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LOT 3257
Rare, Highly Desirable, and Iconic Documented A Company No. 74 U.S. Colt Walker Model 1847 Percussion
Revolver with Herb Glass Jr. Letter of Authentication - Serial no. ACOMPANYNo74, 44 cal., 9 inch part round bbl., blue/
casehardened finish, walnut grips. Only 1,000 of the legendary U.S. military Colt Walker revolvers were manufactured in
1847 at Eli Whitney Jr.’s Whitneyville, Connecticut, factory for Samuel Colt to fulfill a U.S. contract, after Colt worked with
Samuel Walker of the U.S. Regiment of Mounted Riflemen to develop an improved revolver suitable for hard military service
with enough power to stop a horse. The Walker revolvers were serial numbered 1-220 for A through D Company and 1-120
for E Company, and another 100 civilian series Walkers were made in their own 1001-1100 serial range with many of those
used for presentation purposes, including a pair for Walker himself. The first revolvers were delivered for issue to Samuel
Walker’s own company, C Company, and then were delivered in alphabetic order: A Company, B Company, D Company,
E Company. It is imperative to note that the Company markings were separate from the actual serial number, so each
revolver was both serial numbered and unit numbered. The story of the Walker pistol forever changed course of American
history and firearms design. It involves a young gallant U.S. Army officer Samuel Hamilton Walker, a brilliant second
generation inventor and manufacturer Eli Whitney Jr., and thrusted a young unsuccessful (up until this point) but ambitious
entrepreneur to the forefront of American manufacturing, one of the first American business tycoons: Colonel Samuel Colt.
“To the advanced Colt collector, the Walker Model is the most necessary single item in his arms group,” as stated on page 79
of “The Book of Colt Firearms” (1971 publication) by Sutherland and Wilson.
The U.S. 1847 Walker Model Colt was developed by Samuel Colt and influenced by suggestions from the former Texas
Ranger Samuel Hamilton Walker who was serving as a Captain in the Regiment of Mounted Riflemen (whom had quite
a lot of experience with the Paterson revolver). On December 7, 1846, Colt met with President James K. Polk to promote
his revolver. President Polk directed Secretary of War William L. Marcy to order 1,000 revolvers from Colt through the
U.S. Ordnance Department, with the contract officially approved on January 6, 1847. The original intent was to issue two
revolvers per man to the Mounted Rifle Regiment, and Colt was given six months to deliver 1,000 revolvers, spare parts,
molds, powder flasks, and other tools necessary for the revolvers to be issued to the troops. Colt made arrangements for
the revolvers to be manufactured by Eli Whitney Jr. at the Whitneyville Armory. This order marked the beginning of the
relationship between Colt and the U.S. military, which exists to this day.
Captain Samuel H. Walker was armed with a pair of civilian Colt Walkers when he was shot and killed on October 9, 1847,
while leading his men in a charge at the Battle of Huamantla. Reportedly, 394 Walker revolvers were issued to the 1st
Regiment, Texas Mounted Volunteers commanded by Colonel John Coffee “Jack” Hays at Vera Cruz, Mexico, in October of
1847; 214 of which being C Company marked revolvers received on October 19, 1847, and 180 being A and B Company
revolvers received on October 26, 1847, per information listed on page 36 of “The Colt Walker Army Revolver” by Charles
W. Pate (published 2020). When the Texas Mounted Volunteers mustered out of service on May 8, 1848, they turned in a
reported 191 Walker revolvers; 202 pistols were lost in service or retained by the Texans. In November of 1847, 100 Walker
pistols with A and B Company markings were issued to the U.S. Mounted Rifle Regiment, the regiment the revolvers were
originally ordered for.
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