The earlier photo presented was that of a dragoon replica. We now know that was incorrect. In movies, even when they use “cap and ball” revolvers they’ve been converted to use cartridges to make the armorer’s job easier. We are also likely running into the fact that modern journalists can’t tell the difference between an open-top colt and an open-top BMW.
CC
You are correct. Journalist’s obviously have little understanding of guns period. They call blued guns “black guns” and nickel plated or stainless steel pistols “silver guns.”
As you noted, they have been converting cap and ball revolvers to cartridge for movies for at least 80 years. Colt Dragoons are rarely seen in film because they were big heavy horse pistols, meant to be carried in holsters slung across a saddle and in the real Old West hardly ever carried in a belt holster. The only one that comes to mind is the “Dragoon” seen in John Wayne’s “True Grit” which was actually a converted 1847 Colt Walker.
I would guess if it was a cap and ball conversion that Baldwin fired, it was either an 1860 .44 Colt Army or an 1858 .44 Remington converted to fire a .45 cal cartridge. Both Pietta and Uberti of Italy make modern replicas of them.