCHERRR!!! Or you might prefer Randy Randerson or Randleman.
So something I never thought about the “stocked” revolver.
I seems to me that this frame could have been used/adapted for a close quarters assault weapon (19th century SWAT)
Longer barrel, larger caliber bullet, higher capacity cylinder, and the ability to quick change the cylinder
Interesting. I wonder if you could do a LeMat pattern, with that central shot barrel and maybe 9-10 shots in cylinders surrounding that.
Barrel-Cylinder Gap means you inevitably end up with a face full of hot, high-pressure gas and lead shavings. Some models introduced had shields on the left grip frame, but it's an innate problem with such a weapon system.
Few people know, that Geronimo owned one of those Dragoons.
It did a lot for his reputation.
The big iron revolvers are very cool my favorite gun from the old West.
My girlfriend, just agreed she didn't have enough "Dragoon Revolvers" in her life... I concurred. then i caught the note of sarcasm...
@@CountArtha its all about the long barrelled Model 29
Everybody knows bull barrels are better!
TheEdmond30 challenge her to a duel. Assert your dominance.
@@jimtreebob2096 dont panic dude. i got this.no need to duel the girlfriend, and it was a strong action that allowed her chamber reaming... an enjoyable task for the home gunsmith... I'm keeping this one
For those few fleeting milliseconds of joy, you considered proposing to her!
Excellent description of these early Colts.
Thank You.
I've been involved with Black Powder competition for 20 years and I've found a 60 grain Powder charge is one of the most common Powder charges for a 50cal rifle today.....
That's a modern reproduction with modern steel.....
The 45cal Walker Colt's steel was greatly inferior to today's steel and the smaller caliber......
This shows how highly powered these hand cannons were over the first "Paterson Revolver" that was originally designed.....
And why they were reduced in power in the later Dragoon models.....
Phill I’m new to this game, not guns I collect class three weapons for 40 years but I recently bought a reproduction Colt 3rd model Dragoon. I want to shoot it so is 50 grains of black powder too much ?
I was just wondering if the modern replica walkers were stronger then the original walkers and could they handle the 60 grain charge.
As soon as I thought I've quit you I'm pulled back in once again! You have my RE RE RE RE RE subscription good sir!
Ian, my favorite videos are when you look at cap & ball handguns. Have you ever thought of doing a side by side comparison of the original specimens compared to the modern reproductions (often from Italy)? A series on this would be very interesting and informative!
Always loved the title of Dragoon.
Hi ian, have I mentioned the channel capandball? He is in Hungary but speaks very good English. He does a lot of black powder shooting and game hunting. He also fires MP40's etc. Watching him construct the paper/ wax ammunition is interesting in it self. He's also a championship shooter with many victories. I think an episode done with him would be very educational for viewers viewers.
To the hive of Aguafrias came a stranger one grim day
.
Hardly spoke to the Arbites, didn't have too much to say
.
No one dared to slit his purse-strings, no one dared to make a slip
,
for the black-clad man among them had a boltgun on his hip
.
Boltgun on his hip.
Very good video as always and with old revolvers i love 😍.
I wish you could make a video about the remington 1858 and its latest versions (1861 and 1863).
This is my favorite cap and ball revolver ❤!
Congratulation again and greetings from France (Brest town in brittany's far west 😁)👍👍.
And sorry for my bad english, i'm trying to emprove myself 😅.
1858 was a remington patent for the base pin allowed to be catched by the loading lever,
Gotta say, any time I have a gun-liking client, I always tend to recommend either your channel, or RIA auctions directly. Such a vast and diverse spread of guns on display there, I only wish I could go there sometime.
Reads title: "I miss my ranger sequoia"
That stock is just gorgeous. Man.
7:17 Reasons why the internet is the best entertainment medium. Exceptionally authentic.
3:17 So thats where Gearbox software got the idea for the tedoire weapons
The only one I wasn't aware of existing was the one with the shoulder stock but I didn't realise that the three versions were so different to each other as from a distance they all look pretty much the same as the others apart from the small details other than the shoulder stock one that is. I also really like your videos keep up the good work
GOD created man... but Sam Colt made them equal.
Heck yea
Dame straight .
HE'S AN OUTLAW LOOSE AND RUNNIN, CAME THE WHISPER FROM EACH LIP -
AND HE'S HERE TO DO BUSINESS WITH THE
Colt
Walker
ON HIS HIP
If you have a replica, you know that the V main spring can also have some alignment issues and if you don't get things put together right, they can seem to fit but jam up your gun. Flat spring is much better.
This was just a wonderful history lesson ! For some reason the Dragoon is my favorite of Colts pistols ... I'd love to get one - someday!
I have original 1st and 3rd Model Dragoons. They are great guns and can be bought as replicas. It is quite an experience handling one, so I hope you get your wish!
If you're in the area, the Paterson Museum is worth a walk through. The water falls are cool too.
Great collection of Dragoons. All are represented except for the Whitneyville Hartford Dragoon that had the same exact larger grip with iron backstrap as the Walker. The 1st, 2d, and 3rd all had the smaller grip with the brass backstrap.
Wish Ian would do the Whitneyville-Hartford Dragoon so we can see the very earliest "Colt" Dragoon.
If the Uberti replicas are an accurate representation of the historical pieces (🤷♂️) then the Walker grip merely _looks_ longer in photos because it's actually thinner than the Dragoon grip.
The upper portion of an Uberti Walker grip is square in proportional thickness-- the width of the grip and the front-to-back thickness are the same. The Dragoon grip is oval-- thicker than it is wide. I've held both models in hand, and the Walker is like grabbing hold of a broom handle while the Dragoon feels like a gun.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge on these very special and extraordinary firearms....I've never shot, seen, or ever held one. The only time I can ever reference to one is when Clint Eastwood used them in his great movies. Especially in one movie he wood do a reload with the whole cylinder.....
Is there one with 1 notch and 19 more?
Great video, and commentary. Thank you.
When you need a full foot of leverage for pistol whipping your enemies.
Yes Sir! Enjoyed this very much. Keep up the good works.
" That piece will do the job for ya; if ya find a high stump to rest it on and a wall to put behind ya" -Rooster Cogburn
Hi Ian.
Once again, great video.
Figured this one would be a good one to watch with my new F.W.tee shirt.
A birthday present from my wife.
Very nice shirt by the way.
Happy to own it!
Wearing it to work tomorrow.
They say a man has to have true grit to fire one of these, unless he can find a fence post to prop it up on.
The 1969 John Wayne film was the reason I bought my two Dragoons! Interestingly, the gun carried in that film was actually a Colt Walker. In the new True Grit film, Mattie carries the correct 2nd Model Dragoon.
@@petehall889 I actually knew that about the gun in the film being a Walker. I'm not big into black powder, but a couple years ago a friend of mine who knows a lot more about cap and ball guns told me that fact and it crushed my dreams a little bit haha
Colt Dragoon: The preferred gun of teenage girls everywhere.
I’ve got a reproduction Colt Dragoon 3rd model that I knew nothing about. Thx Ian now I know something about these pistols, I just need to get out and shoot it.
Ian, never apologize for puns, you beautiful musketeer, you,
Undoubtedly my favorite old school revolver aestheticly
Imagine these days that a third of your guns fail in some way and the military asks for more. Gives some perspective.
Robin Schuhmacher yes but for the most part the users were uneducated in the use of the gun
Interesting thing about walkers and dragoons, it's my personal belief that while the walker was prone to being overloaded and had a tendency to explode, many early heavy horse revolvers were sent back with broken springs. I had a long conversation with a one of the fine folks at the cody firearms museum and we talked about the weight of the action being extra rough on small springs used. He told me that many horse pistols in private ownership today do not have their original springs, and I think much of that has to do with the action putting too much stress on them to move heavy party around. I only have personal experience with modern reproductions of those firearms my self so my knowledge of the ruggedness of the original springs is quite limited, but I think it could explain why so many early horse pistols saw repairs at the factory within their service life.
Thing is, if you have replacement springs available, it's much easier to replace the spring at depot or even in the field rather than sending it back to Hartford. Burst cylinders and barrels are structural compromises-- a cracked spring is just a component failure.
The puns...
M O R E.
Do you have a video showing how to load these guns?
Makes me think of True Grit.
Good God girl! That's a Colt's Dragoon!
That'll do the job. If you can find a post to prop it on
So, why did the Dragoon, with the shorter cylinder, keep the longer Walker frame? Why not shorten the frame to match the new cylinder, saving weight? The Walker trigger guard was already short enough to accommodate the Dragoon cylinder length decrease. I also notice the back end block (where it touches the cylinder) of the barrel is shorter on the Dragoon than the Walker, so again, why not the frame?
The 3rd Model also had a beveled loading port so it could more easily accept combustible cartridges.
Othias got me up to speed on Sam Colt back in the day.
Oh Sam Colt would have been a hilarious friend to chill with back in the day xD
Imagine how impactful a gun is if 1/3 of the guns are sent back to the factory for repair, and despite that, another shipment is ordered .
@Peter Angles They are so cheap its worth it even if you have to send them immediately to an gunsmith to polish the action. Especially their pt92s that are literally licensed production from beretta, including using the same machinery after beretta left their factory in Brazil.
Probably because there wasn’t a lot of competition or choices back then.
My father gave me one of these that has been in his family for a long time and now ima give it to my kids
"Revolutionary advancement"
Colt is revolving in his grave...
Clockwise, because he's neither a Smith nor a Wesson ;p
Colt was a great business man… getting the tooling in that deal was genius