Colt Walker

[Tommy2guns]

Did Colt make any of the civilian type Walkers without all of the horrible "company" markings in a second or third generation? I want one but most everything I see are these terrible, less than authentic looking pieces with horrible oversized markings and with the cheesy Sam Colt signature on the blackstrap.

Hard to find but willing to pay....

[Fred]

No Civilian type Walkers are made by anybody. No current maker of Walkers puts a civilian Walker out on the market. No company puts a Walker of any type out that's remotely close to an original in form let alone exactly like or scary close to an original. Here is mine that I made from parts of two Walkers (an in the white and rough and unfinished Kit) Uberti that I reshaped everywhere necessary and then filed and finished the surface. The cylinder was from Palmetto Arms since their cylinder was the very best for authenticity as to shape of shoulder and shape and size of cylinder bolt notches as well as the cylinder scene. Originals were roll pressed into the cylinders leaving a pressure ridge on the cylinders, so I created a pressure ridge on the cylinder too. Front sight was of Nickel or German Silver like the originals were. I reshaped the shape of the hammer too to be just like an original. Opened up and shaped the loading portal in the barrel lug to be exactly like an original and to accept a conical (ogive) bullet. I also had to reshape the cams on the back side of the cylinder to work on the Uberti frame and hand & spring. All edges were re-shaped to be exactly like an original Civilian Walker. I elongated the back strap to match an original as well as took some metal out of the inside corner of where the bottom strap and back strap meet. reshaped the loading lever to match the shape of some originals on early 1847 made (Eli Whiney) Walkers that are in collections. I stamped small Whitney type serial numbers on it also in the correct places. I stamped the ADDRESS SAML COLT NEW-YORK CITY on the top flat of the barrel lug along with serif's. All together, I put about 120 hours in the pistol. I've made three of these over the years. They've gotten people excited at guns shows and upon telling them that I made them, people are confused and surprised. One fellow sat for an hour behind my table and tried to convince me that one of my pistols was an original civilian Walker. I finally had to tell him that I'd made it before he'd leave. I had to re time the cylinder bolt / hammer cam and spring to the correct 4 clicks in proper order. Reshaped the trigger too.

[pdc]

Fred. All I can say is Wow. And I thought I was a tinkerer. Feel free to share more.

[da gimp]

fred, mark your name on them too............ it'll keep some "less than honest" fellow in the future from palming it off to a rich newbie for huge bucks. neat piece sir.

[Nate]

An old collector I met once, years ago, showed me a Walker that he made from the original drawings. At least that was the story. He was well known and respected and I didn't doubt him. He had no interest in selling it and I don't know what happened to it.

[Weasel]

For those of you who have deep pockets and fat check books here's real Colt Walker for sale.

http://www.collectorsfirearms.com/colt-walker-44-c9707/

[Fred]

fred, mark your name on them too............ it'll keep some "less than honest" fellow in the future from palming it off to a rich newbie for huge bucks. neat piece sir.

Fred. All I can say is Wow. And I thought I was a tinkerer. Feel free to share more.

Thanks guys. However I've long ago sold them to whomever and they're down the road. I only asked for a few hundred over cost for my work. The serial number that I gave all of them was 1011. The original civilian Walker with that number hasn't been found yet. However, I'll betcha that anyone with the money to buy a real walker would have done their homework before they spend a couple of hundred grand on one. As good as they appear to a casual observer, a collector with the money would be able to figure out that they aren't originals. I think that I could and I'm nothing like an expert on the subject. However I pride myself in having a keen eye and so being the artist that I am, I just tried to duplicate every line and curve of an original on it. There's are actually two different forms of loading levers on the originals and also, a lot of the original Walker loading levers on the revolvers have been modified as to contour and shape at the end. I've been thinking about creating a pair of walkers with realistic looking acutraments within a single wooden presentation case. The original Walker screw drivers had the nipple wrench opening turned 90 degrees from what the reproduction wrenches have. That wouldn't be very hard to change. Also, the contours are different. Again, not a problem. Metal is like clay. It can be added, shaped and removed where needed. I'm just not interested in Walkers anymore. Possibly once I get into a project, it'll be fun again. Anyway, I'm glad that you guys like my pistol. I even added metal in places where only originals have that feature. I guess that there is a reason nobody produces a really scary and too close to an original Walker. That last Walker that I made was looked at by some guy at the gun show (not a collector) where I sold it who called me some horrible names. He said that I had no business making such a thing and that I should be run out of the show. I only wanted $1,300.00 for it because I'd spent so much time on it. Over 100 hours of intense work. Anyway, he was so very rude and angry that it took all of the fun out of making them for me. So I never did another. That was about 12 years ago.
Gosh, all of this talk about Walkers has gotten my interest up again!


Click on this link for some pictures of real walkers...

http://tgca.org/Parade_of_Walkers.html

[Shooter5]

Nice repro! Last time we checked, America is a free country - Make some more! Sourpuss' like that aint worth crud.

[Fred]

Yea, I think I will. A pair of Walkers and a pair if Whitneyville Dragoons would be nice.

[Tommy2guns]

Thank you guys for the good commentary and entertainment. I know Tommy Haas made a few a Walkers that were pretty darn good copies and a few other high dollar saa pieces and Patersons.

If you want to see a hilarious and horrible Paterson repro that has gone awry take a look at gunbroker auction #410733144.

Worst faked piece I have ever laid eyes on.....