Tucker & Sherrard “Texas Dragoon” Limited Edition from Western Arms
The Tucker & Sherrard “Texas Dragoon” Limited Edition
The first original Tucker & Sherrard was manufactured by Tucker, Sherrard & Co in their factory near Dallas in 1861 and 1862 during the Civil War. Originally contracted to supply the State Military Board with 3,000 revolvers, half were to be big, .44 caliber Dragoons and half .36 caliber revolvers based on the 1851 Colt Navy. The board received only one sample gun and total production was only an estimated 400 revolvers. And it seems that only two actual Tucker, Sherrard & Co. revolvers ever made it out of production. Needless to say, the contract was cancelled. The company became Clark, Sherrard & Co. after the war and produced a limited number of these Dragoon revolvers c. 1866-1867. The revolvers were the same, only the manufacturer name was changed.
It seems the majority of the very limited surviving examples were assembled and finished after the war by Clark, Sherrard & Co. A.S. Clark, the firm's foreman, wrote in 1867 that they had "about 400 caliber .44 old style army revolvers which we plan to embellish into high class merchandise". So they turned to the Civilian market.
In the late 70’s, Western Arms Co. distributed the Uberti made Limited Edition Tucker Sherrard & Co. replica revolver, known as the “Texas Dragoon” to comemmorate the few Tuckewr & Sherrard revolvers made in Twxas. It was basically a Confederate copy of the Colt First Model Dragoon (some say 2nd Model Dragoon) finished in blue case colors with one piece walnut grips, square trigger back and brass straps. Left side of barrel is stamped "TUCKER SHERRARD & CO." Blued cylinder has gold leaf engraving, a Texas star on one side with crossed cannons and soldiers on the other. It came in a beautiful walnut display box with Texas copper flask, two cavity brass bullet mold and brass cap tin. It was a very short lived production with a very limited number of only 400 revolvers made. The cased set revolvers were serialized with the numbers T1 - T400.
The Western Arms' revolver is based on the .44 caliber Dragoon and patterned after the First Model Colt Dragoon, originally. Just as the Dance Brothers’ gun was distinguished by its flat frame and a complete absence of recoil shields, the Tucker & Sherrard Dragoon had its identifying characteristic in the fact that there was no loading aperture on the right side of the barrel frame or lug. Those original guns made after the War had a large star etched on the cylinder with the markings, "Texas Arms." This is the version Western Arms had reproduced.
The Western Arms Corporation had for its president and general manager at the time, Mr. Leonard Allen, the founder of Replica Arms back in 1961, and the chairman of the board of Uberti, perhaps the best known maker of replica guns in the world, Aldo Uberti of Italy. Leonard Allen had informed some of the Tucker & Sherrard's proposed appearance some three months before any guns were actually received from Italy and had explained that the series was confined to 400 pieces, corresponding to the supposed number of the original guns manufactured over a hundred years ago in Lancaster, Texas.
The limited replica version was specially serial numbered and cased in a mahogany or walnut case and would be accompanied by suitable accessories including a special Texas flask and a .44 caliber bullet mold. The price would be $395.00 for the set or an individual gun alone would go for a hundred dollars less. After the first 400 guns were sold, the Dragoon would be offered as a regular item in the Western Arms catalog, but without any of the specific identifying features of the first 400. There were to be about 1,000 made of the standard model, which became known as the "Shooters" model. At the time, Allen also mentioned the possibility of a .36 caliber gun later with serial numbers to match those of the Dragoons, but it seems these never made it to production.
The first prototype's case was walnut, with the lid lined in blue satin and the remainder compartmented and covered with a grayish blue velvet. A special copper flask depicted a scene from the Battle of the Alamo and is complete with the seal of the State of Texas, while the bullet mold was brass with a color case hardened sprue cutter and two cavities, one for the round ball and another for the conical type bullet. As beautiful as the accessories are, they must take a back seat to the revolver. Any Dragoon is a powerful appearing sixgun and the Tucker & Sherrard is just that. But it is also beautiful in appearance to complement its other characteristics. Mr. Allen had stated in advance that the prototype's cylinder was hand engraved, along with most of its markings, but that the regular series guns would feature roll engraved cylinders to prevent confusion with the original's which was etched and bore the name of the engraver, L. S. Perkins. Engraved with the star of Texas, the cylinder's chambers digest 50 gr. loads easily. The production sets turned out to be identical to the prototype.
The usual, "Black Powder Only" legend was engraved on the brass grip frame's butt and not too readily visible. Outwardly, the Dragoon's frame, hammer and rammer assembly are beautifully color casehardened while the deep, rich blue-black finish on cylinder and barrel complement the square-backed, brass trigger guard and backstrap, also beautifully polished. The one piece walnut grips are dark and well grained, lightly oiled and closely mated to the grip frame. The Barrel length is 7½ inches and is round forward of the lug, while the rammer latch is the horizontal, Navy type common to the original Tucker & Sherrard. Nearly as heavy as the Colt Walker, the Texas Dragoon comes in at four pounds, two ounces.
The engraved cylinder naturally catches the eye, for it contains the five-pointed star, the Texas Arms markings and to make it, in the terms used by Tucker & Sherrard, "suitably embellished," the original firm's coat of arms which consists of two Spanish Conquistadors armed with lances and holding a shield over crossed cannons. Leonard Allen stated that this design was taken from one or two samples of the original guns, but that the etched design used at the time of their manufacture had worn to the point of being almost illegible. Suitable markings occur on the sides of the barrel lug and also on its top while the barrel is marked, "Cal. 44" on its left side. There is no loading aperture on the right side of the barrel lug! The German silver front sight blade shows up very well in the rear hammer notch sight. The cylinder measures just under 2½ inches in length making this a black powder magnum of the first order. Italian caps fit the nipples best. The huge base pin is indicative of the overall strength of this massive revolver.
So now that we know what the “Limited Edition Texas Dragoon” should look like, beware of those trying to claim that the 1,000 Tucker Sherrards made after the Limited Edition run are as valuable as the “Texas Dragoons”. They are indeed collectable in their own right with just 1,000 copies out there, but the “Limited Edition” is much more valuable with its gold embellishments, walnut cases and “Alamo” powder flask. These "Shooters" models also had normal sequenced Uberti serial numbers, distinguishing them from the Limited Editions, which had the "T" prefix before the serial number.
Be aware of the supposed Tucker & Sherrard revolvers made by Armi San Marco in the early 1980's. These ASM revolvers have 1 very identifying feature, among others, which excludes them from being a Tucker & Sherrard and that is the aperture that appears on the right side of the barrel frame or lug. The true Tucker & Sherrard replicas do not have this aperature just as the original Revolver did not. The ASM revolver is a Colt 2nd Model Dragoon with only a Tucker & Sherrard like cylinder used in place of the usual 2nd Model Dragoon cylinder. Identifying photos on the ASM made replicas are yet to be found, but rumors abound none the less.
Armi San Marco actually did produce a copy of the L.E. Tucker & Sons revolver, a predecessor of the Tucker & Sherrard and nearly identical in design, except for being in .36 caliber. The ASM repro was a 2nd Model Dragoon .44 pistol with the stamp "L.E. Tucker & Sons" in modern fancy block-type font on the top of the barrel lug, whereas the original had a hand-cut stamp in the same place and was not a Dragoon but a .36 caliber..
Notice the loading aperture opening on this same "fake" L. E. Tucker revolver below.
Also beware of those "fake" Tucker & Sherrard revolvers that are standard Uberti made 2nd Model Dragoon replicas with a "Tucker & Sherrard cylinder added to them like the one below. Notice the loading aperture on the right hand side of the lug and the lack of defining markings that the "Limited Edition" Tucker and Sherrard has on the barrel lug.
Often times these Uberti and ASM "fake" Tucker & Sherrard replicas are listed as being Tucker & Sherrard "Limited Editions' or one of the 1,000 "Shooter's" replicas made, but they are not. Their price should be in line with any other Uberti or ASM 2nd Model Dragoon pricing based on condition.
References:
The notes of Dr. James H Davis ,
Guns Magazine, February 1979, Bennington, Bill, “Texas Dragoon”
