Video - Shooting the Colt Walker Revolver

[Bottom Dealin Mike]

In this video we shoot some big iron, the Colt Walker revolver.

[Junkman]

Mike,

Congratulations on yet another very fine video. You keep cranking out good ones, and I really look forward to them! 

[hellgate]

Great video, especially the comparisons and historical evolution shown by the other models. I have two Uberti Walkers I shoot in SASS matches when I feel festive. I use two hands though.

You can prevent the rammer lever from falling by filing or grinding a slight step in the upper part of the little bulge on the spring that slips into the lever. If you make a slightly steeper climb for the lever to overcome on the down stroke the lever will stay up. It then only takes a slight bit more effort to lower the rammer for loading. I also found that shooting FFg rather than FFFg creates a softer recoil. My match load is 44 grs of FFg+lube wad+.454 ball+over ball grease. They will shoot all day with that combo and no levers falling. As you mentioned, heavy loads will crush the wedges. I did that with 50grs of FFFg under the ball.

I would not recommend using full chambers of Triple Seven in the Walker.

[Bottom Dealin Mike]

Hellgate,

can you post a picture of how you filed the T-spring?

I'd like to see it.

thanks,

Mike

[hellgate]

I'm pretty camera/computer illiterate. Here's maybe a word picture: imagine the side view of the tip of the spring is a small case "b". You grind a little off the top of the rounded part of the "b" so it is a little flatter. That makes the lever catch the spring more solidly. If you make the filing/grinding too flat, the lever will not glide over it and you can't pull down the lever to load. I bought a spare spring before I started modifying the springs but all went well. Mine have a slight "step" to catch the lever rather than a smooth slope but either shape should work. The first time I learned of the modification was from a posting by Tex (SASS#4) years ago on the old CAS-L. It was suggested to him by the late Texas Jack (Frank Leman) to file a step in the spring as a fix.

[will52100]

Nice vid,

I did the same thing with my loading leaver, except I took a little more off and have to use a screw driver or spout to press the spring back to drop the leaver.  It's not a big deal as I normally shoot 50 grains of powder and a 200 grain conical and at the loading table I generally have to tighten the screws.  The only time I've had the loading leaver drop since the mod was when the leaver screw got loose and I didn't check it between stages.