The Colt Model 1848 Percussion Army Revolver is a .44 caliber revolver designed by Samuel Colt for the U.S. Army's Regiment of Mounted Rifles. The revolver was also issued to the Army's "

Dragoon Dragoons were originally a class of mounted infantry, who used horses for mobility, but dismounted to fight on foot. From the early 17th century onward, dragoons were increasingly also employed as conventional cavalry and trained for combat w ...

" Regiments. This revolver was designed as a solution to numerous problems encountered with the

Colt Walker The Colt Walker, sometimes known as the Walker Colt, is a single-action revolver with a revolving cylinder holding six charges of black powder behind six bullets (typically .44 caliber lead balls). It was designed in 1846 by American firearms i ...

. Although it was introduced after the Mexican–American War, it became popular among civilians during the 1850s and 1860s, and was also used during the American Civil War.

Production

The Colt Dragoon Revolver was produced with several variations between 1847 and 1860, when the Colt Model 1860 revolver replaced it. All the improvements in design of Colt revolvers were applied to the Dragoons as well to the smaller models of Colt revolvers. Total production of Colt Dragoons including the 1,100 Walkers, from 1847 to 1860: 19,800; plus 750 Dragoons in a separate number range for the British market. For collectors, there are three different types with one "transition" model.

Whitneyville Hartford Dragoon Revolver

Between the Walker and the First model Dragoon, around 240 improved models were produced, barrel length 7 1/2 inch, cylinder 2 3/16 inch. Their general appearance was similar to that of the production Dragoon models. These were produced between late in 1847 and 1848, serial number range approximately 1100 (the last civilian Walker) through about 1340 (the first Dragoon First Model). These are sometimes called "Transition Walker" revolvers, and were made in two frame variations. The earlier pattern was a Walker carry-over with a cut-out in the back to accommodate the round contour of the grips and the second was straight-backed. Another distinctive detail were the very slender "Slim Jim" grips. Note: Due to serial number gaps between the "Transition" model and the First Dragoon, of which Colt later "backfilled", as well as the details of the production and delivery of the Second Government Contract, The "fluck Dragoon" was erroneously derived.

First Model

The First Model Colt Dragoon Revolver production began in 1848, stemming from Colt's Second Government Contract. It has oval cylinder stops, a V-type mainspring, no wheel on the rear of the hammer, and a square back trigger guard. Colt produced about 7,000 first models between 1848 and 1850.

Second Model

The Second Model has rectangular cylinder notches. Until the no. 10,000 the V-shaped mainspring was standard and then replaced with a flat leaf mainspring and a wheel on the hammer at its bearing on the mainspring. All the Second Model Dragoons have the square back trigger guard. The company made about 2,550 Second Models in 1850 and '51.

Third Model

The Third Model Dragoon numbers stand at ten-thousand from 1851 through 1860.Wilson, R.L. ''Colt, An American Legend''. New York-London: Artabras, A division of Abbeville Publishing Group 1985 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. Third Colt Dragoon Revolvers had a round trigger guard. Government records showed an order for 8,390 Dragoons.

1848 Pocket Pistol

Other variants included the Colt "1848 Pocket Pistol" now known as the Baby Dragoon, marketed in California with success during the Gold rush days. With the addition of a loading lever this evolved into the 1849 pocket revolver (see Colt Pocket Percussion Revolvers). File:Colt Dragoon 1st Model.jpg, Colt Model of 1848 Holster Pistol (First Model Dragoon), square back trigger guard, oval-shaped Cylinder Stops] File:Colt Dragoon 2nd Mod 1848.JPG, Colt Dragoon 1848 second model, square back trigger guard File:Dragoon Baby Dragoon.jpg, Colt Dragoon 3rd Model, Colt Baby Dragoon 1848 with square back trigger guard File:Dragoon bullets.jpg, Dragoon bullets File:Lincolns-guns-gifted to abdelkader.jpg, A pair of Colt 1848 Dragoon sent by Abraham Lincoln to Emir Abdelkader for having protected Christians in the

1860 Mount Lebanon civil war The 1860 civil conflict in Mount Lebanon and Damascus (also called the 1860 Syrian Civil War) was a civil conflict in Mount Lebanon during Ottoman rule in 1860–1861 fought mainly between the local Druze and Christians. Following decisive Druze ...

Size

The Dragoon was produced because of the problems seen with the fielded

revolvers, namely, the Walker's heavy weight, four and a half pounds, making it suitable only for use as a saddle-mounted revolver, the Walker's propensity for cylinders exploding on occasion when fired (due to the chambers being loaded with too much powder often in combination with the Pickett bullets being loaded backwards), and the Walker's habit of dropping the loading lever upon discharge, locking up the revolver action in the middle of combat. The Colt Dragoon Revolver had a comparatively shorter cylinder (thus preventing overloading the cylinder) and held up to 50 grains of powder, whereas the Walker had used up to 60 grains of powder. The Dragoon Revolver had a shorter barrel at 7.5 inches (some later revolvers 8 inches) as compared to the barrel on the Walker. A loading lever latch in front of the lever replaced the spring to keep the lever from dropping during recoil, thereby preventing jamming of the revolver. These variations made the Colt Dragoon Revolver 4 pounds two ounces. These changes also reduced the risks of the Colt Dragoon Revolver from exploding when fired, unlike the risk that had been demonstrated with the Walker revolvers.

Popularity

In the troublesome events that led to the Civil War, Colt Dragoons became extremely popular. In the beginning Colt Dragoon Revolvers 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–American War. The Dragoon became a master weapon for civilians who hailed it as a powerful weapon of the time. Famous users included

Joaquin Murietta Joaquin Murrieta Carrillo (sometimes spelled Murieta or Murietta) (1829 – July 25, 1853), also called the Robin Hood of the West or the Robin Hood of El Dorado, was a Mexican-American figure of disputed historicity. The novel '' The Life and A ...

, the California bandit,

Charley Parkhurst Charley Darkey Parkhurst (born Charlotte Darkey Parkhurst; 1812 – December 18, 1879) also known as "One-Eyed Charley" or "Six-Horse Charley", was an American stagecoach driver, farmer and rancher in California. Raised female in New England, Pa ...

, California teamster and stagecoach driver,

James Douglas Byrd James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...

, Town Marshal, Watsonville, California, 1868, Tiburcio Vasquez, Union general

George B McClellan George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826 – October 29, 1885) was an American soldier, Civil War Union general, civil engineer, railroad executive, and politician who served as the 24th governor of New Jersey. A graduate of West Point, McCl ...

, and fictional

Augustus McCrae The ''Lonesome Dove'' series is a series of four western fiction novels written by Larry McMurtry and the five television miniseries and television series based upon them. Overview The novels and miniseries follow the exploits of several mem ...

, in the novel '' Lonesome Dove'', Mattie Ross in the novel '' True Grit'' and in the 2010 film version (the 1969 film of that name had Mattie Ross using a Colt Walker revolver, though

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Gol ...

's character Rooster referred to it as a Colt's Dragoon). Charley Parkhurst, while driving freight, was confronted by two bandits whom he dispatched with the Colt Holster Pistol. According to ''Harper's Weekly'', James Butler ( Wild Bill) Hickok arrived in Springfield, Missouri carrying a Dragoon though it is generally accepted that he used a Navy in his street duel with

Davis Tutt Davis Kasey Tutt (1836 – July 21, 1865) was an American Old West gambler and former soldier, best remembered for being killed during the Wild Bill Hickok – Davis Tutt shootout of 1865, which launched Wild Bill Hickok to fame as a gunfig ...

Present

The Dragoon is now a collectible arm and sells for high prices. Non-firing replicas of the Colt 1848 Dragoon were manufactured at Denix in Spain. In 2005, a fire burned down the factory and destroyed the mold for the gun, which has since gone out of production. Denix has since reintroduced the non-firing model of the Colt 1848 Dragoon in Nickel. Quality Replica Dragoons are currently produced by the Aldo Uberti Company of Brescia, Italy and distributed in the United States by Taylors, Inc.; Cimarron Firearms, and others. They are quite accurate and potentially more powerful than the belt sized revolvers of the same bore diameter. Velocities with .451–457-inch round balls of approximately 141 grains over the full 50 grains of powder frequently show chronographed readings in the 1,000 to 1,100 foot per second range depending upon the powder used.Bates, Johnny, Cumpston, Mike (2005)''Percussion Pistols and Revolvers, History, Performance and Practical use'',Lincoln Nebraska, New York, London:iUniverse Publishers A cartridge-converted Colt Walker instead of the Colt Dragoon in the book was used in the 1969 film '' True Grit'', as the weapon carried by 14-year-old Mattie, possibly due to the Walker's larger size. The Dragoon was used in the 2010 Coen Bros. movie as in the original book. In Lonesome Dove, by Larry McMurtry, Captain Gus McCrae is armed with a Colt's Dragoon revolver. In the television adaptation, Gus is armed with a cartridge-converted Colt's Walker revolver.

References

External links

The Colt Revolver in the American West—Cutaway Second Model Dragoon

The Colt Revolver in the American West—Experimental Third Model Dragoon
{{USCWWeapons Colt revolvers American Civil War weapons 1848 introductions Revolvers of the United States Single-action revolvers Early revolvers Guns of the American West Black-powder pistols Military revolvers