Sorting out the Uberti Dragoons?

[hudson29]

I have a Uberti Colt Walker and a Pietta 1860 Army now and was thinking about getting one of the Uberti Dragoons. The descriptions listed on the Dixie Gun Works website are a bit thin so I thought maybe some of you might be able to give me a bit of guidance. Which of the Dragoons would be the most DIFFERENT from what I have now? The ones on sale are:

First Model Dragoon
Second Model Dragoon
Whitneyville Dragoon

I'm not sure I need every single model available right now but would like add one to the collection that will be different from what I have already.

[hudson29]

One of the confusions is the shape of the barrel. According to the Dixie website the barrel is "octagon to round" on some models like the First Dragoon. They even show a convincing photo of it. With other models they make the same claim but the photos show a round barrel. The Uberti website shows all of the Dragoons with round barrels. I'm confused!

[Darryl]

I think all the barrels were round and the same.

Walker to Whitney to 1st Model to 2nd model to 3rd model

Only small changes to the dragoons in each model. Big difference between the Walker and the Dragoons.

All with the same barrel (As my understanding).

Walker had a loading lever problem and was too big. A lot more powder.

The differences in the Dragoons was slight. Things like springs, and pins, and trigger guards. Not really much difference. I don't recall any change in the barrels. I have a 1st and a 3rd and a walker. Jim (JYD) will probably know a lot more on this.....Dolk



PS:
I went back and looked at my websites and this is my favorite on Dragoons...
http://www.vincelewis.net/coltdragoon.html

[hudson29]

Thanks Dolk, that site was very helpful in sorting these lovely revolvers out but was so crippled with malware or popups or something that I gave up trying to follow the links to other interesting guns.

It does seem as if there are only detail differences between the different Dragoon models. No sense buying more than one in my case.

[hudson29]

I checked that Dixie site again and this picture of the First Dragoon is displayed:


This picture seems to show the transition from octagonal to round.

From the text:
"Barrel is a blued .44 caliber 7 1/2" octagon to round."

Where does this come from? Shouldn't it be round the whole length?

[Darryl]

There is no "hex" on the barrels except at the very beginning (see below)

Sorry for the poor image, I'm at work and don't have access today with my home computer or my firearms.....

[Darryl]

How I tell between model 1 and model 2

[Darryl]

Myself, I wouldn't bother collecting reproductions of all of the Dragoons. Pick one thaat "floats your boat" and get it. If you want something different, get a Walker! A lot heavier and take 10 grains of powder more then the Dragoons.

Josey Wales (in the movie) sported two of them! I have no idea how he kept his pants up!



If you load them "heavy (60 grains), the loading leaver keeps dropping down on mine! Locks the entire thing up!

[hudson29]

Thanks for the informative illustrations, they explain a lot. I have to think that Dixie's text is just plain WRONG. I already have a Walker, it is a great huge donk of a thing that I rarely shoot even if I do enjoy looking at it. I'll go back to the site and choose one. More on that later!

[rayjd2]

Myself, I wouldn't bother collecting reproductions of all of the Dragoons. Pick one thaat "floats your boat" and get it. If you want something different, get a Walker! A lot heavier and take 10 grains of powder more then the Dragoons.

Josey Wales (in the movie) sported two of them! I have no idea how he kept his pants up!



If you load them "heavy (60 grains), the loading leaver keeps dropping down on mine! Locks the entire thing up!

Try a rawhide strap tied around the barrel and loading lever. That fixes that.

I think he had special hidden suspenders, but I'm not sure. He's Clint Eastwood, he holds them up with power of his mind and charisma.
I'm looking into a rig similar, a straight right draw and a right hand cross draw. One holds a SAA and the other a Walker. Convert the Walker to .45 Colt first.

[hudson29]

I have not seen that picture. Is it worth seeing?

[rayjd2]

Yes!!

[bunkysdad]

Anybody ever notice that Josey's pistols have no front sights?

[rayjd2]

Yep, that way they don't snag on the holsters during fast draw scenes.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Think of the 3rd model dragoon as a huge version of the 1851 Navy model in .44 rather than .36. There isn't a huge difference between any of the dragoon models, they played with the loading lever catch and the triggerguard a bit but the basic revolver is the same. The Walker is a huge revolver, it has a weak loading lever catch, and is a horse pistol like the dragoon. This does not mean you shot horses with it, the revolvers were so heavy that they would be carried in holsters hung from the saddle, not hanging from the belt were they would drag the trousers down. The first real belt model Colt in the post Paterson revolver era would be the 1851 Navy model, this revolver was favored by western characters such as James Butler " Wild Bill" Hickok who carried two of them butt forward stuck in a sash worn around his waist .

[hudson29]

I ended up pushing the button for the 2nd Model Dragoon which was on sale. It shore looks purdie in pictures . . .

[Longcolt44]

A while back the owner of the gun shop had some revolvers he won from the Rock Island Auction sent to he shop. One of the revolvers was a rare British Walker Colt, shown on the left. I got to hold and examine the real deal. They are big and heavy to say the least.

[bunkysdad]

From the Uberti website, this is maybe the more noticeable feature. The trigger guards.

[rayjd2]

Didn't these pistols (Walker especially) really have considerable stopping power? I've always heard the "man or horse at 100 yards" claim.

I know they're fierce weapons, undoubtedly so against people, but a horse is a damn big animal, I've got one.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Yes, they had a large cylinder capacity, the Walker was capable of packing the same amount of powder as the Springfield rifle musket. Today the manufacturer will tell you to use 22-30 grains or FFFG, a load that requires the use of a filler to raise the bullet up to the proper just inside the chamber position. Back in the day if they lacked paper cartridges they just filled the cylinder almost to the top and stuffed the bullet down on top. I keep the charge in my Dragoon to around 40-45 grains of FFG, and use cream 'O' wheat cereal to fill the remaining cylinder space. Use wonder wads under the bullet, or seal the top of the bullet with grease to prevent chainfires, and never leave an air gap between powder charge and bullet.