Colt Dragoon Revolver

It was 1846, the state of Texas was to do battle with Mexico the second time. Captain Sam Walker was sent east by General Zachary Taylor to meet with Samuel Colt concerning the creation of 1000 special holster pistols for use by the Rangers to tame the Texas frontier and quell the Mexican mess on the border. Walker was selected because of his knowledge of Colt firearms. The new revolver was to be bigger, much bigger. The Dragoon Revolver was introduced in 1848 when the Mexican War ended. It was used for the U.S. Army's Rifles. The Colt Dragoon Revolver was mostly used during the 1850s and '60s for theAmerican Civil War.

Size

The Dragoon was produced because of the problems of the Colt Walker revolver. These problems were the Walker's large size, four and a half pounds. The revolvers some timmes exploded. The Colt Dragoon Revolver had a comparatively shorter cylinder and held up to 50 grains of powder and a round ball. It had a shorter barrel at 7.5 inches as compared to the 9 inches barrel on the Walker. It had a loading lever latch that kept the lever from dropping during recoil and prevented jamming of the revolver, and leading to explosion. These variations made the Colt Dragoon Revolver 4 pounds two ounces. These changes reduced risks of the Colt Dragoon Revolver from exploding when fired.

Popularity

In the troublesome events that led to the Civil War, Colt Dragoons became extremely popular. In the beginning Colt Dragoon Revolver were issued for the U.S. Army's Mounted Rifles. They were carried in pommel holsters on the saddle. The Colt Dragoon Revolver gained popularity among civilians in the Southwest where many had served in the Mexican War. The Dragoon became a master weapon for civilians who hailed it as a powerful weapon of the time.

Production

The Colt Dragoon Revolver was produced between 1848 and 1860. When the Colt Model 1860 revolver replaced it, the Dragoon was then produced in three diffrent types. The names were First Model, Second Model, and Third Model Dragoons. Government records showed an order for 8,390 Dragoons. The First Model Colt Dragoon Revolver has oval-shaped cylinder notches. Colt produced about 7,000 first models between 1848 and 1850. The Second Model had rectangular notches and had the regular leaf mainspring used in the First Model. The company made about 2,550 Second Models in 1850 and '51. The Third Model Dragoon numbers stand at ten-thousand between 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. This Colt Dragoon Revolver had a round trigger guard.

Present

The Dragoon is now collected and sold for prices very expensive.

Refrences

Books: Rifles and Pistols: By Jeremy Flack

http://www.hackman-adams.com/guns/ColtWalker.htm

http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/CC/lnc1.html