HWS Colt Walker

1.Intro
After registering a patent in England in 1835, American inventor and industrialist Samuel Colt was granted US patent 9430X for a "revolving gun" on February 25, 1836.
The Colt gun had a revolving cylinder with five or six bullets and an innovative cocking device. Colt made the move away from the multiple barreled gun, instead using a rotating cylinder which would come into alignment with a single barrel. It included a locking pawl to keep the cylinder in line with the barrel, and a percussion cap that made ignition more reliable, faster, and safer than the previous designs.
Colt's US revolver patent gave him a monopoly on revolver manufacturing for more than 20 years. Colt's designs popularized the revolver and led to a shift away from single-shot pistols. They became so popular that revolvers were often generically referred to as Colts. The revolver became an industrial and cultural legacy and contributed to the development of firearms technology.
Produced in Paterson, New Jersey Colt brought the first revolver on the Marked. The gun was innovative but suffered flaws, most important for soldiers it lacked stopping power.
The Mexican War 1846-48 brought 2 Samuel’s together. Samuel Colt and Captain Samuel Hamilton Walker.
Captain Walker of the Texas Rangers had encountered the Paterson Colt and likes the basic concept but contacted Colt with a number of change/improvement suggestions to make what he considered an effective soldier sidearm. In addition he offered a contract of 1000 revolvers.
This enabled Colt not only to generate a proper business but also to bring, perhaps the biggest, development to arms technology - serial produced, interchangeable weapon parts.
The model M R / 1847 or better known Colt Walker certainly wasn’t perfect it had its flaws too
⁃ it was massive in both size and weight
⁃ The loading lever had a tendency to drop during firing. Resulting in blocking the rotation of the cylinder
⁃ Last but worst the Walker developed a reputation for chambers/cylinders cracking.
Among the strong points were
⁃ phenomenal range of fire
⁃ 6 shots could be fired one handed, while riding
⁃ And last but not least - unrivaled stopping power - enough to stop, not only the enemy but enough to kill his horse.
Of the 1000 walkers supplied to the army almost 300 were returned with ruptured (cracked) cylinders. In most references this is claimed to be caused by poor metallurgy, quite fair but conditions like hand cast bullets, powder quality and the manual loading process cannot be neglected.
From a soldier in the field, maybe on horseback, or under enemy fire are also important factors.
A direct development of the Walker was the Dragoon also in .44 caliber but with shorter cylinder and barrels, thus a bit less stopping power but also free of most of the problems of the Walker.
The Dragoon was produced in much higher quantities.
No matter what the Colt Walker build the reputation of being big and heavy but also of being that most powerful handgun around.
Until the magnum era started in the mid 1930’ties the Walker was unrivaled the most powerful handgun.

2.Box and content
The box is straight forward cardboard fully in line with what HWS normally does.
Folding cardboard and internal cardboard separation of the. Content. Black print on the top and that’s it.
Content of the box is
the mighty Walker modelgun
can of caps
instruction sheet
nipple key
loading tool

No more no less.


So far I would say that what is needed is there, straight and simple.

Just to complete, below are the Japanese Instructions

One function that I could not figure out from the Japanese instructions was the small knob on the rear face of the cylinder.
Reflecting makes me certain that this I a modern time safety addition. From a half cock position the hammer can be lowered on the knob, preventing the cylinder to be rotated to a position with a cap that can accidentally fire.


3.Look
For the look of the box I guess it is an individual matter, but its basic and simple, though a large for a handgun.

For the look of the content it looks great but, honest my first thought was why make an oversize model - thinking I was something like 125% size of a normal handgun. Well maybe it is ?




Ok let’s compare to heavy metal


Guess I am just trying to make the point that a Colt Walker is a large horse pistol.



Right it does it look good.

Barrel, cylinder, hammer and trigger are Black. OK the color is black and you can start an argument if the original was blued and a slight more metallic tone was more realistic.

Grips are Real Wood, ok no comments on the sort of wood and European versus American walnut colors - that’s just too far out.
Grip frame really looks like brass - truly realistic.

Main body of the gun is a Marvel looking Like case-hardened steel.

How HWS achieves this I don’t know. If it’s painted I think anyway - it’s excellent and realistic.
No seams, flash sink, just good looking modelgun.

The model is a master piece

4.Markings

The top of the barrel is engraved “ADDRESS SAML COLT, NEW-YORK CITY


The cylinder has the classic rolled engraving depicting the scene of ranger and Indian.

The cylinder is engraved A company no 661
That is all
The real walkers additionally were marked on the side of the barrel: "A COMPANY No. 661" but HWS did not make this marking.

Additionally the serial number, on originals,was on grip and frame, the latter also on the 100 guns not delivered to the mounted rifles but sold to civilians.
Concerning markings I have ended a bit confused - at first I thought the military contract was split in 200 for each of the 5 companies, numbered 1-200. However some cylinders like A company no 661 appear in the list of surviving walkers. I have stopped the research and decided just to enjoy the good looking modelgun.


– OK.

5.Weight
The modelgun itself weighs 1.100gr.

Real steel Walker weighed 2.000gr
55% weight of the real thing. No help to get in heavy PFC cart
Many sources rate the Walker as a heavy beast, but do note that top modern S&W M500 with long barrel also weighs around 2kg !

6.Stripdown
Stripping of the Walker
or inspection and cleaning.
Pushing the barrel Wedge from left to right

the barrel can be slid of the central axel.

With the barrel removed the cylinder can be removed. Now the Walker can be considered filed stripped and ready for cleaning.

After first disassembly I did experience the hammer would not move very far back and I did fear something wrong inside the basic mechanics. But a bit of trial proved that I had pressed the wedge pressing the barrel in place a bit too hard - this results in the barrel “squeezing” the cylinder and preventing free rotation. So go easy when reassembling.

Further disassembly is possible and equal to other contemporary single action revolvers.
The modelgun requires little cleaning due to the low number of moving parts.
The real Walker must have required more cleaning due to the use of back powder fouling up everything.
In this condition all needed parts can be cleaned and lubricated.
Reassembly is step by step in reverse order.
That’s it.

7.Magazine & loading
In 1847 - 6 shots available by just cocking the hammer was a lot.
The Walkers predecessor (Paterson) only had 5 so the Walker is contemporarily high capacity magazine.
AND this is probably the most exclusive and attractive looking magazine you will find on any modelgun - the engraved cylinder !

This kind of a modelgun loading should be as easy as the magazine is good looking.
Insert a 5mm cap into the brass caps and press it on the nipples found on the rear of the cylinder. Make sure the caps do not protrude outside the rear face of the cylinder.
In reality I feel it requires some fumbling and care to get the caps in place and flat, but who cares there are no enemies shooting at me.

Ok the original had to be loaded with powder, felt wads, led bullet ect from the front and pressed with then lever under the barrel. In no way do I feel like experimenting with this - no point in provoking a modelgun cylinder ruptured.
So that’s loading the modelgun, jut the small caps

This is basically the last gun design without metallic cartridges. Not a front loader in the sense of loading the barrel but loading the cylinder.
Each chamber in the cylinder would be loaded individually with
powder charge from a powder horn, Felt wad, Led cast bullet and often pig fat on top to prevent ignition of the neighbor chamber !!
Finally when all 6 chambers were packed the ignition caps were mounted on the nipped of the rear of the cylinder and - the Walker is ready for action

The magazine is as close to the real thing as you get.

8.Cartridges & fire
What’s a cartridge? many would ask in 1847. There is only the small copper caps.
Concerning sound this should make no difference – the bang from a PFC cap is what it is


Now for firing. Cock the single Action Army hammer and press the trigger.
When ready for the next repeat the full process, till all 6 are gone.

Now what does it Sound Like - well there is no action (slide) slamming but the 5mm cap fires through the cylinder chamber and barrel sound – it does go with a bang but, maybe because the Walker is so large, it doesn’t feel loud.



There is a fair muzzle flash, clearly visible with the naked eye but I had to record in slow motion to get a proper image of the flash



9.Conclusion
This is an obvious subject for a modelgun, for its place in gun development.

Clint Eastwood, as inspector Callahan made the S&W m29 immortal as the most powerful handgun I the world.

Down to fact the Colt Walker was beaten in fire power by the modern magnum cartridges but not after ruling as the most powerful handgun in almost 100 years !
Additionally, it was still physically bigger, so I would say not totally defeated till then appearance of the 500 magnum in 2003 - so ruling as the biggest and most powerful handgun in 150 years. - and still today it will not only “blow your head clean off” it is still able to kill your horse

Historic importance and appearance as brass, wood, engraving and the attractive case hardening look.
The box is straight forward cardboard, and if you don’t like it you can always buy a 150USD + real walnut case !
Ok you don’t buy this modelgun for the box - you do it for the model.
Content, yes do not forget the nice nipple wrench but again if you go “all in” you will need a powder flask and a bullet mould !

So why - because it’s big and good looking. And if I haven’t made the point before - ITS BIG it’s is in fact equal in size to a S&W M500 8 3/8 look:

Firing is single action, cutting edge technology in 1847 but compared to a KSC Beretta m93r it is honestly a bit slow firing. BUT competing in size and muzzle energy is the brute ruler.
As stated one might question if the black parts on the model in real steel gun should be “blued” and I am still a bit confused about the serialnumber engraving - but overall I bend in the dust for a very nice, superb finish modelgun.
Over 1 kg weight is a lot for a modelgun. Compared to the real thing it’s fine and comparing to its modern superior (S&W M500) from Tanaka it’s equal !





For the modelgun enthusiast where the realistic appearance is everything and it’s doubtful the modelgun will ever be fired, the HWS Colt Walker is highly recommendable.
For the modelgun enthusiast where the realistic appearance is important but ranked equal to realistic functioning, the Walker is still recommendable though is not more than a single action revolver.



Despite my general preference for automatics guns I am really happy about this high class, attractive looking very classic modelgun.

More Horsegun than Hand Gun.  :Smilie  68:

Wow, fantastic review.

8ace

Outstanding review and beautiful model gun.

Fantastic review, well detailed and thought out, great pics as well, i have done a few reviews in my time and i know they take an age to do but i dont think i have done one as detailed as this, keep them coming.

Thats a nice collection you have there by the way.

claymore wrote:

Fantastic review, well detailed and thought out, great pics as well, i have done a few reviews in my time and i know they take an age to do but i dont think i have done one as detailed as this, keep them coming.

Thats a nice collection you have there by the way.

Many tanks Claymore
Well the research for history and facts on engraving took a while.
Testing and and a valuation was just to remember to take pictures.
I just had to make a second session and take pictures with other “great” guns.
I value everybody’s reviews so I feel I have to add my contribution as I can find the time


Glad you enjoyed it and appreciate the feedback - thanks