Walker Colt gunsmithing help needed

Chance · July 22, 2006, 12:16:37 PM

Kid, have you had all the innards out including the hammer? Sounds like the trigger & bolt spring ain't doing its job and maybe the full-cock notch on the hammer is worn or missing.

Bristow Kid · July 22, 2006, 12:28:50 PM

Chance I think its the spring but I'll check the notch too when I take it back apart. Thanks for the Idea.

Arcey · July 22, 2006, 02:01:52 PM

The trigger 'n bolt spring is one piece. Makin' a guess but I doubt it's been changed ta wire. So it's a hunk of spring steel kindah 'U' shaped. Last one I busted looked fine when I pulled it out. Had a small crack in it 'n when I flexed it it fell in two. That small crack weakened it enough it wouldn't hold the bolt in place. As I was slidin' the revolver down the carpeted loadin' table the cylinder was spinnin'.

What Chance mentioned bothers me. If a butcher went in it 'n tried to 'crisp it up' by honin' down the sear surfaces of the trigger or hammer or both he's probably messed it up. That would figure. It would hold at half cock cause he didn't fiddle with that. If the sear is messed up it would tend to push the trigger out of place where it matches up with the hammer when ya try to bring it to full cock.

PURE SPECULATION – Half-assed amateur gunsmith/owner went in it – buggered screws – did some filing/honing. The thing started to malfunction. Lost interest 'n neglected it – corrosion. Sold it.

Bristow Kid · July 22, 2006, 02:16:25 PM

Thanks again Arcey.

I know that I am atleast the third owner of this firearm. Second owner "said" he never took it apart. Luckily some gave me a website and its full of part so I should be able to get it working soon as the barrel comes off. Thanks again to everyone that has helped in any way.

Bristow Kid · July 25, 2006, 05:05:59 PM

Happy Day Happy Day I got the barrel off my Walker. I'd really like to thank everyone for their assistance. I'll post updates when I get it shooting. And will try and post pictures.

Arcey · July 25, 2006, 05:21:23 PM

Yeeeeeee Hawwwwwww!

litl rooster · July 25, 2006, 06:56:25 PM

Quote from: Bristow Kid on July 25, 2006, 05:05:59 PM
Happy Day Happy Day I got the barrel off my Walker. I'd really like to thank everyone for their assistance. I'll post updates when I get it shooting. And will try and post pictures.

How about some before n after pictures.....................?

Someone hand Arcey another beer.

Bristow Kid · July 25, 2006, 08:09:50 PM

Too late for before pictures I already cleaned it up
Wasn't near as bad as I had thought.

44caliberkid · July 26, 2006, 08:16:26 AM

Great. My next suggestion was to load up a chamber and fire it to drive the barrel off.
This suggestion was inspired by Lone Gunman.

Delmonico · July 26, 2006, 11:30:34 AM

I think that falls under, "kids don't try this at home." I do know a guy that couldn't get the heads off the Flathead V8 in his wrecker in the 60's, head bolts loose, just spray some starting fluid in the carb and crank. Don't worry, he found them after they landed.

Bristow Kid · July 26, 2006, 05:50:16 PM

44Kid Thanks for the suggestion but thank goodness I got it off without having to resort to explosives.

Thanks again everyone for all your help and suggestions.

Bristow Kid · July 30, 2006, 10:08:31 AM

Ok y'all I got another question for ya. The base pin on my Walker I think is too long. I shouldn't have to use a rubber mallet to driv the barrel on right? And once I get it on I shouldn't have to heat beat and spray with penetrating oil to get it off again right? Any suggestions on how to fix this problem would be much appreciated. It alread looks like someone tried to take some of the metal off the end of the base pin with a grinder or something. HELP please.

Arcey · July 30, 2006, 01:00:53 PM

I'm thinkin' if you can fully seat the barrel 'n get the wedge back in it ain't too long. If there was some corrosion on the arbor there's gonna be some inside the arbor bore of the barrel assembly. Maybe pittin' this up enough to throw the tolerances off makin' it harder ta get back tagether.

Shoot it some 'n see if it loosens up. If it don't, gently polish the arbor with some fine emery cloth.

hellgate · July 30, 2006, 02:03:55 PM

I'm (again) with Arcey. I'd just use a Dremel and polishing compound on the felt tip so as to take the least amount of metal off possible. I'd also run the polishing head up into the arbor recess(?) under the barrel too. You don't want it sloppy loose. You want some snug metal to metal contact so the gun doesn't only rely on the wedge to maintain alignment (and point of impact).

Bristow Kid · July 30, 2006, 03:44:53 PM

I can see metal on the front side of the wedge slot when I have it together maybe a 1/16th to 1/8th of an inch but everything else is tight like where it meets the cylindar and on the front of the frame. The wedge is hard to put in even the right way.

Arcey · July 30, 2006, 03:55:24 PM

That could be normal. If it means anything to ya, I still gottah knock the wedge of my Navy out with a brass rod 'n sometimes, when I don't smack it just right 'n it just goes flush, I hafta take a brass drift to it. 'N that l'il guns been shot a bunch.

If ya get it together 'n it shoots like it should the rest is just minor details you can work out or just live with.

Afternoon, Hellgate. Hope yer stayin' cool, mi amigo.

44caliberkid · July 31, 2006, 10:22:41 AM

I'm thinkin' this thing still needs more thorough cleaning. A .45 bore brush on a piece of cleaning rod, chucked in a drill, soak the arbor hole with Balistol, and run the brush in and out of there a bunch of times. Make sure the bottom of the hole is cleaned out good. Scrape around the bottom with a plastic or other soft tool and then hose it out with cheap (Walmart or Auto store brand) spray brake cleaner. Clean the arbor with some 00 steel wool and finish it with 0000.
The little bit of visible arbor in the wedge slot that you mentioned is normal.

Walker Colt gunsmithing help needed

44caliberkid

44caliberkid