Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Colt Dragoon Revolver
The Colt Model 1848 Percussion Army Revolver is a .44 caliber revolver designed by Samuel Colt for the U.S. Army's Regiment of Mounted Rifles. The revolver was also issued to the Army's "Dragoon" regiments. This revolver was designed as a solution to numerous problems encountered with the Colt Walker. Although it was introduced after the Mexican–American War, it became popular among civilians during the 1850s and 1860s and was also used during the American Civil War.
The Colt Dragoon Revolver was produced with several variations between 1847 and 1860, when the Colt Model 1860 revolver replaced it. All the improvements in design of Colt revolvers were applied to the Dragoons as well to the smaller models of Colt revolvers. Total production of Colt Dragoons including the 1,100 Walkers, from 1847 to 1860: 19,800; plus 750 Dragoons in a separate number range for the British market. For collectors, there are three different types with one "transition" model.
Between the Walker and the First model Dragoon, around 240 improved "Whitneyville Dragoons" or "Transitional Dragoons" were produced at the Eli Whitney factory for Colt, having a barrel length of 7+1⁄2 inches (190 mm) and a cylinder diameter of 2+3⁄16 inches (56 mm). The cylinder, shorter than the Walker, retained oval cutouts for the bolt. Their general appearance was similar to that of the production Dragoon models. These were produced between late in 1847 and 1848, serial number range approximately 1100 (the last civilian Walker) through about 1340 (the first Dragoon First Model). These are sometimes called "Transitional Dragoon" revolvers, and were made in two frame variations. The earlier pattern was a Walker carry-over with a cut-out in the back to accommodate the round contour of the grips and the second was straight-backed. Another distinctive detail were the very slender "Slim Jim" grips. Note: Due to serial number gaps between the "Transition" model and the First Dragoon, which Colt later "backfilled", as well as the details of the production and delivery of the Second Government Contract, the "fluck Dragoon" was erroneously derived.
The First Model Colt Dragoon Revolver production began in 1848, stemming from Colt's Second Government Contract. It has rectangular cylinder stops, a V-type mainspring, no wheel on the rear of the hammer, and a square back trigger guard. Colt produced about 7,000 first models between 1848 and 1850.
The Second Model has rectangular cylinder notches. Until the no. 10,000 the V-shaped mainspring was standard and then replaced with a flat leaf mainspring and a wheel on the hammer at its bearing on the mainspring. All the Second Model Dragoons have the square back trigger guard. The company made about 2,550 Second Models in 1850 and 1851.
The Third Model Dragoon numbers stand at ten-thousand from 1851 through 1860. This design had more variations as compared to its earlier counterparts. Some of the third model Colt Dragoon Revolvers had frame cuts for detachable shoulder stocks, horizontal loading lever latches and folding leaf sights. Third Colt Dragoon Revolvers had a round trigger guard. Government records showed an order for 8,390 Dragoons.
Other variants included the Colt "1848 Pocket Pistol" now known as the Baby Dragoon, marketed in California with success during the Gold rush days. With the addition of a loading lever this evolved into the 1849 pocket revolver (see Colt Pocket Percussion Revolvers).
The Dragoon was produced because of the problems seen with the fielded Colt Walker revolvers, namely, the Walker's heavy weight, four and a half pounds, making it suitable only for use as a saddle-mounted revolver, the Walker's propensity for cylinders exploding on occasion when fired (due to the chambers being loaded with too much powder often in combination with the Pickett bullets being loaded backwards), and the Walker's habit of dropping the loading lever upon discharge, locking up the revolver action in the middle of combat. The Colt Dragoon Revolver had a comparatively shorter cylinder (thus preventing overloading the cylinder) and held up to 50 grains of powder, whereas the Walker had used up to 60 grains of powder. The Dragoon Revolver had a shorter barrel at 7.5 inches (190 mm) (and on some later revolvers, 8 inches [200 mm]) as compared to the 9-inch (230 mm) barrel on the Walker. A loading lever latch in front of the lever replaced the spring to keep the lever from dropping during recoil, thereby preventing jamming of the revolver. These variations gave the Colt Dragoon Revolver a weight of 4 pounds 2 ounces (1.9 kg). These changes also reduced the risk of the Colt Dragoon Revolver exploding when fired, obviating the risk that had been demonstrated with the Walker revolvers.
Hub AI
Colt Dragoon Revolver AI simulator
(@Colt Dragoon Revolver_simulator)
Colt Dragoon Revolver
The Colt Model 1848 Percussion Army Revolver is a .44 caliber revolver designed by Samuel Colt for the U.S. Army's Regiment of Mounted Rifles. The revolver was also issued to the Army's "Dragoon" regiments. This revolver was designed as a solution to numerous problems encountered with the Colt Walker. Although it was introduced after the Mexican–American War, it became popular among civilians during the 1850s and 1860s and was also used during the American Civil War.
The Colt Dragoon Revolver was produced with several variations between 1847 and 1860, when the Colt Model 1860 revolver replaced it. All the improvements in design of Colt revolvers were applied to the Dragoons as well to the smaller models of Colt revolvers. Total production of Colt Dragoons including the 1,100 Walkers, from 1847 to 1860: 19,800; plus 750 Dragoons in a separate number range for the British market. For collectors, there are three different types with one "transition" model.
Between the Walker and the First model Dragoon, around 240 improved "Whitneyville Dragoons" or "Transitional Dragoons" were produced at the Eli Whitney factory for Colt, having a barrel length of 7+1⁄2 inches (190 mm) and a cylinder diameter of 2+3⁄16 inches (56 mm). The cylinder, shorter than the Walker, retained oval cutouts for the bolt. Their general appearance was similar to that of the production Dragoon models. These were produced between late in 1847 and 1848, serial number range approximately 1100 (the last civilian Walker) through about 1340 (the first Dragoon First Model). These are sometimes called "Transitional Dragoon" revolvers, and were made in two frame variations. The earlier pattern was a Walker carry-over with a cut-out in the back to accommodate the round contour of the grips and the second was straight-backed. Another distinctive detail were the very slender "Slim Jim" grips. Note: Due to serial number gaps between the "Transition" model and the First Dragoon, which Colt later "backfilled", as well as the details of the production and delivery of the Second Government Contract, the "fluck Dragoon" was erroneously derived.
The First Model Colt Dragoon Revolver production began in 1848, stemming from Colt's Second Government Contract. It has rectangular cylinder stops, a V-type mainspring, no wheel on the rear of the hammer, and a square back trigger guard. Colt produced about 7,000 first models between 1848 and 1850.
The Second Model has rectangular cylinder notches. Until the no. 10,000 the V-shaped mainspring was standard and then replaced with a flat leaf mainspring and a wheel on the hammer at its bearing on the mainspring. All the Second Model Dragoons have the square back trigger guard. The company made about 2,550 Second Models in 1850 and 1851.
The Third Model Dragoon numbers stand at ten-thousand from 1851 through 1860. This design had more variations as compared to its earlier counterparts. Some of the third model Colt Dragoon Revolvers had frame cuts for detachable shoulder stocks, horizontal loading lever latches and folding leaf sights. Third Colt Dragoon Revolvers had a round trigger guard. Government records showed an order for 8,390 Dragoons.
Other variants included the Colt "1848 Pocket Pistol" now known as the Baby Dragoon, marketed in California with success during the Gold rush days. With the addition of a loading lever this evolved into the 1849 pocket revolver (see Colt Pocket Percussion Revolvers).
The Dragoon was produced because of the problems seen with the fielded Colt Walker revolvers, namely, the Walker's heavy weight, four and a half pounds, making it suitable only for use as a saddle-mounted revolver, the Walker's propensity for cylinders exploding on occasion when fired (due to the chambers being loaded with too much powder often in combination with the Pickett bullets being loaded backwards), and the Walker's habit of dropping the loading lever upon discharge, locking up the revolver action in the middle of combat. The Colt Dragoon Revolver had a comparatively shorter cylinder (thus preventing overloading the cylinder) and held up to 50 grains of powder, whereas the Walker had used up to 60 grains of powder. The Dragoon Revolver had a shorter barrel at 7.5 inches (190 mm) (and on some later revolvers, 8 inches [200 mm]) as compared to the 9-inch (230 mm) barrel on the Walker. A loading lever latch in front of the lever replaced the spring to keep the lever from dropping during recoil, thereby preventing jamming of the revolver. These variations gave the Colt Dragoon Revolver a weight of 4 pounds 2 ounces (1.9 kg). These changes also reduced the risk of the Colt Dragoon Revolver exploding when fired, obviating the risk that had been demonstrated with the Walker revolvers.