Real Walker???

[Ephraim Kibbey]

Here (properly identified by the seller) is one of the Company marked ASM's for the price of a run of the mill Walker reproduction and no bidders as of this posting:

http://www.gunbroker.com/item/632379280

 

[Jim Watson]

I once had a Gun Digest out of the 1950s with an article on studio guns.
It showed a Walker made up at the then steep cost of $300. Didn't say for what movie, though.

 

[Crawdad1]

Ephraim, notice the Colt address stamped on the barrel but all of the required Italian 'Proof' marks.

Interesting.

 

[Ephraim Kibbey]

I find it very interesting that ASM went to the trouble to stamp different Company Letters and different Numbers on these Walkers.

I am archiving the auction photos of each one I come across.

I wonder how many different combinations of letters and numbers are out there and how many have had the Italian proofs and ASM markings removed.

ASM definitely catered to the collector's market with all of the different variations and models that they produced.

I wish they were still around!

They would probably have listened to the requests for interesting new reproductions that now fall on the deaf ears of the few remaining mass market producers.

Oh well, I'll see how many I can collect before I go to the big Rendezvous in the sky!

 

[Crawdad1]

Did Uberti purchase ASM? Then Beretta turned around and bought Uberti.

 

[Ephraim Kibbey]

Crawdad1 - American Western Arms (AWA) purchased ASM in 2000 to make peacemaker 1873 clones (only cartridge guns no BP) called the "Peacekeeper" (as well as other models) and got sued by Colt because the name was too similar and because it had a running horse on the grip medallion that looked a lot like Colt's rampant stallion.

The head of ASM at that time married into the Uberti family and went to work for them so some of their practices may have gone with him.

 

[midland man]

Crawdad1 - American Western Arms (AWA) purchased ASM in 2000 to make peacemaker 1873 clones (only cartridge guns no BP) called the "Peacekeeper" (as well as other models) and got sued by Colt because the name was too similar and because it had a running horse on the grip medallion that looked a lot like Colt's rampant stallion.

The head of ASM at that time married into the Uberti family and went to work for them so some of their practices may have gone with him.

so did colt win the lawsuite?

 

[Ephraim Kibbey]

Yes and AWA no longer makes a gun called the Peacekeeper!!!



But they still made 1873 clones under a new company for awhile:

http://www.awaguns.com/

http://bluebookofgunvalues.com/Blac...anufacturer.aspx?id=AMERICAN_WESTERN_ARMS_INC

http://www.sassnet.com/forums/index.php?/topic/217977-awa-still-in-business/

 

[LonesomePigeon]

"Here (properly identified by the seller) is one of the Company marked ASM's for the price of a run of the mill Walker reproduction and no bidders as of this posting:
http://www.gunbroker.com/item/632379280 "

EK, I think that one is actually a normal ASM Walker with after market markings added. The fonts of the barrel address and Company numbers are not consistent with those of other Colt marked ASM Military Walker's. It reminds me of these ones from John G. Zimmerman:
http://www.harpersferrycivilwarguns.com/services

 

[Ephraim Kibbey]

LonesomePigeon - Too bad that there are so few pictures of the Walker on Zimmerman's website.

I thought the font on the GB one looked larger than that used on mine but it is really hard to tell without a side-by-side photo.

Two of his guns were recently on GB and now I see them on another (forgot which) auction site.

They were defarbed as well as remarked so it was hard to tell how many of the markings were done by the factory and how much work was done by Zimmerman.

I'll keep archiving photos of these as Berkley is doing with the originals then try to weed out the homemade ones from the factory embellished ones.

 

[shafter]

I have heard this and I believe this. The NRA museum says that there are less than 100 original Walker Colts in existence. http://www.nramuseum.org/guns/the-g...ms-innovations/fake-colt-walker-revolver.aspx

QUOTE]

Sooner or later it wouldn't surprise me if an original turns up somewhere. Perhaps below the border or in someone's possession who doesn't know what they have. It would be worth significantly more than 2k though.

 

[drobs]

Looks like gunbroker took down the fake Walker. The auction is completely gone.

 

[4v50 Gary]

That's good.

 

[Malachi Leviticus Blue]

It's baaaaaaaaaaack....
http://www.gunbroker.com/item/637312213

Claims to be manufactured in the 1890's by Italians using REAL Colt Walker parts.
I guess that's a triple negative, so is that like 3 wrongs make a right?

 

[daboyleroy]

Yes and AWA no longer makes a gun called the Peacekeeper!!!



But they still made 1873 clones under a new company for awhile:

http://www.awaguns.com/

http://bluebookofgunvalues.com/Blac...anufacturer.aspx?id=AMERICAN_WESTERN_ARMS_INC

http://www.sassnet.com/forums/index.php?/topic/217977-awa-still-in-business/

http://www.simpsonltd.com/product_info.php?products_id=52702

 

[4v50 Gary]

Sickening. Reading the ad makes me shake my head in disgust.

 

[Berkley]

I took a chance and bought the C Company No 5 marked Walker that was discussed by Ephraim Kibby and LonesomePigeon, beginning in Post Number 76 above.

It just arrived, and it certainly appears to me to be an original ASM with ALL Colt markings.
Here is a montage of some of the seller’s photos:

And here are the barrel lug, frame and cylinder markings - including the roll-engraved Colt’s Patent.

An added touch is the correct military inspection cartouches on the grips - here WAT for William A Thornton.

The extremely tiny and faint date code appears to be BD (1994).

 

[Berkley]

Looking more closely at the cylinder, it appears that "Colt's" is in a different font than "Patent". So, quite likely an added marking, not factory as I wanted to believe.

Whatever the case, I am still very pleased with it.

 

[Ephraim Kibbey]

The font for the Co. A markings on mine are smaller than yours but not in all of the correct locations as yours seem to be.

As for the cylinder "COLTS" marking, it may just be the angle of the lighting as mine seems to change with the curvature of the cylinder.

Most of the cylinders that I have seen that lacked "COLTS" had "PATENT No." where the "COLTS" would be then blank metal following it.

Whether all factory or home grown, the markings were done very well and you have a great looking piece!!!

 

[LonesomePigeon]

Berkley, congrats on the Walker! It is a nice piece. I think the Colt markings were added but they are nicely done. After looking at it again I think the case colors might be real bone charcoal as well. Very nice!

 

[Berkley]

Thank you, gentlemen. You helped me find the only Walker I’ve really wanted to own since my first one was stolen in 2001.
I think the cylinder roll engraving originally read “Colt’s Patent” in raised letters like the remaining “Patent”. However, on the advice of counsel, “Colt’s” was polished off at the factory. Whoever added the Company C markings also engraved “Colt’s” in the flat surface left on the cylinder.
I’d be happy to think the case color is genuine - certainly the embellisher did a fine job on all the fire-blued screws, wedge and trigger. The trigger, in addition, is short, curved and thin like an original, unlike the longer and straighter Uberti trigger. The angle of the grip bottoms is also more correct, not to mention the cartouches. Whoever did this work really deserves to be recognized for the quality of the additions, without trying to fool anyone by defarbing the original maker’s marks and proofs.