I wish Pietta and/or Uberti made a version of the Walker like this, I mean they create versions of black powder guns that never existed historically anyways so why not? I think it looks really cool with the chunky barrel, it reminds me of how they depict high-powered revolvers in science fiction and the like. Or something like a Super Redhawk Alaskan, despite the enormous difference in power between the two.
I know I’ve seen versions of the .44 Remingtons and Colt Army revolvers with 4 inch barrels before. They call them “Sheriff’s models”. So it is done on occasion.
1858 pietta Remington Ace is fun to shoot at the range and feel the Ace is heavy!! I can only imagine how heavy in the ( hands) the 1847 in snub nose would feel like but to me the sound coming from the 1847 in snub nose makes the sound coming from the pietta Remington Ace sound like a regular firecracker compared to a M80!!
When I was stationed at Ft. Hood, TX our neighbor/fellow soldier purchased a Belgen manufactured Walker from me that I had picked up while stationed in West Germany (circa 1984). He surprised me one day when he showed me that same revolver with a 3.5" barrel that a local gunsmith had "sawed off" from the original length and properly crowned. The front sight had been replaced with a German silver version. I was a bit skeptical about potential accuracy at ANY range but was pleasantly surprised when he was able to hit the X ring on a man-sized paper target out to about 25 yards on a regular basis. I really enjoyed this video as it brought back memories of my younger years and proved that with bit of imagination and expertise even a big old BP revolver like the Walker can be turned into a "hideout gun" of sorts.
I did a homespun cartridge-conversion on an Armi San Marco 1847. I chambered it in a wildcat cartridge I devised, .44-55 Walker. It was a 'stretched' .44 Colt in effect, and from the 3-1/2" barrel it used a 200gr .454 heel-base bullet over 55gr of FFG Triple-7. Velocity was a good bit higher than you got from the 3-1/2". and the fireball was EPIC. Not particularly useful, but a heckuva lot of fun!
Wow, never saw a snubbie-Walker before. This thing is insane! It sounded like a freakin' rifle going off. The blast force alone would probably do damage in an up close and personal distance. Thanks, and super vid compadre!
Great job Nathan. I've got to get one of those. Replacement barrel @ $150 and replacement front sight @ $8.50, a little elbow grease and you've got a great short barrel smoke pole. Thanks for the idea!
Very nice! Since this was sometimes dinner historically but never offered in replica form I often wondered how it works compare to the normal Walker. Now we all have a better idea. Many thanks to Nathan for lending it and Dustin for sharing it with us!
Such a beautiful scenery you have there Dustin. I've particularly liked the sunset when you were shooting from the stand. And regarding the Walker, it's always been my favourite black powder gun. Snub nose is definitely looking cool as hell, but me personally I like the aesthetics of the 9inch barrel better. Just a personal taste I guess. And Keep up the good work, your channel is one of the best in the genre!!!
I dig it!! Big power that can be hidden in a holster or jacket. Now, take the grip down abit in overall size and its even more compact but with big impact. Try conicals in it with 50 grains and it could go back up to 900+ fps...
Good Golly Miss Molly...that makes one BIG BOOM. Great video. Lots of fun to watch. I think I will treat myself to some more of your channel. Thanks and subscribed.
I’ve found birds head grips to make operation of a single action with one hand to be harder than the plough handle. I haven’t been able to shoot a double action with a birds head but I can see why they chose that design.
I just bought the Pietta '51 snub nose and I haven't even shot my full size version yet! Both are in .44, I like the ability to interchange barrels. I really like the looks of the birds head handle and the "shorty" version will definitely be more suitable for home defense. 👍
I just made an old brass framed 1851 Navy into a snub nose. I wish I would have left the hole for mounting the loading lever! I now realize that you can just attach the lever for loading. Luckily I have another 1851 Navy for loading cylinders...oh yeah I am planning on mounting a shotgun bed for a front sight. Just waiting for the drill and tap to come in the mail.
Man, that snub nose barrel looks good. Even if you lose roughly 300 fps, I can understand why somebody would snub nose a Walker. A smaller profile, easier to conceal while having a good sized round and it not only works as a reusable smoke grenade, it'll deafen everybody involved too.
Nathan seems like a solid gunsmith. Very clean cut on the barrel. I would like to know how the sight was secured. Many thanks to Nathan for sharing and to J R B for creating the video. For my part, I think I could take the 783 fps. Probably bounce right off my sixpack. I don't start to worry until the .454's get up to 934 fps ☺
Many surviving Walker Colts have shortened barrel. This is because it had a tendency to blow up. Both the cylinder and barrel were subject to explosive failure. Colt repaired many and of course a destroyed cylinder had to be entirely replaced. However often if the barrel exploded near the end a gunsmith would just cut off the damaged section leaving a shorter barrel.
@@guaporeturns9472 The Walker colt had barrel and cylinder catastrophic failures. First the metals of that time were a bit weak for this powerful a gun. The Walker Colt was the most powerful handgun until the .357 magnum came along eighty eight years later. This was not a cartridge gun and each cylinder was loaded with bullet, powder and a cap on the cylinder nipple. The conical bullets could be improperly loaded. The recorded load was 50 grains of black power but the cylinder could hold 60 grains. The top of the cylinder had to packed with lard to prevent cross fire and if not properly done two or more cylinders fired destroying the cylinder.
@@edwardcnnell2853 yeah I know all that.. burst chambers/cylinders were the problems I read about..exploding barrels weren’t a big problem , like I said
I have an original Colt 1860 has had its barrel cut back as well as the loading lever. Done very well. Has a front sight that looks like from a Pennsylvania rifle dovetailed into the barrel I have read this was a popular modification with Mormans avenging angels. …Don’t know I’ve shot it a few times just to say I did
I've always wanted a Walker with a 16" barrel and a carbine stock like the 3rd model Dragoons and 1860 Army's. Obviously not historical but I think it would take full advantage of it's chamber capacity.
For when you want to give the baddie fist sized exit wounds , set him on fire and make a leisurely escape in the resulting smoke clouds. I'd like to see one with a .45 BPM cylinder with 60gn's in each case
65 grains of powder!!.... if it were a cartrage, it would be a 44-65, kinda like a 45-70!! no wonder we have named these 'hand cannons! its a freakin' rifle round!!
Another great video. Well, with the snub nose you could conceivably do concealed carry easily enough. As long as you are legal to do that. Heck, the massive smoke and fire coming out the front would probably give them a fear attack on its own.
The is for doing this. I’ve been curious about the velocity of these cut-down walkers. I have a couple (check my channel for recent vids if interested) but I’m not brave enough to sacrifice one of them to cut down. Yet.
Makes a lot of sense for the 1870s onward as people started changing to cartrige revolvers there would be a lot of cap and ball guns floating around the used market, this would be a very economical mod to create a backup gun (or just a concealed gun in the city) perhaps even carrying extra cylinders that were loaded with a detaching plunger ahead of time, i have no doubt a lot of these existed, but would have already been rough shape to begin with, let alone after the conversion
Check out the Guns of the West store here: gunsoftheweststore.com
This is Nathan. I'm glad that you enjoyed shooting it! I had a blast making that snub nose barrel.
Great creativity, keep em coming
@@triple9fine Thanks!
Cool make 👍🏻
Good job Nathan!
Very cool Nathan, love it and keep up the inventive thinking.
I wish Pietta and/or Uberti made a version of the Walker like this, I mean they create versions of black powder guns that never existed historically anyways so why not? I think it looks really cool with the chunky barrel, it reminds me of how they depict high-powered revolvers in science fiction and the like. Or something like a Super Redhawk Alaskan, despite the enormous difference in power between the two.
I know I’ve seen versions of the .44 Remingtons and Colt Army revolvers with 4 inch barrels before. They call them “Sheriff’s models”. So it is done on occasion.
i wish they make a 12 inch 3rd model dragoon barrel to use with the stock cutouts
1858 pietta Remington Ace is fun to shoot at the range and feel the Ace is heavy!! I can only imagine how heavy in the ( hands) the 1847 in snub nose would feel like but to me the sound coming from the 1847 in snub nose makes the sound coming from the pietta Remington Ace sound like a regular firecracker compared to a M80!!
Concussion in a pocket, i love it.
When I was stationed at Ft. Hood, TX our neighbor/fellow soldier purchased a Belgen manufactured Walker from me that I had picked up while stationed in West Germany (circa 1984). He surprised me one day when he showed me that same revolver with a 3.5" barrel that a local gunsmith had "sawed off" from the original length and properly crowned. The front sight had been replaced with a German silver version. I was a bit skeptical about potential accuracy at ANY range but was pleasantly surprised when he was able to hit the X ring on a man-sized paper target out to about 25 yards on a regular basis. I really enjoyed this video as it brought back memories of my younger years and proved that with bit of imagination and expertise even a big old BP revolver like the Walker can be turned into a "hideout gun" of sorts.
That is darned fun! Great project
Thank you Nathan and your family! I hate it when those high-fructose Bandits attack.
Dustin I think you've come up with what has to be the coolest snub nose ever !
I did a homespun cartridge-conversion on an Armi San Marco 1847. I chambered it in a wildcat cartridge I devised, .44-55 Walker. It was a 'stretched' .44 Colt in effect, and from the 3-1/2" barrel it used a 200gr .454 heel-base bullet over 55gr of FFG Triple-7. Velocity was a good bit higher than you got from the 3-1/2". and the fireball was EPIC. Not particularly useful, but a heckuva lot of fun!
Quite a boom outta that little barrel
That gun's report should be used in the movies.
Velocity was higher than expected.....I like it!
Good accuracy but every time you shot it while sitting at the bench, you disappeared for a couple seconds! I love that smoke! Cool video Dustin!
When I saw those bench shots played back, I said to my wife, “No wonder I have asthma!” LOL!
@@GunsOfTheWest well at least you had the sun (and wind) at your back to give you an edge.
True. I was trying to se the recoil and nope. Very cool setup
Wow, never saw a snubbie-Walker before. This thing is insane! It sounded like a freakin' rifle going off. The blast force alone would probably do damage in an up close and personal distance. Thanks, and super vid compadre!
Great job Nathan. I've got to get one of those. Replacement barrel @ $150 and replacement front sight @ $8.50, a little elbow grease and you've got a great short barrel smoke pole. Thanks for the idea!
Thanks! I hope you enjoy making yours!
Very nice! Since this was sometimes dinner historically but never offered in replica form I often wondered how it works compare to the normal Walker. Now we all have a better idea. Many thanks to Nathan for lending it and Dustin for sharing it with us!
That smile on your face in the intro said it all !!!!
Great video Dustin.
Great video!! I’m now craving a orange soda for some reason!?!?
That looks awesome and a lot of fun.
The first shot sounded like a sonic boom, I can only imagine how loud it is in person!
Ive wanted to see something like this for ages!
Such a beautiful scenery you have there Dustin. I've particularly liked the sunset when you were shooting from the stand. And regarding the Walker, it's always been my favourite black powder gun. Snub nose is definitely looking cool as hell, but me personally I like the aesthetics of the 9inch barrel better. Just a personal taste I guess. And Keep up the good work, your channel is one of the best in the genre!!!
Porter Rockwell's avenging angel.
Very cool! That Nathan kid did an excellent job!!!
Good video Dustin, very enjoyable.
That would make a good poker table piece.
Hey Dustin, now that the Walker is converted to cartridge, you should borrow the short barrel again and shoot it with .45 Colt cartridges!
I need one!
The Avenging Angel!
Lot's of fun! Thank you!!
The drycleaner: What’s all this black residue, on your suit?
Nice pistol.
I loved this gun. Very cool video.
That is amazing! Learned something I never would have thought of,a Walker Colt snub nose. The Pinkertons would have loved it!
I dig it!! Big power that can be hidden in a holster or jacket. Now, take the grip down abit in overall size and its even more compact but with big impact. Try conicals in it with 50 grains and it could go back up to 900+ fps...
That is a cool little stubby. I'm talking about the Walker! Fun shooter. Thanks Dustin.
Very interesting little project.
Good Golly Miss Molly...that makes one BIG BOOM. Great video. Lots of fun to watch. I think I will treat myself to some more of your channel. Thanks and subscribed.
Thanks!!
Awesome! Like the sound it makes.
A snob nosed Colt Walker, what a wonderful stupid idea.
I love it!
Ideal hand cannon for undercover rangers.
Good looking with the short barrel
Addicted to white smoke... If only they cleaned up easily...
That was neat, surprised it lost that much velocity.
You have blown my mind!!!!
The noise ! Epic !! Fun stuff !
You and duelist1954 should do videos. I wish Capandball was in the USA. Man do I love black powder guns and ammo.
Wow now it needs a birds head
I’ve found birds head grips to make operation of a single action with one hand to be harder than the plough handle. I haven’t been able to shoot a double action with a birds head but I can see why they chose that design.
Sweet project!!!
I just bought the Pietta '51 snub nose and I haven't even shot my full size version yet! Both are in .44, I like the ability to interchange barrels. I really like the looks of the birds head handle and the "shorty" version will definitely be more suitable for home defense. 👍
That's some America Right There !!!!!!!!! 😎👍🇺🇸
I just made an old brass framed 1851 Navy into a snub nose. I wish I would have left the hole for mounting the loading lever! I now realize that you can just attach the lever for loading. Luckily I have another 1851 Navy for loading cylinders...oh yeah I am planning on mounting a shotgun bed for a front sight. Just waiting for the drill and tap to come in the mail.
Love the content. Thanks for sharing.
Man, that snub nose barrel looks good.
Even if you lose roughly 300 fps, I can understand why somebody would snub nose a Walker.
A smaller profile, easier to conceal while having a good sized round and it not only works as a reusable smoke grenade, it'll deafen everybody involved too.
I mention this every time you shoot Walker. That cylinder looks awesome!’ I think I’m gonna do that to mine.
Thanks for the video.
God Bless
Awesome vid, been planning on making one of these, cool to know the chronograph readings for it
That was pretty cool
Nathan seems like a solid gunsmith. Very clean cut on the barrel. I would like to know how the sight was secured. Many thanks to Nathan for sharing and to J R B for creating the video. For my part, I think I could take the 783 fps. Probably bounce right off my sixpack. I don't start to worry until the .454's get up to 934 fps ☺
Thank you for your kind words. I used JP weld epoxy to secure the front sight into place after I made a cavity on the top of the barrel to fit it in.
THAT WAS GREAT!!
That’s a good looking gun!
Many surviving Walker Colts have shortened barrel. This is because it had a tendency to blow up. Both the cylinder and barrel were subject to explosive failure. Colt repaired many and of course a destroyed cylinder had to be entirely replaced. However often if the barrel exploded near the end a gunsmith would just cut off the damaged section leaving a shorter barrel.
Barrels rarely exploded I thought
@@guaporeturns9472 The Walker colt had barrel and cylinder catastrophic failures. First the metals of that time were a bit weak for this powerful a gun. The Walker Colt was the most powerful handgun until the .357 magnum came along eighty eight years later. This was not a cartridge gun and each cylinder was loaded with bullet, powder and a cap on the cylinder nipple. The conical bullets could be improperly loaded. The recorded load was 50 grains of black power but the cylinder could hold 60 grains. The top of the cylinder had to packed with lard to prevent cross fire and if not properly done two or more cylinders fired destroying the cylinder.
@@edwardcnnell2853 yeah I know all that.. burst chambers/cylinders were the problems I read about..exploding barrels weren’t a big problem , like I said
@@guaporeturns9472 It is not uncommon to find Walker Colts with shortend barrels because they did fail.
@@edwardcnnell2853 interesting.. I just never heard of a burst barrel.
BTW my front sight is three eights of an inch tall and they hit point of aim at 20 yards
The wicked walker.
I have an original Colt 1860 has had its barrel cut back as well as the loading lever. Done very well. Has a front sight that looks like from a Pennsylvania rifle dovetailed into the barrel
I have read this was a popular modification with Mormans avenging angels. …Don’t know
I’ve shot it a few times just to say I did
Cool short barrel. Lots of smoke and laughs I imagine
Cool video...what part of the Rockies you in?
This was in the west desert of Utah. Thanks for watching!
Question, could you have used 4f with a lighter load , faster powder and less volume?
You now have a black powder flash-bang...
Love it! Now I need a spare barrel for my dragoon!
You could use the loading lever as a bayonet
That's what I thought when I first made it! We would need a industrial size pencil sharpener to point the tip though :(
That looked fun
I've always wanted a Walker with a 16" barrel and a carbine stock like the 3rd model Dragoons and 1860 Army's. Obviously not historical but I think it would take full advantage of it's chamber capacity.
I want to buy One! How much!?
6:35 was funny af lol
It sounds amazing
Yeah, that's what I imagined it would look like. 🤔
For when you want to give the baddie fist sized exit wounds , set him on fire and make a leisurely escape in the resulting smoke clouds.
I'd like to see one with a .45 BPM cylinder with 60gn's in each case
65 grains of powder!!.... if it were a cartrage, it would be a 44-65, kinda like a 45-70!! no wonder we have named these 'hand cannons! its a freakin' rifle round!!
Another great video. Well, with the snub nose you could conceivably do concealed carry easily enough. As long as you are legal to do that. Heck, the massive smoke and fire coming out the front would probably give them a fear attack on its own.
The gun overall is still too big and heavy. A 44 cal 1851 or 1860 snub nose is a much better choice
That thing sounds awesome
Definitely getting one .i can already see how i want to dress the maker up.. beautiful and definitely a head turner when at the range
When u want someone really dead pocket edition
U should add a conversion cylinder to this....3" cylinder will chamber 2-1/2"
410 shells along with the
45 colt.love your videos sir
Well, at least there's no loading level to fall down on a full charge.
I think doing a chronograph test was a good idea.
What a cool idea! I’m going to get a pair and get an extra barrel and cut Er’ down. 🤠😂
That might be a fun conversion gun.
Man that beast sounds like a cannon out there with that echo.. mine sounds nothing like that haha
Nice conversion interesting presentation. Subscribed
It was very interesting to see what kind of velocity you were getting out of that shorter barrel. What was the weight of the projectiles tho? 🤔
.454 inch lead round ball, he said. Guess we could look it up. Edit-just looked it up- 141 grains.
Thats kinda cute... Bark on that short barrel had a different pitch in the mic.... I bet it was a little louder in person
That is NICE ! Now I have a new project.
Wondering does snub noise have a bigger kick?
It didn’t seem to.
The high fructose gang looks pretty scarry!
Terrifying!
coolest snub nose 👍👍
The is for doing this. I’ve been curious about the velocity of these cut-down walkers. I have a couple (check my channel for recent vids if interested) but I’m not brave enough to sacrifice one of them to cut down. Yet.
The smallest big iron
Mr White what are you doing with that old ass revolver
That takes the Walker from being a horse pistol to being a bit of a sexy beast.
788 fps for a .44 isn't bad. Pretty near a standard 1911 .45, and that pistol did alright.
It sounds awesome, kinda like how the old video game desert eagles sounded.
Makes a lot of sense for the 1870s onward as people started changing to cartrige revolvers there would be a lot of cap and ball guns floating around the used market, this would be a very economical mod to create a backup gun (or just a concealed gun in the city) perhaps even carrying extra cylinders that were loaded with a detaching plunger ahead of time, i have no doubt a lot of these existed, but would have already been rough shape to begin with, let alone after the conversion