Samuel Hamilton Walker and General Winfield Scott's armies. Walker is best known as the co-inventor of the famous "Walker Colt" revolver, along with arms manufacturer Samuel Colt. Walker is said to have self-funded a trip to New York City to meet with Colt and proposed to him the concept of a weapon based on the then-popular five-shot Colt Paterson revolver, with many enhancements such as adding a sixth round, being powerful enough to kill either a man or a horse with a single shot and quicker to reload . Colt's firearms company was no longer in business, but the large order allowed Colt
Colt Dragoon Revolver from exploding when fired, unlike the risk that had been demonstrated with the Walker revolvers. In the troublesome events that led to the Civil War, Colt Dragoons became extremely popular. In the beginning Colt Dragoon Revolvers were issued for the U.S. Army's Mounted Rifles. They were carried in pommel holsters on the saddle. The Colt Dragoon Revolver gained popularity among civilians in the Southwest where many had served in the Mexican–American War. The Dragoon became a master weapon for civilians who hailed it as a powerful weapon of the time. Famous users included Joaquin Murietta, the California bandit, Charley Parkhurst,