I have an Italian repro Colt 1851 in .44, so I ask: Is that the same thing as a Walker Colt?
“I have an Italian repro Colt 1851 in .44, so I ask: Is that the same thing as a Walker Colt?” [central_va, post 14]
Not exactly the same: very close in design and function, differing only in size, caliber, and details of parts shape/dimension.
The names by which they are commonly known today have been bestowed by collectors and historians; Sam Colt never used “Walker” or “1851 Navy” in marketing. He didn’t really market the great big 44 - most went straight into military service. “Colt’s Dragoon Revolver” (distinct from the later Dragoons) was all it was called, and that only fitfully. The 1851 Navy was “Belt Model of Navy Caliber.”
If it is indeed a 44, your revolver isn’t an exact replica of anything. Colt’s never made original “Navies” in anything except 36 caliber. It was the most-produced arm among Colt’s percussion revolvers, and enjoyed the longest production run: over 215,000 from 1850 into 1873.
Not all historians agree on the origin of association of cal 44 with the Army, and 36 cal with the Navy, but it was the custom, even among other gunmakers.