Colt Walker .44 use in War Between The States?

[Doug.38PR]

Most of what I’ve read about the Walker horse pistol is that it had a bigmarket among the Texas Rangers in the early Texas Indian Wars and the Mexican War...and it pretty much ends there. What about the days of Texas as a State both Union and Confederate?

I mean all the other prewar ball and cap pistols were widely used in not just the 1850s but during the War and after the war even after cartridge guns like the 1873 SAA came out either still as ball and cap or converted.

Back then you didn’t just throw a gun away and you didn’t just run out and buy a new one

How about it?

I like how the fictional character of Augustus McCrae in Lonesome Dove is carrying a Walker that he used in his youth as a Ranger in the 1870s

[Major 2]

The Josey Wales carried two , young Maddie Ross had her dads ....

[Niederlander]

At least one was carried by a Confederate Brigadier General, but I can't find the reference right now.  With the low numbers of Walkers produced, I doubt there were many left to carry.  Also, despite their use in movies, they're really not much fun to carry, and they DO have there problems, such as the tendency for the lever to drop every shot.

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[Jake C]

I recall seeing a period photo of a Walker that was converted to fire .45 Colt. Dennis Adler did an article about it in Guns of the Old West a few years back.

[Major 2]

At least one was carried by a Confederate Brigadier General, but I can't find the reference right now.  With the low numbers of Walkers produced, I doubt there were many left to carry.  Also, despite their use in movies, they're really not much fun to carry, and they DO have there problems, such as the tendency for the lever to drop every shot.

Cylinders also burst 

[Doug.38PR]

At least one was carried by a Confederate Brigadier General, but I can't find the reference right now.  With the low numbers of Walkers produced, I doubt there were many left to carry.  Also, despite their use in movies, they're really not much fun to carry, and they DO have there problems, such as the tendency for the lever to drop every shot.

Like other problems with ball and cap guns, i’m told they would improvise by either/or bending the latch that held the lever or putting a leather twine around the lever and barrel to hold it in place.

I think Colt made about 1000 of them at least, most of which went to the Texas Rangers who loved them and used them effectively in the Mexican War.  There were plenty of Ranger veterans from that war that also fought the Yankees in 1861 and served as rangers after reconstruction.