Reasons why a Walker aint exactly a 'SASS handgun'

[J.J. Ferrett]

Just got myself a Uberti Walker... WOW.. this thing should belong on the front of a Tank!
Anyhow, just wasted a few cylinders worth of powder shooting 8" high at 10'... KEWL... and got to thinking why this weapon aint really the general SASS hangun.

1-  Heavy.... fully loaded weighs in at just under 5lb, heavy to carry and shoot.
2-  Holsters.... I am gonna have to create a new holster, I dont think anything I currently have will take the Walker
3-  Power....  Takes 60gr FFFg or 55 FFg, not exactly a gamer load. Reducing down to 45 FFg tames the beast, but, still not gamer.
4-  Size.... See points 1 and 2. Grips are NICE, sight distances nice. Swinging beast between targets, not nice.
5-  Velocity.... All loads that I have currently tried (all over 40g FFFg or FFg) mark at >900ft/s. see also 3

Then
1-  Fun Factor.... loaded to 35g FFg this should be a nice rolling boom. Scare RO's a couple of bays down.

[Silver Creek Slim]

That's why it was called a horse pistol. 

Slim

[Mason Stillwell]

I have been shooting my Dragoons(Walker's little brother). And just now purchased my first Walker.WOW I cannot wait for the other one to come in. Will I be shooting these at a match. YOU BET> MERCY I flat love them. I use 35 gr of FFG and a wad. Holy Smoke How much fun. If you practice just a little they are not that slow. I plan on putting my in my cart between shooting times.

Mason (Aint they Something??)Stillwell

[J.J. Ferrett]

That's why it was called a horse pistol.  Grin

My wife thinks that its a horse pistol cos you could bonk one around the back of the head with the butt of a Walker, and the horse wouldnt stand up again.

[Driftwood Johnson]

1-  Heavy.... fully loaded weighs in at just under 5lb, heavy to carry and shoot.
2-  Holsters.... I am gonna have to create a new holster, I dont think anything I currently have will take the Walker
3-  Power....  Takes 60gr FFFg or 55 FFg, not exactly a gamer load. Reducing down to 45 FFg tames the beast, but, still not gamer.
4-  Size.... See points 1 and 2. Grips are NICE, sight distances nice. Swinging beast between targets, not nice.
5-  Velocity.... All loads that I have currently tried (all over 40g FFFg or FFg) mark at >900ft/s. see also 3

Howdy

Sam Colt agreed with you on most of these points. That's why he only made around 1100 Walkers. I'm working from memory here, 1000 for military contract and 100 more for civilian sale IIRC. He did not bother trying to correct the faults of the Walker, but moved directly on to the Dragoon series, which were basically an improved Walker model. Not as big and a more secure loading lever latch.

Colt was still poking around in the dark when he and Captain Walker came up with the Walker design. Clearly, the Paterson Colt had been too small and underpowered, and only 5 shots. So they went way overboard and designed something too big and powerful to be practical. That's why they made so few. The originals used to blow up with regularity with all that powder in an iron, not steel, cylinder. If you look at the development of the Colt percussion revovlers, each one got smaller and more precise as they progressed from the Walker to the Dragoons, and finally to the 1860 Army. The 1851 navy was a bit of a diversion to 36 caliber, but in my humble opinion, the best design of all was the 1860 Army. Certainly the most streamlined and eye pleasing. And it still had plenty of punch to put down a man. When 1873 rolled around and the SAA was designed, the frame size was the same as the 1860 Army, and the 1851 Navy.

By the way, a Horse Pistol is a pistol so big it was usually carried in pommel holsters attached to the saddle. Not carried by a man on his belt.

[Adirondack Jack]

When you consider it was made when either the Patterson or a singe shot was all a man had as a backup gun when he had no time left to reload his rifle, and many would opt to go to the blade instead of a pistol at close quarters, it was a revolutionary arm, for all the faults.

It did what Col, Walker asked, gave the power to shoot a man (or his horse) dead with one shot.

I agree with Driftwood the '60 army is sweet, but if ya can get by with a .36, the '61 navy is a real honey

[J.J. Ferrett]

I love my brace of 1860's... Nice weight, perfect balance, and enough pow to handle anything. My favs at the moment are my 1858 Remmies with Kirst Konverters... grin...

Now all I have to do is collect some Dragoons, a Patterson, 1851, 1861, etc. etc. etc, and sometime.. maybe even a Lemat

[Arcey]

Aww hell, by rules it is but I get yer drift, J.J.

Lemme tell ya whutcha do ta shoot the beast.  Werk yerself in 'til ya kin write shoots for yer club then scribble up a stage with a staged pistol.  Grab it from the table, shoot it, put it back when it's empty.

I got Buntlines, one with a detachable stock.  When it's my turn to write I'll make up a stage they'll fit in without holsterin' the things 'n luggin' 'em around.

A Walker - full loads.  Whut a freakin' hoot!

The other part, all my stuff is .36, cartridge or C&B.  The idea is ta make the steel go 'clang'.  They do that real good.  Don't carry 'em when it ain't my turn.  They're in holsters attached to the cart.

[Dick Dastardly]

Ho Slim,

You jes horsin' around, huh?

'Em big Walkers was fer beatin' the opposition into agreement after the balls was all gone. . .

She's one helova pistol tho.

DD-DLoS

[Mason Stillwell]

Dick
I am gonna try the ROA boolits in the Walker on the next outing.IT should work NICE !!!!!!!!!!


Mason

[hellgate]

Hey JJ,
I got me a pair of 'em and love them but ain't man enough to shoot 'em with one hand. I bring them out when there isn't a Frontiersman category (i.e. "Black powder"). Word of caution: resist the temptation to fully load them. I shot mine in one match using 50grs FFFg and ruined two wedges. Luckily I didn't stretch the wedge cutout and ruin the whole guns. My current load= 44grs FFg+lube wad+.454ball+ grease+#10 Remington cap. Works like a charm, makes lotsa noise and I don't miss. If needed I can tell you how to keep the rammer from falling.

[Mason Stillwell]

Hellgate

My friend Canada Bill (who shoots Walker's all the time) Got me to try RWS 10.75 caps and they work without reseating them with a cap seater after putting the cap on the nipps.


Have  you tried those caps RWS 10.75 ??

Mason

[hellgate]

A fellow handed me an olive bottle full of about 800 of them and I shot them all over the course of a year but don't remember trying them out on the Walkers. They fit about half my guns. They are just a tad more snug than the Rem#10s but pretty close. I guess I missed out. They are good caps and very reliable.

[broncwalker]

Fellers those walkers are a hoot!
Ive never shot mine at a match but, ive carried mine as a backup in the woods durin deer season, an Ive used it in  staged gun fights (usin powder an wads fer smoke an boom). I can tell you from those expierences that itll shore pull your trousers down if ya wear it on yer waist .I made a shoulder rig to carry it more comfortable on long outings an that works purty good. I will also say that I had a whole passels of mommas gripin at me cause every time I set that hawgleg off ...babies started cryin!  dont use it much fer the public any more its just too dang dangerous gettin all those wimen mad at me!  All that aside Its still one HECK of a shootin iron!
Take care

[chris hickey]

It can be done folks but allow a couple of days recovery time you will need it.Shot 11 stages over two days
Cheers Hick

[Trailrider]

I heard about a ?? pistol in a conversation, but I wasn't sure whether they were talkin' about a HORSE pistol or one carried by a lady of the evening!    Glad you spelled it out; gotta watch yer pronunciation.    A shady lady would have to be some big gal to pack a Walker!

[Wolfgang]

Just got myself a Uberti Walker... WOW.. this thing should belong on the front of a Tank!
Anyhow, just wasted a few cylinders worth of powder shooting 8" high at 10'... KEWL... and got to thinking why this weapon aint really the general SASS hangun.

1-  Heavy.... fully loaded weighs in at just under 5lb, heavy to carry and shoot.
2-  Holsters.... I am gonna have to create a new holster, I dont think anything I currently have will take the Walker
3-  Power....  Takes 60gr FFFg or 55 FFg, not exactly a gamer load. Reducing down to 45 FFg tames the beast, but, still not gamer.
4-  Size.... See points 1 and 2. Grips are NICE, sight distances nice. Swinging beast between targets, not nice.
5-  Velocity.... All loads that I have currently tried (all over 40g FFFg or FFg) mark at >900ft/s. see also 3

Then
1-  Fun Factor.... loaded to 35g FFg this should be a nice rolling boom. Scare RO's a couple of bays down.

Ya left out no. 6.   The need for a HORSE so's to be able to carry pistol to the firing line. . . . !   

[will52100]

Nothing wrong with walkers, I used to shoot a pair during local matches.  Sometimes still do, just depends on what I'm in the mood to shoot.  Always get asked "how many pounds of powder did you shoot today?"

[Slowhand Bob]

Not sure about the whole movie as Clint might have been playing fast-n-fancy with the gun swaps but on at least one occasion I gots my attention focused on the guns good enuff to spot a Walker on each hip and some of us are bigger then he was.  Course he also had a '60 model and a baby Dragoon tucked here and there also!  What a guy!

Just accepted an offer fer a Uberti Third Model Dragoon this morning and will mate it up with my old Uberti Walker.  I sold my old Josie Wales style short holster a year or so back so will now have to make one fer each of these.  Will the Third Model fit  a Walker holster or should I wait fer the gun to arrive and make a different pattern than the Walker version? 

[Southpaw]

I just could not resist. I went and ordered a 2nd Walker from Midway USA to make a pair of them to go along with my pair of 2nd model Dragoons. Midway has a closeout of $353.00 for them. this is an addiction............