Keeping Walker cylinder turning freely

[bpd303]

Everybody WANTS to have "the" one but they are what they are!! The ONLY ones "correct" are the very first ones ( '62) reproduced but 99% of all reproductions aren't right!!

I guess mine made in 1962 must be correct, even if I can't find a manufactures mark and all the serial numbers match.
Edit: The only problem mine had was the loading lever would shoot loose, I corrected that by heating the spring, a little reshaping, quenching and tempering (heat treating) and it works the last time I shot it.

 

[45D]

I guess mine made in 1962 must be correct, even if I can't find a manufactures mark and all the serial numbers match.

So, you don't know who made it, but it's "right"?

 

[bpd303]

So, you don't know who made it, but it's "right"?

Yep...

 

[45D]

If it's right, there's no problem. What's the "endshake" measurement? (wedge driven in all the way (till it stops moving)).

 

[bpd303]

Just measured it and it is .004. As far as I know it is the original wedge and it shows no wear.
Edit Just thought the makers mark may be under the trigger guard, but I don't feel like taking it off to see.

 

[D Yager]

I wonder if the wedge is hitting the retainer screw? Maybe try taking out the retainer screw and tapping the wedge in and see if the barrel/cylinder gap changes.

 

[bpd303]

I wonder if the wedge is hitting the retainer screw? Maybe try taking out the retainer screw and tapping the wedge in and see if the barrel/cylinder gap changes.

After having a conversation with @45D and reading about using a mallet to seat the wedge, I checked the retainer screw which had some clearance, I used a small brass hammer and tapped the wedge, which did move in and that reduced the endshake to 0.001 and the barrel to cylinder gap to zero. When I first seated the wedge I used a plastic handle of one of my screw drivers and didn't hit it very hard.
Makes me a happy camper. Now if the weather cooperates tomorrow, I will fire a couple of cylinders through it to see if I can still hit the side of a barn, as I haven't shot it in 10-15 years.

 

[Dude]

... endshake to 0.001 and the barrel to cylinder gap to zero.

Endshake IS the barrel/cylinder gap. I think we're having a confusion of terms here. If the endshake is, in fact zero, the arbor needs shimming.

 

[45D]

Endshake IS the barrel/cylinder gap. I think we're having a confusion of terms here. If the endshake is, in fact zero, the arbor needs shimming.

Barrel/cylinder GAP is the amount of space between the cylinder face and the forcing cone when the cylinder is manually pushed forward. It usually is achieved by use of a bushing.

Endshake is the measured space between the cylinder face and forcing cone with the cylinder pulled to the rear-minus the "GAP" measurement. It's the actual amount of fore and aft movement of the cylinder.

Since there IS no measurable "GAP" with the cylinder pushed forward on an open-top revolver that has NO bushing, the "GAP" measurement is zero.
Therefore, the ONLY measurement you can measure "technically" ( so there's no confusion) is with the cylinder pulled to the rear, which is Endshake.

The "forcing cone" end of the barrel offers a nice bearing surface with its thickness of material.

Mike

 

[D Yager]

And on top of everything else the arbor is still short. With a properly fitted arbor that barrel/cylinder gap should not have changed.

 

[Dude]

Thanks, Mike. All I know is endshake, never paid attention to GAP since it's not something that needs adjusting on these pistols.

D Yager - If the wedge bottoms and endshake stays at .001", that tells me the arbor has bottomed in the well.

 

[D Yager]

Once again if it moved or closed the gap it;s real good guess the arbor is still short. Try shimming the arbor and see if anything changes.

 

[Dude]

Once again if it moved or closed the gap it;s real good guess the arbor is still short. Try shimming the arbor and see if anything changes.

Easy enough to do - cut a little circle from a cereal box or yogurt container, drop it in the well and see what happens.

 

[M. De Land]

Barrel/cylinder GAP is the amount of space between the cylinder face and the forcing cone when the cylinder is manually pushed forward. It usually is achieved by use of a bushing.

Endshake is the measured space between the cylinder face and forcing cone with the cylinder pulled to the rear-minus the "GAP" measurement. It's the actual amount of fore and aft movement of the cylinder.

Since there IS no measurable "GAP" with the cylinder pushed forward on an open-top revolver that has NO bushing, the "GAP" measurement is zero.
Therefore, the ONLY measurement you can measure "technically" ( so there's no confusion) is with the cylinder pulled to the rear, which is Endshake.

The "forcing cone" end of the barrel offers a nice bearing surface with its thickness of material.

Mike

No it's not, end shake and barrel cylinder gap are two separate measurements and tolerance standards that are often confused and used interchangeably. End shake is the bushing tolerance ,if present, at the end of the cylinder against the frame. Barrel cylinder gap is between cylinder face and barrel breech face not the forcing cone which is the funnel cut in the barrels breech face. Typical factory established end shake when there is a bushing is .001 max and barrel cylinder gap is usually factory adjusted to .004 and above. Recent factory new percussion guns have been showing up with tighter barrel cylinder gaps I have noticed.
Since open frame guns don't use a bushing the term barrel cylinder gap is the correct term.