Walker Colt loading lever tie down

[Sawney Beane]

I know the walking loading lever is an old chestnut for veteran Walker shooters, but new to me. I did not want to whip out the Dremel on this as the lever only occasionally drops a bit (so far) around +40 grains. Anyway I went with a scrounged piece of thin hat band leather from an old Bailey fedora. It's nice and I can still see the front sight. Works for me!

https://1drv.ms/u/s!AuhNNnzHixEYgbZ6jQtbmb7bLoYCnQ?e=AKWAZG

https://1drv.ms/u/s!AuhNNnzHixEYgbZ78DtP4wKcIo4Rog?e=yQ2SDY

 

[Zonie]

I followed your links and used the "Copy Image" feature on my computer. I'll "Paste" the images below

You might try using this method. It's much better than making people follow links to other sites.

 

[bang]

Can be made thinner. Thin leather to hold to barrel.

 

[Sawney Beane]

I followed your links and used the "Copy Image" feature on my computer. I'll "Paste" the images below

You might try using this method. It's much better than making people follow links to other sites.

Thanks a heap!

 

[Rat]

Pretty sure if I owned a Walker, I'd fit a Dragoon lever and latch to it.

 

[Grenadier1758]

By the way Sawney Beane, we will call for an intervention if you reach for that Dremel. Rather see a rubber band than the results from a Dremel attack.

 

[Phil Coffins]

There's a more elegant way to address the Walker lever. I made this adjustment to a Walker and can fire full 60 grain loads with out the lever drooping. Look carefully at were the spring holds the lever, in the first photo it's as is came. I removed the spring from it's dovetail and filed the part of the spring's base that the lever stops on. Reinstalled the lever snaps up tight to the barrel as in the second photo. Easy to do and nothing to come loose.
IMG_1278 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr
IMG_1279 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

 

[Columbus]

Couple of my granddaughter's hair bands work on my Dragoon. They even come in black (although I'd have to buy those myself)

 

[bang]

Couple of my granddaughter's hair bands work on my Dragoon. They even come in black (although I'd have to buy those myself)
View attachment 17955

My Dragoon suffered rod drop too. Remove the latch. Put a spacer under the spring that makes it utilize the full potential of the spring. Fixed mine.

 

[Rat]

Whoa. The Dragoons drop their levers too???? Now I have truly lost my innocence.

 

[Grenadier1758]

If you don't take care of the latch, they all can drop the lever. The Walker is the worst.

 

[Phil Coffins]

My Dragoon suffered rod drop too. Remove the latch. Put a spacer under the spring that makes it utilize the full potential of the spring. Fixed mine.

Shows there’s nothing wrong with the original design just poor copying of it. Good fix.

 

[Zonie]

Shows there’s nothing wrong with the original design just poor copying of it. Good fix.

I'm glad his fix worked for him but speaking from a historical standpoint, the Walker's and the Whitneyville Hartford Dragoon loading lever and its tendency to drop when the gun fired was always a problem. (The Walker and Whitneyville Hartford Dragoon were made in 1847.)

That is why starting with the First Model Dragoon which was produced in 1848-1850, the loading lever had some sort of a catch or latch on the end of it. As the Dragoons evolved thru the 2nd and into the 3rd model, the design of the latch changed in an attempt to improve it. The latch on the Colt 1851 Navy loading lever was the final design and was used on all of the Colt Cap & Ball revolvers from then on.