Larry Oliver wrote:
# Recently read in a Colt history book that the military reported a couple
# hundred of those original big Colts had their cylinders blow up in use.
# Anyone know why? Was it careless overloading, or poor design, bad batch of
# cylinders, etc. The book doesn't elaborate.
#
#
#
#
Didn't know that the US military purchased any of the 1100 Walker Colts
made. However more than an acceptable number of Walker colts did have
cylinder bursting, a combination of designing just a bit too much powder
for that cylinder with the marginal metallury of the period for such a
powerful weapon. Colt definitely pushed the envelope with the Walker,
but the Walker to some extent was an experimental pistol and was rushed
into production due to demand.
The 1st model Dragoon, built on government order with the lessons of the
Walker learned, featured a shorter cylinder that reduced the powder
charge by 10 grains I think which caused not so much stress on the
cylinder and it appears the cylinder failure problem was eradicated or
at least was reduced to acceptable levels.
Juat my thoughts on what I have read. Maybe a true Colt expert will
correct the above.
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