A show of Dragoons

[JCT]

I have no Walker to share pics of, but this 3rd model Dragoon is close enough, anyone have a whitneyville to post??
Dragoon is a slightly smaller Walker. 7 1/2" barrel, 50 grain max load. .457 lead ball. Only a little lighter than the Walker!
I've been lucky on all my guns to get nicely figured walnut!! ( a few pictures are of my new Beretta goldrush )

 

[Pancho]

Where did you get those grips or were you just very lucky to get such great looking wood.

 

[JCT]

Yeah, they came that way! Uberti 3rd Dragoon. I ordered that one from Thunder Ridge Muzzeloading.

 

[mukluk]

Not a Whitneyville, but it's the only Dragoon I have (unless you consider a Walker a Dragoon =) )

 

[mykeal]

A Uberti 2nd Model and a Colt Signature 3rd Model:

 

[.44walkersabot]

Hello. I am just skipping all over this forum..I have a couple of questions. I am very familiar with the Walker 1847. I was considering (for a couple of days only) of purchasing one of those .44 New Model Army's to match up with the Cattleman's Carbine I have, but I'm not going to...I am VERY interested in the Third Model Dragoon. The blued model Mukluk posted here look's extremely tempting. Look's like a very fine everyday working gun. Look's like my Walker pretty well except the barrel is shorter and the loading lever seem's to be a bit different. (although that may just be the lighting in the photograph)..Does Uberti make them? How much lighter is it? Will firing 48 grains out of it increase the recoil very much more than using the 48 grains in the Walker? Any idea how the 7 1/2 inch barrel affects down range accuracy as compared to the 9 inch? (shouldn't be that much at all for all practical purposes)...If I get some positive feedback here I am probably going to buy me one. It will be Febuary befor I can get it but that's only a couple of months and I can wait. I really like that shortened barrel and I really like the fact that it will push the .457's. That what I use in my Walker 1847..I'll check this thread from time to time. Any good feedback would be much appreciated. I would REALLY like to hear from someone who has shot one several times,..you know, at the range, hunting, knocking down trees, etc, etc...Okay...

 

[mykeal]

Yes, Uberti makes a 3rd Model Dragoon; they're available from several outlets.

It is similar to the Walker in many respects. The loading lever latch is moved to the front and works quite a bit better (although it can still drop on occasion).

I shoot 50 gr fffg 777 in my Walker and 45 gr fffg 777 in both Dragoons; there is little if any difference in recoil.

The 9 inch barrel provides time for the higher powder load to burn in the Walker, resulting in greater velocity at the target. However, if there is any accuracy difference it's beyond my shooting ability. I've never tried testing for accuracy from a rest with either revolver. Shooting a percussion revolver from a rest is not a pleasant experience.

The Dragoon is a little more than a half pound lighter than the Walker.

I do not carry either of these guns in the woods, although I do have a custom made holster that fits the Walker very well. They're just too heavy for comfortable carry for any period of time over about an hour. Most of my shooting with these cannons has been at the range, usually during club events. They are a real treat for bowling pin matches, for instance; everybody watches when I shoot.

I once shut down a public range with the 2nd Model Dragoon. There were about 5 other people shooting; a woman with a young boy was two stations to my right shooting a .22 semiauto. I slavoed the Dragoon, shooting 6 cylinders as fast as I could, completely obliterating the targets with smoke. The woman broke and ran; the boy cheered. The range officer laughed and then said, in his best sergeant's voice, "Don't you ever do that again!". The boy came over and asked about the gun, and I gave him a black powder primer. His mother finally came out of hiding and gave him permission to shoot it, and he was a frequent visitor to the range after that. I suspect his first purchase was a bp gun.

 

[.44walkersabot]

I'm sorry. I didn't read a couple of the posts and some of the photographs were not coming in when I typed the last post. I can see now that Uberti make's them and I can also see that the Third Model, which is the one I'm interested in, has a loading lever that appear's to lock into place. That is good, although I have never experienced as much of a problem with the lever dropping on my '47 as I have read on here that a lot of guys do. Maybe because I don't shoot as heavy a load as they do. My normal working load is either 38 grains or 42 grains. (depend's on my mood) I only move up to 48 grains when I'm trying to knock down a deer or a hog. I will NEVER give up my Walker but I really like that Third Model, so I would still appreciate any feedback any of you will give me..Okay...

 

[.44walkersabot]

Thank you MyKeal. Appreciate it. Good looking out. I mean it. Thank you a lot..Okay...

 

[JCT]

44walkerSabot, the Dragoons were originally known as "Transition Walkers" made by Eli Whitney, also known as Whitneyville Dragoons. Then Model 1, 2 ,3 and 3 with military cut ( for shoulder stock, as seen on mine ).
From Uberti site: "With an improved loading lever, shorter cylinder and lighter weight, the Dragoon was an improvement over the Colt Walker. Of the four Dragoon models, the first was manufactured for Colt by Eli Whitney. Encouraged by an ongoing military contract, Colt turned his eye toward the civilian market in 1848. The first civilian pocket revolver, known as the Baby Dragoon, was a 23-ounce, .31-caliber pistol that fit easily in a coat pocket. The Baby Dragoon lacked a loading lever, however, and the next year Colt introduced his 1849 Pocket Model with an integrated loading lever — Colt’s success in the civilian market was assured."
check out http://www.uberti.com/firearms/dragoon.tpl
Taylors Firearms has Dragoons, I'd buy again from Thunder Ridge, they have great prices and that's were my Dragoon was from.
I don't like how EMF stamps there grips, but really, Dragoons are readily available. I would probably try gunbroker for my next purchase, so I can see an actual photo of the one I'm buying.

 

[hildo]

First model Dragoon

 

[Malamute]

Years ago, there was available a 3rd Dragoon variant with a 3 leaf rear sight dovetailed into the rear end of the barrel. Haven't seen one of that type advertised in years. Wish they would make some more.


I came into an early Uberti 1rst Dragoon this year. Seems to shoot pretty well, tho I don't have pics of it. It will take 55 grs of 3f behind a round ball. Makes a most impressive thundering echo off the nearby hills.


Nice pictures guys.

 

[JCT]

Took a better pic of the collection today.....

 

[Tommygunn]

!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nice Lightning rifle there, JCT!!!! Where'd you pick it up? What manufacturer is it? Man ... when I get the $$$ that's gonna be by next purchase.
Yours looks like .45 Colt. I think I'd prefer the .44--40 as I have a Uberti 1873 Win in that caliber.

 

[JCT]

That's made by Uberti, for Beretta USA. They call it the "Gold Rush" it's very nice. No jams at all, except once when I let someone try it and they short stroked it. Nothing Major though.
Holds 13 in the tube, 1 in the chamber. pumps smooth and fast, faster than a lever for sure.
It's well made, fit and finish are flawless! I guess it's relatively new, I don't see many of them around yet. I special ordered mine from the local shop. There's a few on Gunbroker.

 

[sixgun MAK]

I don't know how to post photos, but I have a Bicentennial Commortive 3rd model Dragoon. It has a rosewood grip with the Presedtial Seal Medallion on left side of grip. It's a stunning gun, and the only Colt I own that I have not shot. I have debated so many times if I should shoot it or not or just sell for a different Colt that I would shoot.

 

[RecoilRob]

My Uberti 3rd Model Dragoons. Civilian version without stock cuts. Nice guns but the grips were quite a bit too big and stood proud over the frame. Had to file and refinish them to be comfortable in the hand...and holding 5lbs of gun places a premium on the grip fitment.

Factory finish was a VERY thick poly-type that, while attractive, seemed too glossy and slippery. I used a satin oil that gives them more grip. Love shooting them!