Awesomness... if you like BP & Revolvers!!

[Griff]

Yesterday I went up to north Texas and picked up my pair of 1836 Paterson copies that the gunsmith has had for nigh on 2 years... One problem after another. Very "fiddly" actions. You have to remove the barrel to load, either on a cylinder stand or with a special Paterson tool on the gun. I took the one that was broken out today and exercised it a little. Loaded it on the gun with the tool. .36 cal round balls, ~15 grains of 3F Goex with a lubed wad between the two. There isn't much room for any more powder in there, as the cylinders are a bit shorter than my 1851s. Capping them is a thrill, the only access to the nipples are thru the hammer slot in the recoil shield. So you have to pull the hammer to half cock, cap chamber one, rotate cylinder, cap chamber 2, thru all 5, unless you leave one uncapped to rest the hammer on. There are no pins or anything to let the hammer down between chambers except the smooth backside of the cylinder. Don't you just love that long hammer? Not to mention the length of pull on it!

DSCN1466[1].JPG

DSCN1467[1].JPG

DSCN1469[1].JPG

DSCN1470[1].JPG

Video of firing it.

[Ysabel Kid]

So, how did it shoot?

[Griff]

So, how did it shoot?

10 scars in the bark of that tree. So it shoots in the general direction it's aimed. But, like I said in the video, the action's a little clunky, not smooth. The fact that the locking lug has to come up into a round hole without any lead-in, means it's timing is not "smooooooth", but rather moves in fits and starts. The interior mechanics are like none of the SAs I'm familiar with. I don't think anyone has ever really tired to make them run smoothly. None of the gunsmiths I've spoken with really know how to make 'em smooth. Even the guy that fixed this one, needed its mate to be able to get it back together correctly. Maybe it'll smooth out over a few hundred rounds!

[Scott Tschirhart]

In its day, it was revolutionary!

[Bill in Oregon]

Had one of those beauties long enough to scratch the itch. Kinda sad that such a handsome and historic article is as awkward as it was.

[JimT]

Had one of those beauties long enough to scratch the itch. Kinda sad that such a handsome and historic article is as awkward as it was.

In its day folks were happy to have it!

[Griff]

Had one of those beauties long enough to scratch the itch. Kinda sad that such a handsome and historic article is as awkward as it was.

In its day folks were happy to have it!

Aye, and with 3 or 4, a feller might've thought he'd reached the pinnacle of self-defense. And since practical repeating rifles were still a ways in the future, what could've been better?

[Bill in Oregon]

The Battle of Bandera Pass, like the later Wagon Box Fight in 1867, taught the Indians some harsh lessons about changing firearms technology. Never assume!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEP1acj29-Y

[gamekeeper]

It would be interesting to compare a real Colt Patterson to the Italian clone but where would you find a NIB Patterson and a owner who would even let you touch it let alone shoot it....
Colt certainly improved his revolvers when he came out with the Walker and Dragoon models.

[Ysabel Kid]

It would be interesting to compare a real Colt Patterson to the Italian clone but where would you find a NIB Patterson and a owner who would even let you touch it let alone shoot it....
Colt certainly improved his revolvers when he came out with the Walker and Dragoon models.

Exactly. The Paterson wasn't great, but certainly an improvement over the single shots - and it led to the Walker, which kicked off an impressive array of blackpowder cap & ball revolvers!

[Griff]

Got a msg last nite from a fellow cowboy shooter telling me about another Paterson being offered up out of an estate. Went this morning to check it out. navy Arms import, date coded "AE", or 1979, and according to an listing I found, also Pietta built. No box, certainly not LNIB, a couple of scratches around the locking lug recesses, definitely fired in the past. Finish is very nice outside the mar on the cylinder. Dark CCH on the hammer, the grip is quite a bit more "sharp" edged vs, the 2 I have from 2017. So now I have 3. I wonder if I can use them in CAS match... loading 2 with 4 rounds, and the 3rd with two. Waiting on a ruling from the Rules Committee liaison.

DSCN1473[1].JPG