Colt wedge switch..

[Homesteader]

I got an old Uberti '47 Colt Walker not long ago, and now find myself wondering why Colt switched the wedge from the right side on the Walker to the left in subsequent revolvers. Anyone know? Any particular reason?

 

[Zonie]

It's only a guess but it is probably because most people are right handed.
This allows them to hold the pistol in their left hand with the right side up while they remove the barrel wedge using something their right hand to press or tap the end of the wedge.

They don't have to worry about loosing the wedge because it is retained by the little screw on the left side of the barrel.

 

[CaptainKirk]

Just flip the gun over with your left hand and you can still use your right hand to remove the wedge....
I have no idea why they switched sides from right to left. Maybe it's political in nature....oh wait. We don't talk about that here. :nono:

 

[pargent]

Ease of manufacture.

 

[Homesteader]

Ease of manufacture.

Really? Why is it easier to manufacture with the wedge out of the left side rather than the right?

BTW, I find it equally easy / difficult to remove a wedge from either the right or left side. Just doesn't seem to be an issue for me. That's what made me curious.

Thanks for all the responses! :thumbsup:

 

[token tory]

Sam Walker was a rightie & Sam Colt a leftie maybe? :idunno:

 

[CaptainKirk]

Ease of manufacture.

Really? Why is it easier to manufacture with the wedge out of the left side rather than the right?

BTW, I find it equally easy / difficult to remove a wedge from either the right or left side. Just doesn't seem to be an issue for me. That's what made me curious.

Thanks for all the responses! :thumbsup:

I was wonderin' the same thing...

 

[t.l.a.r. eng]

Well, if you find that answer, perhaps it would explain the counter clockwise rifling on the Uberti Walker and the clockwise rifling on the Navy Colt by Pietta.
My Walker has the wedge going in from the right and the Navy from the left. :idunno:

 

[Zonie]

Although it doesn't explain why the book "*C*O*L*T* AN AMERICAN LEGEND", R.L.WILSON, ARTABRAS PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK, 8th printing shows some interesting photos on pages 22-27 which can at least give some insight into when the barrel wedge was changed from the right to the left.

The original Walkers shown on pages 22 and 24 both have the wedge installed from the right side of the gun.

The Whitneyville Walker or Transitional Walker was put into production during the latter part of the Walker production (1847-1848).
This pistol, characterized by several improvements still used the Walker style grips which are rounded at the junction with the frame. It also introduced several improvements over the original Walker with an improved loading lever latch system and a somewhat shorter cylinder.
Using the photos of several Transition Walkers shown on pages 22, 25 and 26 it is obvious that the wedge was also changed with the introduction of the Whitneyville model.

As a side note, the much earlier Paterson revolver shown on page 26 used a wedge that was installed from the left side indicating that this idea was not new.
The familiarity the Texas men had with these earlier Patersons may have been a contributing factor for the decision to change the direction of the wedge installation.

Apparently Colt liked this left side wedge installation because he retained it for all of his open top pistols for as long as they were made (1873).

 

[pargent]

I stand by what I said,fitting the wedge is but only one step on the line .The wedges on cart. conversions were fitted from the left because the shell extracter tube placement dictated this. Most times there is a realy simple reason for our most perplexing questions.EG the change took place in production because the fitters were mostly righthanded. :thumbsup: