Fired my Wlaker today

[Old Charlie]

It was less than satisfying. First I found my CCI caps are to big for the nipples. I only loaded five shots and left an empty to lower the hammer on. I loaded fifty grains of Goex 3f and a 457 ball, with an over powder wad. At the end of firing the five rounds the gun would be completely locked up.
I would pull the barrel, clean the pin, put it back together and shoot five more shots and be locked up again. I tried greasing the pin with a home made lube then went to Gorilla grease. After fifteen rounds I gave up!
OK guys what am I doing wrong. This is my first Colt.
Old Charlie

 

[Doc Arroyo]

Old Charlie-

Was your over powder wad a wonderwad, or a dry wad?

If it was a wonderwad, did you "season" the gun per the directions? Some of the lubes that the various makers use really react with the BP fowling.

One item that I have added to my range kit I learned from some cowboy action shooters. A spray bottle with 50% water-50% soap of choice goes to the range with me. When I shoot my walkers or the 1860's I get about 30 shots before they get gummy. A quick spray and wipe, and they are back to shooting. :thumbsup:

 

[Old Charlie]

Doc the wads were some old wonder wads I have had laying around here for about two years open.
Old Charlie

 

[Doc Arroyo]

Charlie-
My guess is they didn't have enough lube. Wonderwads suffer from evaporation. Give that beast another few tries. It'll grow on you!

They also have a tendancy of drawing a crowd when you shoot them at a public range!

 

[chuck-ia]

I am no expert on your walker, I got a 1858 rem. a couple months ago, mine is .36 cal. pretty much ran into the same thing as you are explaining. I started out using pre lubed wads, the cyl. would lock up the first 6 shots. The pre lubed factory wads just didn't have enough lube on them. When I use wads I dip them in a mixture of crisco and beez wax, seems to work ok. What I have been doing lately is loading powder, adding corn meal to top of cyl. ball, and smearing a mixture of beez wax and crisco over the ball. The lube over the ball does seems to keep things working. flinch

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

I've never had this happen and I use a heavier load. I also don't use wads. I daub a little lube over the ball after it is seated. I've fired several cylinder loads without locking the gun up. I'd definitely get some proper size caps--a chainfire in a Walker would be a sight worth seeing.
Who is the maker of your Walker? It may be that it needs "breaking in" if the tolerances are very tight. The Colts tend to be less affected by fouling than the Remington type and should not lock up so easily.

 

[F.G. Ford]

If you wish to shoot a cap lock revolver all day, without any problems. Try some of the synthetic black powders, ie: 777, or any of the others.
I have used Pyrodex for years and it works great.
Make no mistake about it, it is every bit as corrosive as regular black powder, but it remains soft to continue shooting all day.
You still must use ball lube, or lubbed felt wads to prevent chain fire, and lube the lead ball down the barrel.
Try it and I'm sure that you will enjoy your Walker much more.

Best Regards

F. Ford

 

[jdixon]

I have a Uberti Walker that I shoot a lot. It is a tempermental SOB but, once you figure out a few things it is fine shootin' iron.
Before I ever shot mine I took it completely apart and everything, except the grips were wiped down and then fully covered with Bore Butter. Onto a cookie sheet and into a 200 degree oven for an hour. I pulled the hot parts out and wiped some more Bore Butter on them, let it cool then wiped off the excess. I don't know if this "seasoning process" works, but an old timer around here told me to do it. I knew it wouldn't hurt so I did. Long story short, I don't have the cylinder lock-up problems to the extent you were talking about. I lube up that cylinder axel pretty liberly before shooting, those grooves in the axel are filled w/ Boore Butter when I start shooting. I can usually get through an afternoon's worth of shooting without having to address additional lubrication issues.
Something that might be causing your lock-up issues is a barrel wedge that is too far into the frame. This wedge will draw closer the barrel's forcing cone to the face of the cylinder as you push it from right to left. You can literally with a clean gun, run this wedge so far in that it will not cock. Try backing the wedge out just a hair when it binds, this might be the problem.
Caps - I have got to the point that I use digital calipers to mic. the exact diameter of the nipple and match the cap to it on these revolvers. Wrong size caps = chainfire - an experience that I am happy to say I have never had. On my Walker (Uberti) I find that the RWS 1075 caps are the best fit. They mic out just slightly under CCI #11's. Finally, the design of the Colt cylinder, on the Walker anyway, doesn't allow for easy dispersal of spent cap fragments. The biggest problem that I have in shooting the Walker are cap fragments getting stuck in the action and binding up the gun. The ones that manage to get themselves down the front of the hammer are the most troublesome.
Don't give up on the Walker - the one that I have (after making significant adjustments to the rear hammer notch) shoots rings around even my Ruger OA. I have hit coffee can size targets with mine at 120+ yards. That long barrel, even longer rear to front sight distance and fast twist make the Walker a fine shootin' instrument.

 

[Old Charlie]

Mywlaker is by Uberti. I have not given up on it! Some folks say I am to dam hard-headed to quit when I should. I had a 58 Rem. and had no trouble with it. It would shoot all day. Cours I sold it. Damit!
Old Charlie

 

[SAJones]

Depends on the revolver. I have 2 walkers: Italian San Marco & COlt 3rd Generation. Don't have any problems w/ powder residue on the cylinder pin (that's why it locks up). However, my Colt 3rd generation 1851 is impossible to revolve after 12 shots. Had one that would only take 6 shots: don't have it now. (The Colt's too pretty to get rid of.) My early 60's Navy Arms 1851 will shoot all day w/o binding. Somewhere I read a scholarly dissertation about the designs Remington & Colt used on the cylinder pins to reduce this binding. Seems it was a bone of contention way back then also.

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

My Walkers are reliable, accurate and not in the least fussy. I can't speak to the subject of artificial powders as I don't use them, but with fffg everything is fine. Both my Uberti and my Colt Walkers have never given me a moment's trouble. They don't even suffer from "dropping lever" syndrome. My Uberti doesn't have much finish left on it, but locks up tight and sure every time. Once you've got yours dialled in, you will be amazed at its accuracy and range. There is nothing--absolutely nothing--like a Walker Colt.

 

Don't have a Walker but I have owned several Colts. I agree with JR that the wedge may be driven in too far. If you lube the cylinder pin and leave .015 or so of cylinder gap, you shouldn't experience much of a binding problem.

 

[5knives]

Don't know if it applies, but when I first started shooting c&B revolvers I had similar problems with my 1860's.

After finding a lube they liked for the cylinder pin, (nasty petroleum stuff, hey it was 1982) it mostly went away.

Then someone suggested the wedge was too far in, I started using an old auto feeler gauge and set it around .012 whenever I reassembled them.

That was pretty much the end of the problem.

They still get fussy from time to time, so I guess I'll take Anvils word and try them at .015.

Mostly I guess, I'd just shoot it at every opportunity, most people don't consider a 1911 from a good maker reliable till it's got 500 rounds or more through it. Lots of parts smooth out and "work harden", suspect that's maybe true of the BP guns also.

Good Luck!

 

[Bob Riegl]

You are absolutely %100 correct regarding the wedge pin on the Walker's. I have an Armi repro of the Walker and the depth of seating the wedge pin will determine if the cylinder turns at all. I suppose with a little bit of judicious gunsmithing one could possibly eliminate the cylinder "freeze", but I wouldn't want to flirt with success--remember"no good deed goes unpunished"---I can usually get around three cylinders shot off and then I must strip and brush off firing residues from the cylinder, and the pin, in order to keep on shooting. :m2c:

 

I wouldn't mess with the wedge or its fit beyond leaving an appropriate gap. As the rear of the forcing cone wears, the wedge can be driven deeper to maintain the proper clearance between barrel and cylinder.

 

[brian]

I'v only shot my walker once, but didnt have any trouble whith it, I did the old timers trick. of packing lube
on top of the ball, ( for weather proofing) and it shot fine.

does anyone have a source for conical projectiles? ::
as the goofy mold thay sell, is way to undersized.

thanks
more revolvers capn bragg
BB

 

[brubincam]

in the shooting ive done with cap & ball....round balls were most accurate :results:

 

[jdixon]

I have used the 190 gr. Buffalo Bullet conicals - .451 I believe in my Walker. Get them through Cabela's and others. The book says you should use a .454 but, I have had no problems with the .451. I had to file a portion of the frame just to the right of the loading piston to accomdate these conicals. The noses of the conicals would rub against this area scoring them as you rotated them into position to seat them in the cylinder. The conicals will shoot high compared with the round balls, the typical problem when going to a heavier projectile and the accuracy isn't what the RB 141 gr. projectile is. Finally, the conicals are more expensive. In short, unless you are planning on hunting deer inside of 40 yrds. with your Walker (the 190 gr. conical packs a superior punch compared to the round ball simply due to bullet weight) - something that this revolver is very capable of doing, I would stick with the ball ammo. :m2c:

 

[brian]

hmmmm, he said,
hestericly speaking, thats perty interesting,
has anyone here ever done a test with the correct round?

and anyone know of anyone, making the "CORRECT" presentation box,

as the one dixie sells aint even close.

thanks
BB

 

[roundball454]

Do you have a 'Post'(small Pin) in the back of the cylinder?
Mine does and you can load 6 rounds and carfully lower the hammer down upon the pin, it will be located between the nipple slots. My walker hammers the barrel wedge to the point that i needed to replace it. I ordered from Dixie, and the one that I picked from the catalog was for a 1860 so I dont know the proper part no. The walker is made by Pietta and was made in 1996.
Back to the binding, If you shot it in this awful AL heat the cylinder may have gotten hot enough to expand and bind up at the barrel cyl. gap. Additionally, the Posters that reported no real problems are all (the ones who give their locations) in the cooler less humid north.
Finally, the gentelman who claimed 120 yd accuracy, how much did you file? What did you use on the hammer, my files just run over and remove no steel? I have been unable to shoot good 25 yd groups w/ one remmy '58(8' bbl) or the walker. I have another 12'(bbl) remmy '58 w/ adjustable sights that groups 2' at 25yds. I am not sure what to do to improve the situation for the 'bad' revolvers or myself! ::