Colt open top models 1848-1862.

Skinny 1950

Skinny 1950

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I have some original and lots of reproductions of Colt open top revolvers and would like to share some experiences shooting the various models that I have.
The earliest models that I have are the 1848 Walker and 1848 Baby Dragoon (reproductions), the Walker is a big heavy and powerful .44 Calibre gun that is best shot using two hands, the recoil is mild due to the weight. With a full chamber the ball will move slightly above the speed of sound (1135 FPS). The Walker has a loading lever catch close to where it pivots on the frame and even mild loads are enough to cause the lever to drop and the ram then gets jammed into one of the chambers making indexing to the next shot awkward. I bought an unfired gun and found that with the first 100 or so shots the gun would gum up after 3 or 4 shots making the cylinder difficult to rotate. This problem seems to be going away the more I shoot it and now I can get the full 6 shots off without having to rotate the cylinder by hand. I just picked up another Walker which had been shot a lot and after fixing the bolt spring it shoots just fine except that the lever still drops. The large size of the Walker reduces the incidence of caps jamming up the action so that is not a big problem.
I will add to this thread later with some other open top models that I have.
 
Hey Skinny.
I think the best handling and balanced are the "51 Navy" guns, but I have a 62 Police that should be much the same, that fits me way better. I don't shoot cap & ball guns near as much as I should, so loading, jamming, or cleaning aren't really an issue, just part of the process. Accuracy is not an issue, the gun doesn't expect anything from me either. Just a fun way to dink away the afternoon. I have tried to get a model 71 .44 rf a couple times, no luck. I don't have any reproductions, so must rely on old junk. Maybe a family photo would be nice.
 
I just added a 62 Police to my collection and I agree it fits the hand like a glove, with a .36 Calibre 5 shot rebated cylinder in a '49 Pocket size frame it makes for a bit more firepower.
The Baby Dragoon and the 1849 Pocket Colts in .31 Cal. are very tame in terms of recoil but were very popular probably due to their light weight and small size. They are somewhat difficult to load because of their reduced dimensions,capping the chambers being particularly tedious in cold weather.
I have also added a 3rd Model Dragoon to my stable, this being a much improved incarnation of the Walker with a shorter cylinder and barrel and a reduced weight, the loading lever latch at the muzzle end eliminates the dropping lever problem. I have prepared the Dragoon for a shooting session but have not yet shot it...range report to follow.
 
I used to have a repro Walker which appeared to be near new at the time I bought it. I had the same problem of the cylinder jamming from powder fouling although in my case I could fire to cylinders full before I had to remove it and wash the pivot area. I tried for a third cylinder once and the cylinder was jammed so tight that I had to put the gun barrel down in a bucket of water for 5 minutes to soften the foulding before I could strip the gun. Puzzling thing is that I did not have the problem with a Colt Navy 36 nor with the original navy 36 which I presently have

cheers mooncoon
 
Those of us that shoot cap & ball guns in SASS competitions can relate to your woes. It's unusual to go through a 10 stage match without a glitch or two - especially with the Colt "wedgies".

A couple of pointers:

- lube the cylinder arbor with a good BP lube
- ensure an adequate space between the face of the cylinder and the barrel
- occasionally wipe off the face of the cylinder
- use a little Ballistol on arbor between strings to prevent binding
- use a vent pick to clear nipples as part of the loading process

As for the loading lever dropping, many of us use a wrap of masking tape or a leather thong. It ain't "Cowboy|", but ya gotta do what ya can ta keep 'em workin'! The Walkers and Dragoons are the worst in that regard, especially on a hot day when all the metal is expanding and things are very greasy.
Dyed-in-the-wool Walker shooters often get a latch made similar to that of the Dragoon models, or replace the loading lever catch spring. Reducing the powder charge can also be an aid, but not a cure.

As for caps jamming the action, the best solution is to shoot Remingtons! Proper cap fit and learning to flick the gun to the right as you recock helps the "wedgies".
 
I have always wondered if there was a difference in rifeling in repro barrels compared to original production.

Heres a picture of my early pattern "colt manufacture" 5 shot 49 pocket.

Always was curious to see if there was a difference between the originals and the repros, and to see how alike the originals were/are to each other.


 
ne of my Colt reference books says that the Paterson had a gain twist rifling. I've owned two repros and neither of them had a gain twist.
 
I have repro Baby Dragoon made by Armi San Marco which I will dig out and compare the bore to an original '49 Pocket, I have compared the bores of a repro 1860 Army with an original and they were identical.
Here is a picture of my latest acquisition an 1862 Police in .36 Cal. made by Colt in the early 1970's in un-fired condition, I am seriously considering shooting this gun because it just feels right in the hand:


 
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