--- title: "This is the most powerful sidearm ever issued by the US military" date: "2021-12-29" modified: "2021-12-29" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/popular/this-is-the-most-powerful-sidearm-ever-issued-by-the-us-military/" categories: - "History" - "Tactical" - "War History" - "Weapons" --- # This is the most powerful sidearm ever issued by the US military ![]() In 1846, American firearms legend Samuel Colt teamed with Capt. Samuel Hamilton Walker to produce the most powerful sidearm ever issued to the U.S. military – the Colt Walker 1847. --- Walker, a Texas Ranger (no joke) and officer in the militaries of both the Republic of Texas and the United States when Texas entered the Union, served in the American West's many armed conflicts. He fought the Indian Wars and the Texian War of Independence as well as the Mexican-American War. ![]() *(Warner Bros.)* After he was discharged from the Texas Rangers, Walker self-funded a trip to New York to meet Colt. The duo based their design on the [five-round Colt Paterson revolver](). Walker and Colt would add a sixth round to the chamber, [along with a stationary trigger and guard](). With that, they created the [most powerful black powder handgun ever made](). With a 9-inch barrel and .44 caliber round, this weapon had an effective range of 100 yards and the muzzle energy of a .357 Magnum. At only 4.5 pounds, the Colt Walker 1847 was the most powerful U.S. military sidearm ever issued and the[ most powerful pistol until the introduction of the Magnum .357]() in 1935. Walker himself carried two of his own pistols into Mexico during the war with the U.S. mounted rifles. When one of his troops killed a Mexican soldier with the pistol at Veracruz, a medical officer reportedly remarked that the hand cannon shot hit with equal force and range as a .54-caliber Mississippi Rifle. ![]() *(Warner Bros.)* There were some drawbacks to the design, including that sometimes the cylinders blew up in the shooter's hand due to the amount of powder used — which was twice the amount used in similar weapons of the time. Colt recommended using 50 grains of powder, instead of the prescribed 60. Lard was sometimes used to keep all the cylinders from exploding at once. [Walker was killed leading troops through Huamantla](), Mexico, during the Mexican-American War. Colt, who was bankrupt when he met Walker, rebuilt his business and reputation beginning with the Colt Walker 1847. ![]() *(Wikimedia Commons)* The Colt Walker's legacy lives on in the hearts of firearms enthusiasts and American historians. In 2008, an original model, with original powder flask, [fetched $920,000 at auction](). That model was sold by Montana's John McBride, whose great-great uncle was a Mexican War veteran. Watch below as two European enthusiasts load and shoot a reproduction of the Colt Walker 1847. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLnbuAwIjDY ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()