Keeping Walker cylinder turning freely

[M. De Land]

You have it pretty well nailed. Arbor is corrected and the lower frame makes good solid contact at the lower pins then you have a good setup. You can set the barrel/cylinder gap after the arbor is corrected several ways just depends on preference. I've done it by removing material from the forcing cone area, and in some cases a light skim cut on the cylinder face especially when there was excessive runout between the cylinder and the breech area.

Well your gradually beginning to wake up and smell the roses as to what's going on. The wedge depth , arbor end fit and lower lug fit need to be adjusted to one another to establish and maintain a level barrel cylinder gap width around the clock which few people even pay any attention to. The two faces (cylinder and barrel breech) need to be as parallel and co-axially aligned to each other in both axis as is possible to maintain chamber/bore alignment which dictates overall accuracy as well as shot register vertically and horizontally (x-y axis).
If the arbor is short then the wedge can draw up the barrel gap at the top but not at the bottom as the lower lug blocks it's level/uniform draw up.
This is why any gap reduction must be addressed at all three points ( wedge depth, arbor end fit and lower lug trim).
Maintaining parallel at 3 and 9 o' clock is addressed by arbor thread square just as it is by the threaded barrel frame hole in solid frame guns.
Revolver chamber/bore alignment square is not only important to accuracy but also to shot registry in relation to the sights. Same deal with chamber to bore alignment in rifle barrel accuracy.
The establishment and maintance of barrel cylinder gap parallel is another advantage of solid frame gun design over open frame.
Some lug reduction photos.

 

[bpd303]

Yes, I've set it in the past, last time I used it 40gr of 3fg Goex is the setting. I even found the tiny allen wrench to set it in one of the boxes.

I also remember one of the drawbacks to the flask while locating the stuff to shoot the Walker. It can't be used to charge the cylinder while it is in the gun as the flask will be at an angle and it drops inconsistent charges. The flask only throws consistent charges while being held straight in relation to the chamber.

Since I don't like removing the cylinder each time reloading, I found a couple of work around's that allows to charge each chamber while still in the gun. The first one works on a clean bore and that is to drop the charge from the barrels muzzle. Charge the chamber, rotate the cylinder and charge the next chamber & so on till all six are charged. That works until the bore has some fouling so I had to wipe the bore clean.
The other and the one I like is to use a "drop tube" in each chamber which lets the flask drop the powder straight. I made a drop tube from a rifle case that fits the chamber and is long enough to clear the frame. A 30-06 case with the head cut off works. I found it and wondered what is that for and it dawned on me oh ya a drop tube.

 

[M. De Land]

I also remember one of the drawbacks to the flask while locating the stuff to shoot the Walker. It can't be used to charge the cylinder while it is in the gun as the flask will be at an angle and it drops inconsistent charges. The flask only throws consistent charges while being held straight in relation to the chamber.

Since I don't like removing the cylinder each time reloading, I found a couple of work around's that allows to charge each chamber while still in the gun. The first one works on a clean bore and that is to drop the charge from the barrels muzzle. Charge the chamber, rotate the cylinder and charge the next chamber & so on till all six are charged. That works until the bore has some fouling so I had to wipe the bore clean.
The other and the one I like is to use a "drop tube" in each chamber which lets the flask drop the powder straight. I made a drop tube from a rifle case that fits the chamber and is long enough to clear the frame. A 30-06 case with the head cut off works. I found it and wondered what is that for and it dawned on me oh ya a drop tube.

We drop tube load our match black powder cartridges for mid and long range shooting. It compacts powder into smaller volume by removing air space. It reduces extreme spread and standard deviation.

 

[45D]

I also remember one of the drawbacks to the flask while locating the stuff to shoot the Walker. It can't be used to charge the cylinder while it is in the gun as the flask will be at an angle and it drops inconsistent charges. The flask only throws consistent charges while being held straight in relation to the chamber.

Since I don't like removing the cylinder each time reloading, I found a couple of work around's that allows to charge each chamber while still in the gun. The first one works on a clean bore and that is to drop the charge from the barrels muzzle. Charge the chamber, rotate the cylinder and charge the next chamber & so on till all six are charged. That works until the bore has some fouling so I had to wipe the bore clean.
The other and the one I like is to use a "drop tube" in each chamber which lets the flask drop the powder straight. I made a drop tube from a rifle case that fits the chamber and is long enough to clear the frame. A 30-06 case with the head cut off works. I found it and wondered what is that for and it dawned on me oh ya a drop tube.

Hmmmmm . . . I never had any problem using mine. I used it with my Dragoons and Walker with no problems at all.
(Cylinders in frame)
Mike

 

[Smokerr]

Our range has some rules that do not allow you to powder charge on the bench.

Issue is, do you try to charge in frame on the reloading bench (behind the shooting bench) and have a gun waving around? Now we all know it needs caps to be lethal but people are not used to seeing guns waved around (well they are but we call the range officer and those people quit or go home)

So in my case I take the cylinder out of the gun because on a cease fire, the guns need to be cased or the BP need to have the cylinder out to prove its safe (and no I have not asked what they do about SA Colt type!)

So yea, by default or definition, the cylinder needs to come out and you put powder in them on the back bench and do not cap until you get to the front bench (separation of powder and caps).

Its one reason for the winter months I shoot more unmentionable. I also have a spare cylinder for each of the BP guns I am shooting now, so I pre load at home. Cylinders in a snap box and open the box, cap and put in and away we go.