Colt’s Dragoons!?

Golfswithwolves said:

Gus McCrae carried one.

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In the film he did. In McMurtry's books Gus carried a Dragoon. Deets packed a Walker with a broken hammer spur. He was the only one of the Hat Creek outfit "stout" enough to carry one all day.

Stophel said:

Texas Ranger "Rip" Ford with a pair of Walkers on his belt.

That's like 9 pounds of iron hangin on that narrow little belt!

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Take notice that he's also tending to a hernia under the jacket...

Staged photo or did Rip really carry them about on the daily?

Smokey Plainsman said:

Staged photo or did Rip really carry them about on the daily?

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Staged photo was my first thought. Hard to walk with those big shootin' irons banging on your thighs. Who would actually carry pistols like that...

Here’s another Ranger carrying a Walker. We’ll never know how far or for how long, Note the muzzle and front end of loading lever protruding from the holster.

Gee Dog said:

View attachment 18648


Here’s another Ranger carrying a Walker. We’ll never know how far or for how long, Note the muzzle and front end of loading lever protruding from the holster.

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Any provenance to the photo? The clothes and the gun all look like photographer props to me.

From Pinterest. The hats are period correct and not uncommon for the time and place. The stitching on the pants is clearly of Mexican influence. How many photographers do you supposed owned Walkers? People didn't need props for the clothing they would normally wear.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/468937379928404610/?lp=true

I doubt Mr. Ford was on foot with those pistols very often. But I have no doubt that he carried them that way.

Weren’t gun of this type strictly considered a “horse pistol”, and never carried on the person?

Definitely 'horse pistols' but one can never say that they were never carried on the person.

Those guys spent half their lives horseback anyway and so if they didn't have pommel holsters they could just wear their rig and the horse would do all the heavy lifting.

Not hard to see how and why 1851's got so popular.

In one of my books in storage there were several belt holster from the Gold Rush era for the Walkers. Look at the weight of the original guns of the era to what people have now and complain about. We have gotten soft as time has progressed.

Gee Dog said:

View attachment 18648


Here’s another Ranger carrying a Walker. We’ll never know how far or for how long, Note the muzzle and front end of loading lever protruding from the holster.

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I'm wondering if that image is reversed like the one showing Billy the Kid with a left handed Winchester. Also, the "Ranger" on the left looks about 14 years old to me.

Does anyone make a holster and belt for the massive Walker's Colt's?

Is that a left hand shake? Maybe the photographer was just trying not to obscure the Walker.

He does look young but if he was old enough to ride, shoot and follow orders he was old enough for the Rangers. That kid could have been a veteran of many engagements by the time of the picher, or not.

Smokey Plainsman said:

Does anyone make a holster and belt for the massive Walker's Colt's?

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Check El Paso Saddlery.

Tom A Hawk said:

I'm wondering if that image is reversed like the one showing Billy the Kid with a left handed Winchester. Also, the "Ranger" on the left looks about 14 years old to me.

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As is typical with photos from that time the image is reversed, they are shaking hands with their left hands. The Walker is in a civilian (no brass closure stud) full flap holster with the flap tucked behind the gun for the photo. I believe that image appears in "Packing Iron" but my copy isn't right at hand. The photo was staged, notice the canvas backdrop, but I don't believe anything in the picture to be the photographer's props.

"Does anyone make a holster and belt for the massive Walker's Colt's?"

I picked up a dark brown Walker slim jim crossdraw holster from that infamous auction house a few years ago. I discovered real fast that unless I wanted to wear it around my ankles a regular belt wasn't for me. I got an 1851 officer's saber belt from S&S firearms ( http://www.ssfirearms.com/proddetail.asp?prod=L52) and an early shield front musket cap box. Given my age I figured I could pass myself off as a retired officer who had gone rangering. I got a slim jim from one of the members here for my Patterson and I guess I could carry that too. I took the saber straps off and the cross strap makes a very comfortable outfit to carry specially since I don't have enough butt anymore to keep my pants up let alone a Walker in a holster.

Hawkeye, my adult daughter says I have no butt, just a back with a crack.

hawkeye2 said:

As is typical with photos from that time the image is reversed, they are shaking hands with their left hands. The Walker is in a civilian (no brass closure stud) full flap holster with the flap tucked behind the gun for the photo. I believe that image appears in "Packing Iron" but my copy isn't right at hand. The photo was staged, notice the canvas backdrop, but I don't believe anything in the picture to be the photographer's props.

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Bonus points for your good memory and reference tip.
Here is page 64 of Packing Iron which shows the photo in normal orientation. The caption mentions "Young Californian".


Also, Ranger Ford appears on page 77 and the pistons are identified as Dragoons. Still a hefty load to carry.

FWIW I have used a pair of Uberti Second Model Dragoons at Cowboy shoots. Of course that's only about 7-8 hours of walking around and I normally use other guns, but it didn't seem too bad. The Dragoons were very pleasant to shoot. I just finished up a pair of Uberti Walkers and will have to wait until next season to see how that goes.