September 9, 2026 • 10 mins
On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1847, Samuel Colt's firearms business was all but dead. Then Texas Ranger Captain Samuel Hamilton Walker came to him with an idea for a massive new revolver built for mounted combat. Walker had carried Colt's earlier guns in battle and knew exactly what he wanted improved. Together, the two developed a six-shot revolver unlike anything American soldiers had carried before. The Colt Walker was enormous, powerful, and helped resurrect Samuel Colt's career.
Logan Metesh, founder of High Caliber History LLC, shares the story behind the legendary revolver and the Texas Ranger whose name it still carries.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:10):
And we continue with our American stories. For a time,
a near-mint Colt Walker held the distinction of being the
most expensive gun ever sold after it was auctioned for
$ 1. 8 million in 2018. Here to tell the story of
the legendary Colt Walker revolver is Logan Medish. Logan founded
(00:33):
and runs High Caliber History, LLC, and has more than
a decade of experience working for the Smithsonian Institution and
the National Park Service. Let's take a listen.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Two of the most iconic words in the world of
gun collecting are Colt Walker. Only 1,000 of the revolvers
were ever made for the U.S. military, and only 100
more were made for civilians. And of those, only about 10% survived.
That scarcity has propelled this black powder percussion revolver to
(01:07):
legendary status. Sporting a 9-inch barrel and tipping the scales
at 4 pounds 9 ounces, this. 44 caliber wheel gun
was huge and designed not to ride in hip holsters,
but in saddle-mounted holsters and to be used by cavalry
troops on horseback. It was the most powerful handgun in
the world for an impressive 88 years, from its introduction
(01:31):
in 1847 until the. 357 Magnum cartridge hit the scene
in 1935. It also saved Samuel Colt from bankruptcy after
his first commercial revolver design tanked. So, what's the deal
with the gun's name? Captain Samuel Hamilton Walker of the
(01:53):
Texas Rangers began his military career at 19 with a
brief stint with the Washington City Volunteers during the Creek
Indian Campaign in 1836 in Alabama. He then traveled to
Florida as a scout and finally ended up in Texas
in 1841. He was in Galveston in 1842, serving under
(02:13):
Captain Jesse Billingsley, fighting for the Republic of Texas against
the Mexican Army. He was captured by the enemy in
December 1842 and marched to Mexico City as a prisoner
of war. He escaped his imprisonment and fled to Louisiana
before joining the Texas Rangers in 1844 under Captain John
Coffey Hayes. He was promoted to the rank of captain
(02:36):
and led a company during the Mexican-American War. Hayes was
attempting to raise a new regiment at the time, and
Walker mentioned that Colt's first revolver model, the Patterson, would
be a good fit for this new group. He was
one of the very few to use the revolver in combat,
and he viewed it favorably. When Walker sent a letter
(02:57):
to the Inspector of Contract Arms, Captain William Thornton, asking
how he could go about procuring 1,000 Patterson revolvers, he
learned that Colt's gun company had since gone out of business.
Here's where Walker and Colt's paths cross, but not in
the way that you might expect. Most accounts would have
you believe that Walker initially approached Colt to discuss the
(03:18):
shortcomings of the Patterson and how it could be improved.
This is only partly true. Walker actually didn't make the
first move. Colt did. And he was hoping that Walker
could put him in touch with Hayes, saying in a letter...
If you think sufficiently well of my arms to urge
the President and Secretary of War to allow your company
(03:40):
to thus be armed, you can get them. Of course,
Colt made no mention of the dire condition of his
business at the time, and he was undoubtedly hoping that
a military contract would save his hide. In response to
Colt's letter, Walker mentioned that, With improvements, I think this
gun can be rendered the most perfect weapon in the world.
(04:01):
This is the first time we see a relationship between
Colt and Walker begin to form, and it's also the
first mention of changes to the original Patterson revolver's design.
This was the start of a long, drawn-out, and complex
relationship among Sam Colt, Eli Whitney Jr., Sam Walker, and
countless military and government officials that played out over the
(04:24):
next few years. When all the wrangling was through and
everything was in place, Sam Colt received a contract for
1,000 revolvers in the design that would eventually be known
as the Colt Walker. Today, it is one of the
most legendary, sought-after, and expensive models in the gun collecting world. However,
the gun almost never came to be, and by the
(04:46):
time it was all said and done, Captain Sam Walker
himself probably wished that it hadn't. The improvements included what
we think of as a standard trigger and trigger guard arrangement,
as the Patterson had a trigger that was housed in
the frame and only descended when the hammer was cocked.
The single action revolver was quite powerful, enough to kill
(05:06):
a man or a horse with a single shot, as requested,
and more robustly built than the previous Patterson. Sam Colt
was one hell of a marketing genius, which helped keep
things going for him in the early years. But most important,
and much to the chagrin of anyone who ever did
business with Colt, he lived a fake-it-till-you-make-it lifestyle. Colt didn't
(05:30):
have the capital to make the 1,000 guns that the
government had contracted for. So, he turned to Eli Whitney Jr.
of Cotton Gin Inventing fame for help with the financial
side of things. He also leaned heavily on Whitney for
the actual manufacturing machinery and capabilities, since he didn't have
any of those either. To ease the manufacturing burden, the
(05:52):
contract was split into two orders of 500 guns. Once
the first order was successfully delivered, the second would be approved.
Almost from the beginning, Colt over-promised and under-delivered. There was
always some excuse as to why certain parts weren't finished
and why production was lagging behind. Walker desperately needed the
batch of pistols, not only to save his own reputation,
(06:15):
but because his regiment was heading back to Mexico imminently,
and they needed the revolvers. Even as production faltered, Colt
was still writing to Walker, asking for help to increase
the size of the contract. Walker acknowledged that he was
doing all that he could, but that it was very
hard to convince the military to increase an order when
not a single gun had been completed and passed inspection. Try,
(06:39):
if possible, to have me one pair complete, and I
will be more certain to secure the order for a
larger number, Walker pleaded with Colt. Colt replied that he
was doing his very best, that he had, quote, as
many as 50 men engaged to work on them, and
that he was paying as high as $ 3 and $ 4
a day to entice men to switch jobs and come
(07:03):
work for him. The actual records tell the truth, and
Colt was lying on both counts. When the guns did
come in for military inspection, they were found lacking. The
cylinders on some burst under fire and failed proofing. Others
were missing the screwdrivers and powder flasks that were supposed
to come with them. The mechanism that held the loading
(07:25):
lever against the barrel was weak. It would sometimes allow
the lever to pop loose under recoil, which could block
the cylinder from revolving. Some people using these early models
tied the lever to the barrel with a piece of
rawhide or string to keep it in place. All the while,
Sam Walker was left trying in vain to get a
hold of the guns that would eventually bear his name,
(07:45):
so that his company of men could be outfitted with
these incredibly modern firearms. In a letter written to his
brother regarding the desire to capture Mexico's General Antonio Lopez
de Santa Anna, Walker stated, If I had my revolving pistols,
I should feel strong hopes of capturing him or killing him. Alas,
(08:06):
Walker had no revolvers, save for a single pair that
eventually were sent directly to him. On October 9, 1847,
Captain Samuel Walker was killed in action in Mexico, presumably
with his Colt revolvers by his side. And so, of
the 1,000 military Colt Walkers made and the 100 guns
(08:28):
produced for the civilian market, Captain Walker's personal pair of
pistols are the only examples that he ever saw before
he was killed in battle. Soon after, the Walker was
replaced by a parade of different Colt Dragoon models, often
otherwise known as the Model 1848, that endeavored to fix
the predecessor's shortcomings. It didn't take long for the 1,100
(08:51):
Colt Walkers to enter the annals of gun history. In
the first half of the 20th century, when gun collecting
as a whole was beginning to take shape, Colt Walkers
had already established themselves as key pieces to any Western, military,
or Colt collections. By the mid-20th century, the outlaw Josie Wales,
starring Clint Eastwood, helped keep the allure of the gun
(09:13):
alive for another half century. And in 2021, Texas Governor
Greg Abbott named the Colt Walker to be the official
handgun of Texas. For a time, a near-mint Colt Walker
held the distinction of being the most expensive gun ever
sold after it was auctioned for $ 1. 8 million in 2018.
It's since been eclipsed by another Colt a later single-action
(09:39):
Army model that lawman Pat Garrett reportedly used to kill
the notorious outlaw Billy the Kid. That gun sold for
an astonishing $ 6. 03 million in 2021. After 175 years, the
legend and the legacy of the Colt Walker revolver is
still larger than life. Which is.
(10:00):
I think is altogether fitting for a gun named after
a Texas Ranger.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
And a terrific job on the production and the storytelling
by Greg Hengler. And a special thanks to Logan Medish.
Logan founded and runs High Caliber History LLC. And what
a story. the legendary Colt Walker revolver, which was the
most powerful handgun in the world from 1847 till 1935.
(10:29):
But when the outlaw Josie Wells was made, Clint Eastwood
did the rest of the marketing for Colt, thus the
spiraling prices and that $ 1. 8 million price tag. The story
of the Colt Walker revolver, here on Our American Stories.
And we continue with our American stories. For a time,
a near-mint Colt Walker held the distinction of being the
most expensive gun ever sold after it was auctioned for
$ 1. 8 million in 2018. Here to tell the story of
the legendary Colt Walker revolver is Logan Medish. Logan founded
(00:33):
and runs High Caliber History, LLC, and has more than
a decade of experience working for the Smithsonian Institution and
the National Park Service. Let's take a listen.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Two of the most iconic words in the world of
gun collecting are Colt Walker. Only 1,000 of the revolvers
were ever made for the U.S. military, and only 100
more were made for civilians. And of those, only about 10% survived.
That scarcity has propelled this black powder percussion revolver to
(01:07):
legendary status. Sporting a 9-inch barrel and tipping the scales
at 4 pounds 9 ounces, this. 44 caliber wheel gun
was huge and designed not to ride in hip holsters,
but in saddle-mounted holsters and to be used by cavalry
troops on horseback. It was the most powerful handgun in
the world for an impressive 88 years, from its introduction
(01:31):
in 1847 until the. 357 Magnum cartridge hit the scene
in 1935. It also saved Samuel Colt from bankruptcy after
his first commercial revolver design tanked. So, what's the deal
with the gun's name? Captain Samuel Hamilton Walker of the
(01:53):
Texas Rangers began his military career at 19 with a
brief stint with the Washington City Volunteers during the Creek
Indian Campaign in 1836 in Alabama. He then traveled to
Florida as a scout and finally ended up in Texas
in 1841. He was in Galveston in 1842, serving under
(02:13):
Captain Jesse Billingsley, fighting for the Republic of Texas against
the Mexican Army. He was captured by the enemy in
December 1842 and marched to Mexico City as a prisoner
of war. He escaped his imprisonment and fled to Louisiana
before joining the Texas Rangers in 1844 under Captain John
Coffey Hayes. He was promoted to the rank of captain
(02:36):
and led a company during the Mexican-American War. Hayes was
attempting to raise a new regiment at the time, and
Walker mentioned that Colt's first revolver model, the Patterson, would
be a good fit for this new group. He was
one of the very few to use the revolver in combat,
and he viewed it favorably. When Walker sent a letter
(02:57):
to the Inspector of Contract Arms, Captain William Thornton, asking
how he could go about procuring 1,000 Patterson revolvers, he
learned that Colt's gun company had since gone out of business.
Here's where Walker and Colt's paths cross, but not in
the way that you might expect. Most accounts would have
you believe that Walker initially approached Colt to discuss the
(03:18):
shortcomings of the Patterson and how it could be improved.
This is only partly true. Walker actually didn't make the
first move. Colt did. And he was hoping that Walker
could put him in touch with Hayes, saying in a letter...
If you think sufficiently well of my arms to urge
the President and Secretary of War to allow your company
(03:40):
to thus be armed, you can get them. Of course,
Colt made no mention of the dire condition of his
business at the time, and he was undoubtedly hoping that
a military contract would save his hide. In response to
Colt's letter, Walker mentioned that, With improvements, I think this
gun can be rendered the most perfect weapon in the world.
(04:01):
This is the first time we see a relationship between
Colt and Walker begin to form, and it's also the
first mention of changes to the original Patterson revolver's design.
This was the start of a long, drawn-out, and complex
relationship among Sam Colt, Eli Whitney Jr., Sam Walker, and
countless military and government officials that played out over the
(04:24):
next few years. When all the wrangling was through and
everything was in place, Sam Colt received a contract for
1,000 revolvers in the design that would eventually be known
as the Colt Walker. Today, it is one of the
most legendary, sought-after, and expensive models in the gun collecting world. However,
the gun almost never came to be, and by the
(04:46):
time it was all said and done, Captain Sam Walker
himself probably wished that it hadn't. The improvements included what
we think of as a standard trigger and trigger guard arrangement,
as the Patterson had a trigger that was housed in
the frame and only descended when the hammer was cocked.
The single action revolver was quite powerful, enough to kill
(05:06):
a man or a horse with a single shot, as requested,
and more robustly built than the previous Patterson. Sam Colt
was one hell of a marketing genius, which helped keep
things going for him in the early years. But most important,
and much to the chagrin of anyone who ever did
business with Colt, he lived a fake-it-till-you-make-it lifestyle. Colt didn't
(05:30):
have the capital to make the 1,000 guns that the
government had contracted for. So, he turned to Eli Whitney Jr.
of Cotton Gin Inventing fame for help with the financial
side of things. He also leaned heavily on Whitney for
the actual manufacturing machinery and capabilities, since he didn't have
any of those either. To ease the manufacturing burden, the
(05:52):
contract was split into two orders of 500 guns. Once
the first order was successfully delivered, the second would be approved.
Almost from the beginning, Colt over-promised and under-delivered. There was
always some excuse as to why certain parts weren't finished
and why production was lagging behind. Walker desperately needed the
batch of pistols, not only to save his own reputation,
(06:15):
but because his regiment was heading back to Mexico imminently,
and they needed the revolvers. Even as production faltered, Colt
was still writing to Walker, asking for help to increase
the size of the contract. Walker acknowledged that he was
doing all that he could, but that it was very
hard to convince the military to increase an order when
not a single gun had been completed and passed inspection. Try,
(06:39):
if possible, to have me one pair complete, and I
will be more certain to secure the order for a
larger number, Walker pleaded with Colt. Colt replied that he
was doing his very best, that he had, quote, as
many as 50 men engaged to work on them, and
that he was paying as high as $ 3 and $ 4
a day to entice men to switch jobs and come
(07:03):
work for him. The actual records tell the truth, and
Colt was lying on both counts. When the guns did
come in for military inspection, they were found lacking. The
cylinders on some burst under fire and failed proofing. Others
were missing the screwdrivers and powder flasks that were supposed
to come with them. The mechanism that held the loading
(07:25):
lever against the barrel was weak. It would sometimes allow
the lever to pop loose under recoil, which could block
the cylinder from revolving. Some people using these early models
tied the lever to the barrel with a piece of
rawhide or string to keep it in place. All the while,
Sam Walker was left trying in vain to get a
hold of the guns that would eventually bear his name,
(07:45):
so that his company of men could be outfitted with
these incredibly modern firearms. In a letter written to his
brother regarding the desire to capture Mexico's General Antonio Lopez
de Santa Anna, Walker stated, If I had my revolving pistols,
I should feel strong hopes of capturing him or killing him. Alas,
(08:06):
Walker had no revolvers, save for a single pair that
eventually were sent directly to him. On October 9, 1847,
Captain Samuel Walker was killed in action in Mexico, presumably
with his Colt revolvers by his side. And so, of
the 1,000 military Colt Walkers made and the 100 guns
(08:28):
produced for the civilian market, Captain Walker's personal pair of
pistols are the only examples that he ever saw before
he was killed in battle. Soon after, the Walker was
replaced by a parade of different Colt Dragoon models, often
otherwise known as the Model 1848, that endeavored to fix
the predecessor's shortcomings. It didn't take long for the 1,100
(08:51):
Colt Walkers to enter the annals of gun history. In
the first half of the 20th century, when gun collecting
as a whole was beginning to take shape, Colt Walkers
had already established themselves as key pieces to any Western, military,
or Colt collections. By the mid-20th century, the outlaw Josie Wales,
starring Clint Eastwood, helped keep the allure of the gun
(09:13):
alive for another half century. And in 2021, Texas Governor
Greg Abbott named the Colt Walker to be the official
handgun of Texas. For a time, a near-mint Colt Walker
held the distinction of being the most expensive gun ever
sold after it was auctioned for $ 1. 8 million in 2018.
It's since been eclipsed by another Colt a later single-action
(09:39):
Army model that lawman Pat Garrett reportedly used to kill
the notorious outlaw Billy the Kid. That gun sold for
an astonishing $ 6. 03 million in 2021. After 175 years, the
legend and the legacy of the Colt Walker revolver is
still larger than life. Which is.
(10:00):
I think is altogether fitting for a gun named after
a Texas Ranger.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
And a terrific job on the production and the storytelling
by Greg Hengler. And a special thanks to Logan Medish.
Logan founded and runs High Caliber History LLC. And what
a story. the legendary Colt Walker revolver, which was the
most powerful handgun in the world from 1847 till 1935.
(10:29):
But when the outlaw Josie Wells was made, Clint Eastwood
did the rest of the marketing for Colt, thus the
spiraling prices and that $ 1. 8 million price tag. The story
of the Colt Walker revolver, here on Our American Stories.
Host
Lee Habeeb
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