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Colt Walker had a long run as most powerful handgun

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The Walker is supposed to weigh around 4.5 lbs. Anyone check what the weight is loaded?

I just checked and it looks like there are about 50 .44 balls to the pound. So roughly speaking it appears the lead amounts to less than 2 ounces. So the weight, loaded, isn't all that much more.

Did I figure this right?
 
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Walker Ballistic Comparison
Velocity Energy
.44 Walker, 18479 inch60 grains 3F Pyrodex210 gr, .458 Conical1014 ft/s479 ft-lbs
1848 Mississippi 60 Grains Goex .530 RB 1314 FPS 858 ft-lbs
.44 Unmentionable 240 Gr JHP 1392 FPS 1032 ft-lbs
 
^^^ That right there. The Walker is a powerful black powder revolver, but nothing close to being equal to a rifle or a modern magnum revolver.
 
...Bet it puts out a big ball of fire with the stub nose.

It does! It is also very loud!

20210130_141246.jpg
 
Interesting timing on this thread
Trying to repair one now, a "Replica Arms" Walker (Armi San Marco). The new part just came today

Shot it once, 2 shots
With 45 gr of FFF it was enough to snap the end of the "hand" off and chip off most of one of the teeth on the cylinder
(obviously the cylinder stop was not properly engaged)
 
I never knew this: That's almost ninety years, spanning from the era of caplock guns to modern magnums.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colt_Walkeradd: Again according to Wikipedia, "The Walker, unlike most succeeding martial pistols and revolvers, was a practical weapon out to about 100 yards." It held a black powder charge of 60 grains in each chamber.

Never shoulda read that; now I want one.
I've fired my Walkers out to 100 yards, with Dragoon bullets. No problem at all hitting a bad guy silhouette target. The Walker is basically a revolving hand carbine.
 
I suggest I have no reason to take your word, over that of a man who actually owned and used the original guns during the Mexican American War.

I think the ballistics numbers do not lie. It is what it is.

That being said just because a walker is not as powerful as a Hawken or a modern large bore magnum does not mean it is not effective.

A study of bullet wounding will show that knock down power is a myth for the most part.

A fight stopping handgun wound comes from three things.

Bleeding out.
Destruction of nervous system
Pain (loss of will to fight.

The reality is being shot hurts and causes fear.

That stops the fight more than the mythical knockdown power that people talk about.

An example, people claim that magnum unmentionable rifles knock deer over. Even at 3000 FPS it would break the laws of physics for a deer to actually be knocked over while the hunter gets a sharp kick.

All that being said, the walker is a formidable weapon and as long as you only needed 6 shots and no reload it would easily hold its own today at what would be considered by today’s standard rifle distance shots.
 
I've fired my Walkers out to 100 yards, with Dragoon bullets. No problem at all hitting a bad guy silhouette target. The Walker is basically a revolving hand carbine.
And repeat shots are one heck of a lot quicker than with a muzzle loading rifle, which might be worth giving up a little bit of power compared to the rifle if you were in a difficulty with us pesky redskins.
 
I've fired my Walkers out to 100 yards, with Dragoon bullets. No problem at all hitting a bad guy silhouette target. The Walker is basically a revolving hand carbine.

I don't see how it could be considered a carbine by any means. It has no stock, and the barrel is too short. Not much in the way of sights either.

I have shot my Uberti Walker quite a bit, and it is a handgun and nothing more, with the approximate power of a 357 magnum. I don't know many people who would call a 357 an effective 100 yard gun.
 
I don't see how it could be considered a carbine by any means. It has no stock, and the barrel is too short. Not much in the way of sights either.

I have shot my Uberti Walker quite a bit, and it is a handgun and nothing more, with the approximate power of a 357 magnum. I don't know many people who would call a 357 an effective 100 yard gun.
You're reading way too deep into this man....yes obviously it has no stock and we're probably about to devolve into a debate on what a "carbine " is .....

This is why I rarely bother to comment or even visit this site anymore
 
I used to shoot handgun metallic silhouette competition out to 200 meters. Scoring hits at 100 yards is not a problem at all.

IHMSA? I used to shoot that in the late 70's and early 80's. Those guys shooting offhand at 200 meters and scoring 10 for 10 were amazing. It sure wasn't me. .357 mag T/C with a 10 inch barrel.
 
IHMSA? I used to shoot that in the late 70's and early 80's. Those guys shooting offhand at 200 meters and scoring 10 for 10 were amazing. It sure wasn't me. .357 mag T/C with a 10 inch barrel.
I did reclining Creedmore style with a 6" model 29. Tends to smoke up your jeans a bit. The 200 meter rams were fun.
 
The Walker is basically a revolving hand carbine.
I don't see how it could be considered a carbine by any means. It has no stock, and the barrel is too short. Not much in the way of sights either.
BP - I think you missed the point about the Walker being the most powerful pistol for 90 years. Weighing almost twice as much as other pistols and packing a bigger charge, it bridged the gap between pistols and carbines. It wasn't even meant to be carried on one's person - that's why it was called a horse pistol. Just because it doesn't have a shoulder stock or a long barrel doesn't stop it from being accurate at long distances, similar to a carbine, thus the comparison.

Stan didn't say it was a carbine - more that the Walker was almost as capable without the extra size and weight of a carbine.
 
I never knew this: That's almost ninety years, spanning from the era of caplock guns to modern magnums.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colt_Walkeradd: Again according to Wikipedia, "The Walker, unlike most succeeding martial pistols and revolvers, was a practical weapon out to about 100 yards." It held a black powder charge of 60 grains in each chamber.

Never shoulda read that; now I want one.

They are heavy to lug around. The loading lever springs get weak but can be modified. I have put a latch on them, but they are fun to shoot. The Walker would go well with a 10 gallon hat.
 
BP - I think you missed the point about the Walker being the most powerful pistol for 90 years. Weighing almost twice as much as other pistols and packing a bigger charge, it bridged the gap between pistols and carbines. It wasn't even meant to be carried on one's person - that's why it was called a horse pistol. Just because it doesn't have a shoulder stock or a long barrel doesn't stop it from being accurate at long distances, similar to a carbine, thus the comparison.

Stan didn't say it was a carbine - more that the Walker was almost as capable without the extra size and weight of a carbine.
The concept of the Walker as envisioned by Capt Walker, was a big, powerful revolver that could be used as an Offensive weapon rather than just a sidearm for close range use. It was, in theory, able to serve in the role of a Carbine. The lack of a stock , "real sights" etc notwithstanding but I'm sure someone will be along to nitpick.

The Walker could reach out and touch to 100+ yards and basically used a charge that was almost equal to a rifle. 60 gr charges and a conical bullet in a 6-shot weapon was a highly effective weapon. This is why the Army experimented with the Dragoon that was cut for a detachable stock, and had a folding leaf sight to turn it into.......a Carbine!!! It didn't really catch on but the US Military could never really let go of playing with the stocked pistol idea for another 80 years.
 
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