You can add location information to your Tweets, such as your city or precise location, from the web and via third-party applications. You always have the option to delete your Tweet location history. Learn more
It was this fight, where 14 Rangers armed with rifles and Colt Paterson revolvers, drove off a much larger Comanche force, that made Walker a national name and got him on Sam Colt’s radar.pic.twitter.com/376HCsyYYY
Like I said, the 1847 Colt Walker wasn't invented by a Texas Ranger, but really, Sam Colt didn’t even invent the revolver. He patented an improvement on revolving firearms in 1836 and through vicious patent protection monopolized the market on revolving pistols in the US.pic.twitter.com/eW7XKUFSg2
I’m getting ahead of things though. In Sept. of 1845, Walker left the Rangers and enlisted in the US Army as a scout for Gen. Taylor. In April of 1846 he formed his own scout company and a few weeks later led them straight into an ambush.pic.twitter.com/QXXKryfFwo
But at least it found the enemy and his report made Taylor move the main body away from its vulnerable position.pic.twitter.com/kcnuP3rSoC
Walker was commissioned a captain in the US Mounted Rifles at the outbreak of the Mexican War, but it was inactive. He instead joined with the 1st Regiment, Texas Mounted Riflemen, and was elected LTC. He mustered out in Oct. 1846 and was told to go recruit for his USMR company.
Walker knew that he wanted Colt revolvers for his men. He decided to reach out to Colt, which was easy, because Colt had already reached out to him. On the fame of his Texas exploits, Colt had wanted an endorsement from Walker, to help generate interest in his product.pic.twitter.com/y9OulHsjNI
Because in 1846 – there was none. No interest. No factory. And no guns. Colt Paterson had folded in 1842, broke as a joke. Colt figured that with enough interest he might be able to start up again, maybe in his home state of Connecticut.pic.twitter.com/oWCUwoU8mI
So Sam Colt was probably pretty stoked when he got a letter dated Nov. 30, 1846 from Walker, saying “The Pistols [...]have been in use by the Rangers for three years […] The Texans who have learned their value by practical experience, their confidence in them unbounded..."pic.twitter.com/zfcSRjCMMj
He was probably really excited when he learned that Walker wanted to buy his revolvers to arm his men. Until he remembered that he had no factory. Worse, he didn’t even have the tooling to start up production again, that having been lost to a creditor.
Colt wrote to Walker that he could totes do that, but they had to order at least 1000 at $25 a pop. In advance, please. Walker said cool, so long as he could make some suggestions. Colt said that’s fine, except for the US Ordinance Department. Walker said “leave it to me.”pic.twitter.com/U0Mkry6T4W
And true to his word, Walker pulled some strings. “At the insistence of Captain Walker, the Secretary of War desires you to furnish one thousand revolving pistols…” the letter in December 1846 read. Colt was thrilled.pic.twitter.com/bHzdluQSZG
However, same problem – no guns. No factory. And Walker’s suggestions were…big.pic.twitter.com/khSLbnk7FK
Well, not all of them. The folding trigger sucked, lose that. Oh and a trigger guard like literally every other US military pistol, thanks. And make it .44 caliber. And since the chambers were bigger, the cylinder was bigger, so go ahead and add a sixth chamber.pic.twitter.com/sGvZZtpOMG
Colt contracted with a New York City gunsmith to make the first ones, and then used the tooling to contract with Eli Whitney Jr’s massive works to make 1100 of the “Model of 1847 Army Pistol”, with the extra hundo marked for commercial sales.
Colt used roll marking on the cylinders to prevent “counterfeiting” of his products. (remember the patent protections I mentioned earlier?) and the 1847 pistol had a depiction of “Hays’ Big Fight” against the Comanches on it, but with the Rangers dressed more like USMR.pic.twitter.com/Lqq857JnNB
Colt himself did refer to it as “the Walker pistol”, except for one problem. Neither Walker nor his company of USMR (initially) got issued this pistol. Instead, they went to Col. Hays and the 1st and 2nd Texas Mounted Volunteers. Walker and his men got flintlock horse pistols.pic.twitter.com/7qviX3gbTp
In October of 1847, Walker was killed in action, shot in the back and the head. He did have two “Model 1847”’s on him – serial numbers 1009 and 1010 – from the civilian run of 100, since as a US Army officer in the 1840s, any sidearm would have been a private purchase.
2. It was not “America’s first six-shooter.” This one is shorter to debunk. Just look at Colt’s 1836 patent. Count the chambers – there’s six of them.pic.twitter.com/ZBMi5DtU0v
3. Not a “gun of choice for US Soldiers” in the Mexican War. Over 70,000 US Solders served in the Mexican War, only 1000 were made, about half actually got issued, and the majority of these pistols went to Texas Mounted Volunteers.
After his death, Walker’s company got about 100 of them. 2nd US Dragoons got them too.pic.twitter.com/XV3M6M1tzO
Weighing in at over 4 pounds, taking 60 grains of black powder (basically a rifle charge), and pushing a 218 grain (!!!) conical “picket” bullet, it was a hand cannon.pic.twitter.com/Z2PT6kAZFQ
Of course, many of the Texas Mounted Volunteers were unfamiliar with revolvers, and would load them backwards – which made them explode. One Texan shot his horse while trying to clean his Walker.pic.twitter.com/mARaIZjTWl
Hasty reloading could also result in a chain fire, which is also less than ideal. Something like a 1/3 of the issued pistols had to go back to the factory for repairs – and of that number only about half were repairable.pic.twitter.com/ouTtM7bRqK
So naming the Walker, a boat anchor of a gun, that would sometimes explode, that was ludicrously overpowered, and honestly is more hype and myth than reality and can now only be afforded by the rich, sort of scans for Texas.pic.twitter.com/ceCJt3Qofg
And of course, I find it incredibly funny that Texas’ “Official State Handgun” has “New York City” stamped on it.pic.twitter.com/OUcKccurXI
Check out Doug Duke’s book, Firearms of the Texas Rangers: From the Frontier Era to the Modern Age for specific information about the guns of the Rangers, with a whole chapter on the Walker.https://www.amazon.com/Firearms-Texas-Rangers-Frontier-Modern/dp/1574418106/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=firearms+of+the+Texas+rangers&qid=1621889574&sr=8-1 …
The Texas Digital Archive has Sam Walker’s papers digitized if anyone's curious. https://tsl.access.preservica.com
Oh, and I skipped something on No. 3 - With only 100 commercially available, prices soared and Colt was getting 5 times what he charged the military. This was more than the average soldier earning $7 per month would make in a year and then some. Not the "choice of US soldiers."
Unless those soldiers were independently wealthy and also felt like maybe having their gun explode in their hand 1/3 of the time.pic.twitter.com/8PWb8LDnhE
And before someone says "oh sure Colt's 1836 patent has six shots but the Patersons were five shot...." I was being kind to Sammy. But Ethan Allen (not the green mountain guy) had six shot pepperboxes before Walker ever met with Colt.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.
