Colt Walker had a long run as most powerful handgun

[rodwha]

Walker Ballistic Comparison
Velocity Energy

.44 Walker, 1847	9 inch	60 grains 3F Pyrodex	210 gr, .458 Conical	1014 ft/s	479 ft-lbs

1848 Mississippi 60 Grains Goex .530 RB 1314 FPS 858 ft-lbs
.44 Unmentionable 240 Gr JHP 1392 FPS 1032 ft-lbs

Those are at the muzzle numbers, as well as know a ball sheds velocity very quickly. I don’t know the BC numbers for the bullet the Walker shot but it certainly hung on to its velocity much better, and the mass is similar, so at 100 yds the Walker’s bullet may well have had as much punch or more.

 

[Stantheman86]

Those are at the muzzle numbers, as well as know a ball sheds velocity very quickly. I don’t know the BC numbers for the bullet the Walker shot but it certainly hung on to its velocity much better, and the mass is similar, so at 100 yds the Walker’s bullet may well have had as much punch or more.

I also believe the conical out of a Walker would retain more energy than the .530 ball out of a Mississippi rifle .

Even given the 33" barrel of the rifle, using say an 80 gr charge, the ball will bleed energy fairly quickly.

The .54 Minie later used would change the ballistics entirely but that's a whole different comparison .

 

[Treestalker]

I suggest Med Officer Ford either exaggerated or is mistaken. I have a 2nd Model Dragoon firing a 50 grain charge, While it is a potent sixgun, it is nothing close to a .54 caliber rifle. And, as far as taking down an opponent, a .44 unmentionable outranks a Walker. I've taken deer at 90 yards.

I killed a trotting shoat with one shot from a Ruger Super Blackhawk at just over 47 yards back in the day. Having once owned one, I have no doubt I could do the same with a Walker, and probably better with both. I used to practice from a sitting position, back braced with hands on knees shooting at pie tins at 60 yards. No problemo. ( the shoat was a standing two handed shot).

 

[Juice Jaws]

You guys can go on and on, all I know is I don't want to get shot with one or hit over the head with one.

 

[Stantheman86]

I think it was Bob Munden , there's YouTube videos of him popping balloons at 200 yards with a .38 snub and at 300 with a .44 Mag. Handguns are more than capable of lobbing a slug out to long range with accuracy.

No doubt hitting Mexicans at 100 yards with a Walker definitely happened, 100 yards isn't that long.

 

[troy2000]

I think it was Bob Munden , there's YouTube videos of him popping balloons at 200 yards with a .38 snub and at 300 with a .44 Mag. Handguns are more than capable of lobbing a slug out to long range with accuracy.

No doubt hitting Mexicans at 100 yards with a Walker definitely happened, 100 yards isn't that long.

Heck, I could hit one farther away than that with my trebuchet... might take me a couple of shots to dial it in, though.

 

[troy2000]

I did some light reading on the internet, and someone made the comment that the Comanches Walker and his Texas Rangers fought were hit-and-run specialists; they didn't do sieges. So a company of Rangers, each with a loaded pair of Walker Colts, was most likely going to get through any encounter without having to reload. And do some serious damage...

 

[troy2000]

There is now an official gun of Texas.

Gov. Greg Abbott signed a resolution on Sunday naming the 1847 Colt Walker handgun the official handgun of Texas, he announced via Twitter.

 

[Stantheman86]

There is now an official gun of Texas.

Gov. Greg Abbott signed a resolution on Sunday naming the 1847 Colt Walker handgun the official handgun of Texas, he announced via Twitter.

That's beyond awesome!

 

[Stantheman86]

I did some light reading on the internet, and someone made the comment that the Comanches Walker and his Texas Rangers fought were hit-and-run specialists; they didn't do sieges. So a company of Rangers, each with a loaded pair of Walker Colts, was most likely going to get through any encounter without having to reload. And do some serious damage...

12 shots per man of 60 grain charges with Pickett bullets is huge firepower for the 1840's. It's pretty potent firepower for now even

 

[Tom A Hawk]

And even all that firepower poor Capt. Walker was killed with either a lance or a shotgun, depending on which account you read.

 

[troy2000]

And even all that firepower poor Capt. Walker was killed with either a lance or a shotgun, depending on which account you read.

View attachment 81626

Not by the Comanches, though... per Wikipedia,

Walker was killed on October 9, 1847, at Huamantla, in Tlaxcala, while leading his troops in the Battle of Huamantla during the Mexican–American War. He was struck down by a shotgun (escopeta) fired from a balcony, although popular legend claim he was killed by a lance.

I was surprised to read he was only 30 years old at the time.