DRAGOONS!!!

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RecoilRob

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Hey all....
You guys have been talking about the Colt 3rd model Dragoon lately and it got me to looking at them....and lusting. Darn the lusting.

Anyway, I finally gave in and ordered a pair (that is the ONLY way to buy them, isn't it?) from Midway this evening. Yes, their price was a bit higher than some other places but I have dealt with them many times and trust IS worth something to me.

They are coming UPS normal speed and I'll post pics when they show up. Every time I buy gun related things (or guns!) online I just have to say God Bless America! What a wonderful Country!
 
heressomeloads:

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Mec,
Nice shooting! In the old days, your proficiency would have granted you 'back shooting' status....would be a brave and likely stupid man to face such skill face to face.

Am surprised at the Goex 3F #s. Is the stuff normally THAT slow or was yours maybe a slow batch?

Regardless, fine shooting with a beautiful weapon.
 
Goex is slower than Swiss but generally faster than the old Elephant brand and faster than old batches of DuPont and earlier powder's I've tried. It's good, consistent powder regardless of velocity.
 
They're here...

Wow! What a chunk of metal these things are!

Nicely finished and fitted by Uberti. VERY messy oil for shipping...must have dipped them in a vat. But, they don't know how long they are going to sit on the shelves somewhere so I don't blame them at all. Great packaging and preservation as both arrived in pristine shape.

Also, must give the kudos to Midway for excellent packaging and shipping. I like those people!

Comparing the cyl's of the Dragoon with a 1860 Army is VERY revealing! Longer by a bit but BIGGER by a bunch!! The weapon doesn't look markedly different from the modern conventional pieces but, in the HAND...well, it is HEAVYYY and a Massive piece of weaponry. I was expecting a heavy pistol and was rewarded with one!!

The new Recoil Brothers are 47 serial #'s apart and are very consistantly made except for an odd numbering system for the wedge?!! One has a #9127 whilst the other is #9142. Odd because the SN's are XX9160 & XX9207 of all the other parts given #'s. The wedges are tightly fitted and cannot be driven much past the retaining spring emerging from the barrel surface whilst still allowing the cyl to rotate. Should have MANY rounds of life in them.

Wood to metal fit is pretty good...good enough that I don't feel the need to mess with it. That IS pretty good! Perfect? No. But nice for a mass produced weapon for sure.

My arms and hands are now tired from handling and cocking/presenting them...no snapping of caps yet. Trigger pulls seem very crisp and light. Probably under three pounds each but I was snapping the hammer on my thumb to check the pull and wasn't able to use the pull scale. No bother....very light and clean pull on both. Good job Uberti!

Hope to get these two dudes out this weekend for some testing. Have .454 balls and a couple pounds of Goex 3F on hand. Man, I LOVE these big ol' guns!!
 

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The trigger pulls may be a little heavier than they feel up against all that gun weight but they'll be light enough that they won't interfer with good shooting.

Those things don't just grow on you. they hit your affection centers full force the first time you pick them up.
 
The latest one's I've seen were made in 2005 -BZ in the box. Check and see what the letter codes on your's are. Square box with letters. The 2006 code is probably CA but maybe something else.
 
I WANT ONE - NO - TWO - NO - THREE........!!!

Looks are impressive so I hope they turn out to be everything you lust after and more!!
I have put one on my wish list but I think I have more chance of platting fog at the moment!
Enjoy.
Duncan
 
Mec, these are BZ code and I didn't get to shoot them this weekend...drat. Work, family and life in general got in the way.

But, I DID get to hold/fondle some more. And, I made a trip to the Parents house and showed them to my Dad. Korean war vet, not really into guns per se but has a couple I gave him and can appreciate them.

He was VERY impressed with the Dragoons and had never actually held a C&B weapon. When I handed the first one to him, I made sure he had a good grip on it and it still almost hit the floor when he got the full weight of it. He isn't as hearty as he once was but the MASS of the Dragoon is awesome! I ran him through the loading procedure and we talked about the men who used these things in anger. Both of us have newfound respect and admiration for them.
 
I just picked up an Uberti off gunbroker. I'll receive it after the first of the month. It'll be nice to see how well this one operates.

I'm thinking about getting a conversion R&D 45 dropin cylinder later this summer if they're still around.
 
Well, eventually we'll find out the codes for 2006. Big guns, big screws and parts. Easy to take a part and clean.
 
Yes I am interested, but I have committed to two purchases this month. I have to wait a short while.... geez... why does it always go this way for me...?

hehehe
 
Pardon my ignorance...

What exactly was a Dragoon?

Some sort of cavalryman? What made a Dragoon different from regular cavalry?
 
I don't know the origin of the word but apparently Dragoon was a nickname for the United States Mounted Rifles in the mid- 19th century. The Walkers and Dragoons have either the full title or USMR on the cylinder.
 
Ride/ Dismount
I used to know that. Somewhere along the line, I decided I was wrong about it. Now I know it again.
 
Yes, mounted infantry.

As such, they carried heavier weapons and more of them than traditional cavalry.

Dragoons don't make 200 mile recon rides around the enemy's flanks.

Dragoons get to the battlefield quickly, dismount, and pound the enemy with firepower.

As such, weight limits for weapons and ammo don't matter near as much as they do for "real" cavalry.

hillbilly
 
ok,

So what is it about the Dragoon model revolvers that makes them more suited to the mount/dismount style fighting?
 
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