Walker Colt-Good, Bad, and Ugly

[Geraldo]

I picked up a barely used Uberti Walker Colt a couple weeks ago, and got to the range today. So here's the drill:

Good-My loading lever does not drop, so that's one middle age worry averted. On a line loaded with AR15s, the Walker does get attention. When I was packing up, a guy came by and said, "What were you shooting that made all that smoke? That thing is awesome."

Bad-Having read of all the stout loads and recoil, I expected more of a Marvin the Martian earth shattering kaboom. Even though I was shooting the same load in the Walker as my .45 rifle (50gr FFFg), it wasn't as exciting as I expected. Cool, yes. earth shattering, no.

Ugly-Knowing from my 1860 Army that these C&B pistols were supposed to be regulated for 50 yards, that's what I shot at. It was still hitting a foot high, which is within minute-of-battlefield, but not quite what I was hoping for.

I was shooting RB, will conicals bring my point of impact down?

 

[Norinco]

Conicals should bring the point of impact down. I'm not sure if they will change it by a foot though.

 

[CaptainKirk]

"Minute of Battlefield".... :rotf:

 

[CaptainKirk]

Sounds like you got one of those 'Lemon-Uberti's'...you know, the junk ones.
All they are worth is salvage.
But I'll give you $25.00 for the parts, that you can apply towards the purchase of a new one.
You believe me.....right? :bull:

 

[Geraldo]

Sounds like you got one of those 'Lemon-Uberti's'...you know, the junk ones.
All they are worth is salvage.
But I'll give you $25.00 for the parts, that you can apply towards the purchase of a new one.
You believe me.....right? :bull:

Kirk, you're right, as usual, but I couldn't saddle you with such a pistol. I just wouldn't feel right knowing that you got nothing but a few mismatched parts for your money.

 

[Zonie]

That's exactly the same reason I haven't offered to send Kirk any of my pistols.

I'd feel too guilty about saddling him with some "old cap and ball revolvers". :rotf:

 

[CaptainKirk]

Sounds like you got one of those 'Lemon-Uberti's'...you know, the junk ones.
All they are worth is salvage.
But I'll give you $25.00 for the parts, that you can apply towards the purchase of a new one.
You believe me.....right? :bull:

Kirk, you're right, as usual, but I couldn't saddle you with such a pistol. I just wouldn't feel right knowing that you got nothing but a few mismatched parts for your money.

Where would I be without friends to look after me? :idunno:

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

What you're experiencing is normal. I've already worn-out more than one set of nipples on my Walker, winning several competitions along the way, so here's the way I see it:

My Walker shoots exactly 6.5" high at 25 yards with a 52 grain charge of 3Fg Goex, a wonder-wad and a .454 Hornady ball. The 52 grains is pre-measured and pre-poured at home, tapping the side of the powder measure to settle the powder, then adding some powder, then tapping once more prior to turning the funnel and pouring the charge. This will result in an increase of powder of approx. 3 grains. So my 52 grain charge is someone else's 55 grain charge if they use a measure and don't let the powder settle & re-settle, etc.

Those Horse Pistols were sighted for 75 yards, so at 50 yards, they're still on their way UP! I have to aim between a foot and 1 1/2 feet LOW at 50 yards will full-power loads in my Horse Pistols. Once you figure-out where the rounds are going, keep doing everything the same and you'll get decent groups, even if you have to aim at the bottom of the paper target OR the target frame backer! I've had to shoot at 50 yards (strong-hand only) to earn my Expert rating in the NRA Qualification Program for ML Pistol. Even my Colt 1860 Army requires a hold of more than a foot low at 50 yards. That's just something that has to be overcome as an obstacle.

Adversity will teach you to be a better shot and eventually you'll know where the rounds will hit as you squeeze the trigger, even calling fliers come naturally after a while shooting this way. Your other options are to install a taller sight or switch to a single-shot pistol with adjustable sights, and get funky Hi-Vis sights to boot :shocked2: . So my advise is to just "get over it" and learn to shoot the gun as it came out-of-the-box. A couple more range visits and a box of balls later and if you're any good, you'll know where it shoots, as mastering the little notch in the hammer of the Colts is as much of an art as it is a science.......

Good luck with your shooting the mighty Horse Pistols!

Dave

 

[CaptainKirk]

A horse is a horse, of course, of course! :grin:
Listen to Dave. Anyone who can prang a pair of oxygen tanks at 135 yards with a Walker has MY attention.... :thumbsup:

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

Kirk,

Believe it or not, for that long shot I just aimed near the top of the set of tanks, figuring I'd clang it since the revolver was sighted for 75 yards. So no "hold-over" was needed :wink: . I also think that I was "on decaf" that day too :haha: since I didn't want the shakes.

Right after I did that one of my Mentors in the Dark Arts double-charged his .50 cal single-shot pistol and clanged the Gong too! He stoked-it up with 40 grains of 3Fg Goex and held-over a little bit and clanged it good! Then all of a sudden everyone came out of the woodwork and tried to clang the same Gong with their rifles, with more than half of the shots missing! So right then and there I became the Pistol Match Chairman for the Rifle Club :idunno: :haha: .

I've missed that same shot since (regular coffee :idunno: ) and hit it too, but it sure was fun that day!

Dave

 

[CaptainKirk]

Never argue with a Horse Pistol. :nono:

 

[Greg Hardy]

:rotf: When I got my ASM Walker back in '85, me and my old shooting partner went out into the desert outside of Barstow and started plinking. Remembering how high this thing was supposed to hit, I fired at an old street sign about two hunderd yards off. After the long wait, 'thwunk' hit the stupid thing. My partner just stood there trying to get his jaw out of the dirt while I just played it off, all the while wondering just how the heck I hit it!!!!

 

[mjn]

Can't find the source at the moment, but it was recorded that once (only once) during the Mexican war, a Texas ranger armed with a Walker, shot a Mexican soldier at "well over a hundred yards". That incident provoked Texas ranger John "RIP" Ford to comment that the Walker could shoot almost as far, and as hard as the Mississippi rifles used by the volunteers from that state.