Walker Colt gunsmithing help needed

Bristow Kid · July 16, 2006, 02:30:38 PM

Looking for help and tips on gunsmithing a Walker Colt. I bought it used and known problems excisted. They are bad timing and wedge pin thats stuck. Any help and tips would be appreciated. Also looking for cleaning and oiling tips and suggestions.

hellgate · July 16, 2006, 03:35:33 PM

Kid,
If you mean the wedge is stuck, I can help. If you mean the cylinder pin through which the wedge goes, I likely can't. To get the wedge out I use a brass hammer or a brass drift. Actually the edge of a house key (the part your fingers hold) put on edge and whacked with whatever hammer will work if the wedge is not protruding from the far side. NOTE: the Walker wedges go in the opposite direction than the other colts. i.e. tap on the LEFT side of the gun to get it out. Be sure you have the gun propped in such a way that there is clearance under the far side of the wedge for it to move and the gun is supported so you don't go bending the cylinder pin or frame with your pounding. I try to support the frame or cylinder on a block and the barrel on another. One tricky thing is the mainspring has sort of a gooseneck in it and is a begger to reinstall. I have use vise-grips to hold it down so it doesn't "sprong" across the room when removing or replacing it.

What do you mean by TIMING? Overtravel of the cylinder? Misalignment of chamber & bore? Failure of the bolt to lock up? I'm not that great on timing issues. I have had to replace a bolt and recontour the tip so it stopped the cylinder. I've also cleaned out burred edges of the cylinder bolt cutouts so the cylinder would not overtravel.

Bristow Kid · July 16, 2006, 04:14:36 PM

I will have more details once the gun arrives. The seller isn't too knowledgeable on guns. So I am just going by what he told me. Maybe I'll be able to post pictures in the near future.

Bristow Kid · July 21, 2006, 12:04:40 AM

Boy I got a doozy. First the wedge is in upside down. Two the cylinder won't rotate and three the hammer will not cock. Needless to say I just got it today and haven't had it apart yet. Is it gonna be hard to remove the wedge since its upside down? I'll worry about the rest after I can get it apart.

hellgate · July 21, 2006, 01:15:41 AM

Upside down or not, if it is tight, it's tight. Try a brass hammer or wooden mallet/dowel first then go to the brass drift or house ket. Remember to support the gun & barrel on a solid surface.

Bristow Kid · July 21, 2006, 06:25:23 AM

OK Got the wedge pin out. How does the barrel come off. It won't budge. the gun doesn't look like it was cleaned too good the last time it was used. Any hints??

hellgate · July 21, 2006, 09:06:15 AM

Put some penetrating oil anywhere you can to get it onto the cylinder pin (wedge cutout, under the cylinder gap) let it set a while, maybe a couple of hours, add some more then tap the area with a wooden or plastic mallet to set up vibrations, jar any rust loose. I'd whack the gun a bunch with the oiling. I suspect the prior owner may have not gotten all the fouling out from the cylinder pin and your barrel & cylinder could be rusted onto the cylinder pin. If the cylinder turns there more hope. If not, put the gun on half cock, pad the vise jaws and put the gun in a vise being held by the cylinder. Be darn sure you rock the gun (rotate) the cylinder in the direction it normally turns or you will ruin the hand and possibly the cylinder if you go the wrong way. After oiling, tapping, waiting and PRAYER, put a piece of cardboard or a popsicle stick to pad the front of the cylinder, rotate the cylinder so a chamber wall is under the rammer and c-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y lower the rammer, which presses on the face of the cylinder to pry the barrel off the arbor (cylinder pin). Do it just like you are ramming in a ball but you are between chambers. Here's where you can bend the rammer lever by reefing on it excessively. If it doesn't work, add more oil, tap it some more. You might even try heating the barrel area where the pin inserts to expand it and then pry again. Also, put some penetrant oil down where the alignment pins are at the bottom of the frame too. Basically you are using the sort of technique for removing a rusted screw. I'm hoping someone else has better ideas than I do. What i said is what I would do but with no promises as to success or failure. The N/SSA bulletin board may have someone more knowledgeable or the SASS Wire as there are a lot more readers and gunsmith types on that one. I'll be offline for the next two days so i will pray for you.

Arcey · July 21, 2006, 09:15:15 AM

As far as damagin' the innards goes. If it can be determined that the thing is, in FACT, empty, take it apart before 'heavy destruction' begins. Get the hand and the bolt the heck out first.

hellgate · July 21, 2006, 09:26:20 AM

Thanks for the addendum Arcey. See, i knew someone with more sense than me would come up with a better way. Hopefully the Kid isn't down the basement right now reefing on the cylinder. Thanks for the wise words.

Arcey · July 21, 2006, 09:43:43 AM

Ah body can't think of it all all by hisownself, HG.

Mebbe twix all us Bristow kin get the ole gal up 'n runnin'. Thinkin' once 'e does 'e'll take better care of 'er........

Delmonico · July 21, 2006, 10:19:20 AM

Another thing one can do in this type of situation is to soak it in coal oil (kerosene) with a little motor oil added. This is nothing but cheap penatrating oil and one can make enough to soak the whole gun in cheap.

If you didn't want to keep the bluing Coca-Cola would loosen it up in an hour or two.

Arcey · July 21, 2006, 10:23:52 AM

That's spooky 'n why I come back ta the telygraf...

Wuz thinkin' if Bristow kin get the grip frame off'n it 'e could dunk it up past the arbor in a can ah Ed's Red 'n let it sit a couple days. Drown thit freakin' rust.............

Back out in the heat............

litl rooster · July 21, 2006, 07:16:36 PM

I would think after soaking it in what ever....................Smacking the barrel back towards the cylinder with a good heavy mallet, rubber or wood or dead blow. Would jar it enuff the rammer should loosen it up.

Bristow Kid · July 22, 2006, 09:04:41 AM

OK boys heres the poop on the Walker. Got everything apart but the barrel. Its still stuck tight. Figured out why the cylinder wouldn't rotate and couldn't cock it. There was a screw lose and laying in the action. Now that the cylinder rotates and all that jazz. It won't lock up. When I pull the hammer to full cock the trigger barely moves and unless I manually move it forward it won't lock. Any thoughts on that? Still soaking the barrel in penatrating oil. Hopefully soon I can get it off. Thanks for all the help and suggestions guys I really appreciate it.

Arcey · July 22, 2006, 09:13:19 AM

The trigger 'n the bolt, both, are right there tagether 'n for all intents controlled by the same spring. Prolly all crudded up is all. See if ya can get 'em out. Clean 'em up 'n oil 'em down. Clean the underside of the frame, where the bolt 'n trigger go, real well too.

Wunner where the loose screw come from.............

Edit: One other thing. While ya got the penetratin' oil handy, go on 'n spray down the nipples. That way, when we get ta the blessed event 'n the barrel slips off, we'll be ahead of the game when it comes ta pullin' the nipples.

Delmonico · July 22, 2006, 09:19:51 AM

Quote from: Arcey on July 22, 2006, 09:13:19 AM

Wunner where the loose screw come from.............

From the fella that didn't clean it where else.

Arcey · July 22, 2006, 09:42:00 AM

Ya think 'e dropped it in thar, Del?

Bristow Kid · July 22, 2006, 09:57:15 AM

The loose screw was from a hole infront of the hammer inside. Kind of looked like it belonged in the cylinder pin where it comes thrugh the frame.

Arcey, Had it out cleaned it put it back the way I took it out(well with less cussing) and still nothing. The trigger was very slack when I got the gun even before I disassembled it.

The guy who took it apart in my opinion was a moron. He messed up just about every screw head on the gun. But everything seems to work but the trigger not locking up. I fired some caps just to make sure everything was clear and they all fired OK. Now I'll just wait for the barrel to come off.

Arcey · July 22, 2006, 10:33:42 AM

Ain't sure whatcha mean by 'slack' 'n 'not lockin' up'. I'm gettin' old.......................

Is it tryin' ta engage but slippin'? Ain't movin' forward when ya go ta cock it?

Bristow Kid · July 22, 2006, 11:59:03 AM

Ain't movin' forward when I cock it. The hammer will lock at half cock to rotate cylinder but will not lock at full cock. And trigger doesn't move forward or stay forward when I push it forward with my fingure. When you say spring do you mean like a coil or just a piece of spring steel like the main spring?