One of the most powerful handguns ever used by the military was the Colt Walker of 1847.
The gun was conceived when Texas Ranger Samuel Walker joined with Samuel Colt in the 1840s.
Walker was an experienced military man who wanted to develop his own handgun.
So, he turned to the best gunmaker of the day – Samuel Colt.
Together, the two men created the 1847 Colt Walker.
It was a single-action revolver and everything Walker wanted in a pistol.
Unloaded, the revolver weighed 4.5 pounds, and fired a .44 caliber bullet.
Unlike today’s bullets, the revolver fired .44 caliber lead balls.
And the pistol was effective out to 100 yards.
Around the time the Colt Walker was produced the Mexican-American War raged on.
The revolver was beloved on the battlefield so the Texas military ordered 1,000 revolvers for the war.
Yet, the Colt Walker was not without problems.
If the shooter overfilled the chambers with powder, the revolver would explode in their hands.
Yet, this wasn’t common enough to detract from the popularity of the pistol.
In the years after the Mexican-American War, it continued to gain notoriety.
But there were only 1,100 original Colt Walker revolvers produced, making it nearly impossible to find one these days.
It’s one of the rarest guns sought by collectors – and it’s believed only 170 original Colt Walkers still exist.
In 2008, a pristine condition Colt Walker sold for $920,000.
The reason this specific one sold for so much was because of its uniquely perfect condition. There was no corrosion on the gun.
While you probably don’t own a gun as rare as a Colt Walker, it is always a good idea to keep your guns free of corrosion.
When it comes to corrosion-proofing firearms a lot of folks turn to Cerakote to protect their gun.
Yet, this option isn’t for everyone.
So, here is another way you could use to protect your firearm from corrosion…
Remove rust and dirt:
The most critical step is to clean all the gun parts before doing anything else.
If there is rust on the gun your best option is to use 220 or 330 grit sandpaper to remove it.
But, do it carefully to make sure you have an even surface without any scratches.
Next, you’ll want to remove any oil from your hands that remain on the gun.
For this process, I would use a product such as Brownell’s degreaser.
After you’ve cleaned all the parts, remember not to touch them with your hands.
Spray the parts:
For this step, I recommend using Brownells Aluma Hyde II.
This is a colored hard-curing epoxy finish that comes in different color options.
Aluma Hyde is pretty easy to work with and if you make a mistake you can usually cover it up when adding another coat.
On important note here: Aluma Hyde is thicker than Cerakote or Duracoat, so be careful using it on tight fitting parts.
If you put it on too thick the parts will not fit. So, start by spraying a light first coat on your parts.
Curing the parts:
Wait at least 5 minutes between coats. The total number of coats can be a little bit of a guessing game.
Too many coats can cause friction among the parts, so I wouldn’t do more than one or two coats before testing how the parts fit.
After you finish spraying the parts, I would hang them with wire (such as a coat hanger) to allow them to dry.
Let them cure for at least 10-14 days before testing the fit.
This coating should last through harsh conditions and protect your gun from corrosion.
So, even if you don’t own a rare firearm, you should do what you can to protect the ones you have.
You never know when it might be the gun you need to depend on to save your life.
