Colt Walker
The Colt Walker, formally designated the Model 1847 Walker Percussion Revolver, was a .44 caliber single-action black powder revolver jointly designed by American inventor Samuel Colt and Texas Ranger Captain Samuel Hamilton Walker in 1847.[1] Developed as an improved iteration of Colt's earlier Paterson revolvers, it featured a larger frame, heavier construction, and enhanced loading mechanism to address combat deficiencies observed by Walker during frontier service.[2][3] Weighing approximately 4.5 pounds unloaded with a 9-inch octagonal barrel and six-shot cylinder, the Colt Walker delivered exceptional muzzle energy for a handgun of its era, estimated at over 500 foot-pounds, making it the most powerful black powder pistol ever mass-produced.[4][5] Adopted by the U.S. Army Ordnance Department as its first purchased repeating revolver, around 1,100 units were manufactured at the Whitney Armory in New Haven, Connecticut, primarily for issue to Texas Ranger companies and U.S. Mounted Rifles regiments during the Mexican-American War.[6] Its combat deployment highlighted both strengths and limitations: the revolver's robust power proved decisive in close-quarters engagements against Mexican lancers and cavalry, contributing to Ranger successes under leaders like John Coffee Hays, but operational flaws such as cylinder ruptures from overcharged loads and a fragile loading lever prone to failure under recoil led to modifications in subsequent Colt Dragoon models.[2][5] The Colt Walker's introduction revitalized Colt's firearms enterprise after earlier financial setbacks, establishing the revolving-cylinder design as a staple of American military and civilian armament for decades.[1][7]Origins and Development
Collaboration Between Samuel Colt and Captain Walker
Captain Samuel Hamilton Walker, a Texas Ranger who had used Samuel Colt's earlier Paterson revolvers during frontier service under John Coffee Hays, provided critical input for improving Colt's designs based on combat experience against Mexican forces.[8][9] Following the 1842 bankruptcy of Colt's Patent Arms Manufacturing Company, Colt sought military contracts and contacted Walker in late 1846, leveraging Walker's reputation to advocate for enhanced repeating firearms amid the ongoing Mexican-American War.[5][3] In December 1846, while in Washington, D.C., to recruit for U.S. Mounted Rifles, Walker endorsed Colt's Paterson model and collaborated directly on modifications, emphasizing the need for a larger, more powerful handgun capable of greater stopping power at extended ranges.[2][5] Walker's suggestions included increasing the caliber to .44 inches, boosting the black powder charge to 60 grains for enhanced velocity and impact—far exceeding the Paterson's lighter load—and incorporating a fixed loading lever for ramming bullets, addressing field reloading issues observed in earlier models.[3] These changes transformed the revolver into a cavalry weapon suited for mounted combat, with Colt incorporating Walker's practical insights into a new patent application filed on December 7, 1846.[1] By early 1847, Walker's advocacy secured a U.S. Army contract for 1,000 of the improved revolvers, named the Colt Walker in his honor, with production outsourced to Eli Whitney Jr.'s armory to meet the urgent wartime deadline of three months.[5] The collaboration marked Colt's resurgence, as Walker's field-tested recommendations directly addressed the Paterson's limitations in reliability and firepower, enabling rapid scaling of manufacturing despite Colt lacking his own facilities at the time.[1]Initial Design Specifications and Innovations
The Colt Walker revolver was designed in 1846 to meet specifications provided by Captain Samuel H. Walker for use by mounted troops, emphasizing power and reliability in combat against Mexican lancers during the Mexican-American War. Official contract requirements stipulated a nine-inch rifled barrel made of hammered cast steel, with a bore sized for .44-inch diameter lead balls; a six-shot cylinder; and stocks of hard wood such as maple or walnut, finished to high workmanship standards.[5] The overall design resulted in a single-action percussion revolver weighing over four pounds and measuring approximately 16 inches in length, making it substantially larger and heavier than prior civilian models.[10] Key innovations addressed limitations of Colt's earlier Paterson revolvers, which were .36-caliber five-shot designs with folding triggers prone to failure under heavy use. The Walker incorporated a fixed trigger guard and a robust steel frame to withstand larger black powder charges—up to 60 grains—enabling muzzle energies comparable to modern .357 Magnum loads and an effective range of about 100 yards.[4] [11] A hinged loading lever beneath the barrel, an evolution from the Paterson's rudimentary ramrod, allowed soldiers to ram home powder, wadding, and balls directly in the field without separate tools, enhancing reload speed and practicality for cavalry.[12] This .44-caliber six-shot configuration represented the first major advancement in revolver power for military application, prioritizing stopping power over concealability or light weight.[6]Production and Procurement
Manufacturing Process in 1847
The Colt Walker revolvers were manufactured under contract at the Whitneyville Armory in Connecticut by Eli Whitney Jr., as Samuel Colt lacked his own production facilities following the collapse of his earlier Paterson enterprise.[13][5][14] The U.S. Army contract, secured on January 4, 1847, called for 1,000 units to be delivered within six months, prompting round-the-clock operations to meet the deadline; the first 220 were completed by June 7, 1847, with the full run totaling approximately 1,100 revolvers finished that year.[13][14] Production emphasized early industrial methods, including the use of water-powered machinery such as lathes, drills, and milling machines to machine metal components with precision tolerances, enabling interchangeable parts and reducing reliance on skilled hand-filing by craftsmen.[15][14] A division of labor assigned specialized workers to specific operations—like drilling, filing, or finishing—supported by jigs and fixtures for consistency, with subcomponents outsourced: cylinders and barrels from Slate and Brown, percussion cones from William Ball, and final frame assembly at Whitneyville.[13][14] Materials included hammered cast steel for barrels and cylinders, cast or double-sheet steel for lockwork, case-hardened iron for the hammer and frame, and black walnut stocks secured by iron straps, reflecting the era's metallurgy suited to percussion firearms but prone to limitations in strength under high loads.[5] This assembly-line approach, influenced by Whitney's prior musket production, marked a step toward mass manufacturing in American firearms, though the short run highlighted challenges in scaling for complex revolvers without modern Bessemer steel processes.[14][15]Military Contract and Distribution
In January 1847, Samuel Colt secured a U.S. Army contract through the Ordnance Department to manufacture 1,000 Model 1847 percussion revolvers, priced at $25 per pistol along with accessories including powder flasks and cartridge boxes at additional rates of $3 and $2 respectively.[16][17] The contract, formally approved by Secretary of War William L. Marcy on January 6, followed Captain Samuel H. Walker's endorsement and design input, aiming to equip mounted troops for the ongoing Mexican-American War with a more reliable and powerful handgun than prior single-shot pistols.[5] Production occurred at Eli Whitney Jr.'s armory in Whitneyville, Connecticut, under Colt's supervision, completing the military order alongside 100 additional revolvers for private sale by late 1847.[18] The revolvers were serially numbered in batches corresponding to military companies—A, B, C, and D—each allocated 250 units to facilitate organized issuance.[19] Initial shipments arrived in Veracruz, Mexico, in October 1847, shortly after Walker's death at the Battle of Huamantla on October 9, with distribution prioritizing the 1st Regiment of United States Mounted Riflemen under Colonel John Garland for cavalry and dragoon operations.[5] Company C revolvers, for instance, were issued to troops under Colonel William S. Harney later that month, enabling rapid deployment in advance of infantry advances toward Mexico City.[19] Walker himself had received presentation examples prior to his death, using them in combat with his Texas volunteer company, though the bulk served U.S. regular mounted forces rather than state units. Post-war accountability revealed significant attrition, with only about 191 of the 1,000 military-issue revolvers returned to ordnance depots by 1848, attributable to battlefield losses, breakage, and informal retention by troops valuing their firepower. The contract marked Colt's reentry into large-scale military production after his Paterson firm's 1842 bankruptcy, establishing a precedent for subsequent Dragoon models while highlighting logistical challenges in wartime handgun supply.[16]Design Features and Mechanism
Physical Dimensions and Materials
The Colt Walker revolver measured approximately 15.75 inches in overall length, with a 9-inch barrel.[20][21] It weighed 4.5 pounds unloaded.[20][21] The barrel featured seven rifling grooves with a left-hand twist.[22]| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Caliber | .44 (0.454-inch round ball) – wait, no wiki, but from others: .44 cal [web:1] etc. Wait, avoid wiki. From [web:6] .44 |
| Cylinder Capacity | 6 rounds[22] |
| Barrel Length | 9 inches[5] |
| Overall Length | 15.75 inches[21] |
| Weight | 4.5 pounds[20] |