Original Walker

[dc7x64]

Hello Guys, I just recently finished my Walker kit gun and am very pleased with the results. I built it more on speculation than on facts, so I hope you can help me out. I wanted it to look like an original and slightly used. I had read somewhere that the originals had wrought iron cylinders that were shipped in the white from the factory. Until recently, all the examples I have seen have pretty much been completely in the white or patina (whole gun).  After I completed my project I found a picture of an original Walker on an auction site, the best I've seen yet. I need to go get the picture or find a link somehow. Of course the auction is closed, as the gun sold 12-1-2012 for $95,000! It is Walker serial # 26 issued to "C" company U.S.M.R. Sam Walkers own Company! The gun still has bluing on the barrel and frame and the cylinder is gray/patina . What was the reasoning for not bluing the cylinders? Wrought iron won't blue? I will try and get you guys a picture of said Walker. If it is for real, then I somehow inadvertently recreated #26 through sheer stupidity! I picked out one that mine closely resembled on Google Images, clicked on it , and BAM! There it was! One thing I did notice on original Walkers was the clearance for projectiles on the right side of the frame was more rounded and more elongated than on Italian repros. Started to try and do this but found out......The Italians out playing around with no soft steel. Thanks fellas for listening to my Rave. Hope I am right about wrought iron cylinders!

[jaxenro]

try here

http://percussionrevolvers.com/index.php?board=33.0

[Hawg]

Dunno why the Walker cylinders were white but all Colt's guns up to the 1860 had wrought iron cylinders and all Colt's revolvers up until they were proofed for smokeless had wrought iron frames but the frames on all Colt revolvers from the Paterson on up were color case hardened.

[jaxenro]

I thought the frames on the 1860 were the new silver steel?

[Hawg]

I thought the frames on the 1860 were the new silver steel?

No just the cylinders and IIRC the barrels. The frames were still case hardened wrought iron.

[mazo kid]

try here
http://percussionrevolvers.com/index.php?board=33.0

OK, explain something to me......no loading lever latch on these guns?! When did that come into being?

[Captainkirk]

There is a spring catch down toward the base. The catch at the end began with the 1st Dragoon models, I believe

[Fingers McGee]

There is a spring catch down toward the base. The catch at the end began with the 1st Dragoon models, I believe

There were some transitional walkers made with the catch at the end of the loading lever; but for the most part, it started with the Dragoons.

[Captainkirk]

There is a spring catch down toward the base. The catch at the end began with the 1st Dragoon models, I believe

There were some transitional walkers made with the catch at the end of the loading lever; but for the most part, it started with the Dragoons.

You are referring to the Whitneyvilles?

[Krylandalian]

'Here, Talcott said that the third 1000 army contract pistols would have blued cylinders. Whereas the second army contract pistols and the 1000 Walker pistols had cylinders  'in the white.'

The Colt Whitneyville-walker Pistol.  R. Whittington.

[Krylandalian]

'The cylinders to be made of hammered cast steel with chambers for six charges each, and of a length, size, and strength sufficient to be charged with an elongated ball 32 to the pound.'

Original contract, build. between Colt and Whitney.

[Captainkirk]

'The cylinders to be made of hammered cast steel with chambers for six charges each, and of a length, size, and strength sufficient to be charged with an elongated ball 32 to the pound.'

Original contract, build. between Colt and Whitney.

Yeah, we saw how that worked out for them...

[Hawg]

I seem to remember reading about somebody testing an original Walker cylinder and it was indeed wrought iron.