Was just watching Tales of the Gun...

[Fishguy]

I was just watching Tales of the Gun on History channel, and this episode was about million dollar guns.

Anyway, they were discussing the Walker Colt and they made the claim that the 44 caliber Walker Colt in 1842 packed more of a punch than a modern 44 Magnum.

I find that a little tough to believe, anyone know this to be fact of fiction?

 

[mikec]

The Walker Colt was a massive handgun. Many years back some magazine publisher printed a "special edition" about magnum handguns and they included that gun. I seem to remember they said that a Walker had more energy than anything until the .357 Magnum was introduced.

I have never fired one, so I do not have first hand knowledge.

 

[mudskipper]

I call BS on that. I'll take 1955-to-present metalurgy over 1842 metalurgy any day of the week and twice on Sunday...

I just don't think it was possible back then to produce the kind of steels suitable for making cylinders that can handle the kind of pressures generated by the .44mag, let alone exceeding it.

Plus, this is blackpowder, too, not smokeless. Totally different pressure curves and burn speeds.

 

[Jimbob2.0]

History Channel is about as accurate as Wikipedia.

 

[Hol3shot]

I call BS on that. I'll take 1955-to-present metalurgy over 1842 metalurgy any day of the week and twice on Sunday...

I just don't think it was possible back then to produce the kind of steels suitable for making cylinders that can handle the kind of pressures generated by the .44mag, let alone exceeding it.

Plus, this is blackpowder, too, not smokeless. Totally different pressure curves and burn speeds.

I'd have to 2nd that. I can't imagine how they could say that when real "steel" wasn't introduced until later.

 

[JCB003]

Still, the Walker is bad ass and I will get a repro eventually. Massive smoke & big bang. It's the only black powder handgun on my want list. It's just cool.

 

[indiana cletus]

ive got a repro walker and a 44 mag so...... i call bs. my 44 mag has more punch, but id still hate to be on the recieving end of either! and the walker, maybe not as powerful, but a BLAST to shoot! 5 lbs of steel, with 6 shots, 60 grains each shot out of that massive 9 inch barrel, its the closest you can get to a handheld cannon! always gets stares at the range, and has put several deer in my freezer. if you havent fired one, you need to!

 

[mudskipper]

44 Walker Colt, 60gr FFFg, 141gr round lead ball = 500+ ftlbs energy


S&W Mod 29, 44Mag, 240gr JSP = 1,200 ftlbs of energy

 

[Fishguy]

44 Walker Colt, 60gr FFFg, 141gr round lead ball = 500+ ftlbs energy


S&W Mod 29, 44Mag, 240gr JSP = 1,200 ftlbs of energy

Yeah, it sounded a little off. I thought black powder was limited to a relatively low top speed due to it's burn time.

But, still, 500 ft lbs for a revolver before the civil war is pretty bad a$$, I think.

 

[mudskipper]

But, still, 500 ft lbs for a revolver before the civil war is pretty bad a$$, I think.

Hell, that's badass now!

 

[Doc TH]

Colt Walker

TV is TV. In the real world, the answer is NO.

 

[putneyswope]

they must have borrowed their fact checkers from the AP...lol.

 

[NathanJ]

But as they showed in Lonesome Dove the Walker Colt can knock the feces out of somebody clubbed with it.

A little long but worth the watch. One of the best movies ever...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FKonpoubuI