Walker conversion

[hawkeye2]

     I had some Cabela's bucks and a gift card and Walkers are on sale +$5 shipping so I went for it and now for the question.  I'm very interested in converting it to .458 BPM (.460 S&W Magnum case) and I know I need to start with a .45 Colt conversion cylinder so which cylinder do you recommend as a basis for the conversion?  The choices are a Kirst, an R & D or a Taylors.  The Kirst is a gated cylinder which has a lot of cool going for it but it is quite expensive ($360) and if I drop the regular C&B cylinder back in the gun which I would do from time to time it would look strange.  The R & D is $239 and doesn't require modifying the frame.  The Taylors is $250 but I can buy it locally and have a dealer account with them.  They will fit it for free too and again there are no mods required to the frame.  I will add that I have no issues with popping the barrel assy. off to reload the cylinder of my choice.  What my question really comes down to is this:  is there one of the cylinders that is far better suited as a basis for that conversion or they all about equal in that respect?






















r7d is

[Major 2]

The R & D and what Taylor offers is the same part,

no brainer get it fitted for the $11 difference and you are buying it locally.
Which is good business.

[45 Dragoon]

If authenticity has any weight, the gated is what the factory offered and the cool factor is  off the chart. I don't think a "drop cyl" was available for Colts open tops. My Kirst gated Dragoons are the finest revolvers I've ever owned.

For what it's worth, if you slip the C/B cyl in every now and then, we won't smile!    (It won't look that silly!!)

Mike
www.goonsgunworks.com
Follow me on Instagram @ goonsgunworks

[Hoof Hearted]

I just spent an hour writing a response here explaining the history and journey of this fellows self proclaimed invention the ".45 Black Powder Magnum" and what you should and shouldn't do and why and then I lost it.

I am tired of explaining this in writing.
There are MAJOR differences in material and construction between the Kirst and the R&D. I strongly urge you to use the Kirst.
If you want to talk with someone with experience regarding the correct way to do this shoot me an email with your number.

Regards, HH



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[hawkeye2]

     Well it's been 23 days since I originally posted.  On the day after the first post a leg I was having a lot of trouble with (turned out to be a blood clot) gave out and when I came to a stop near the bottom of the stairs I had a broken ankle, pulled muscles in my back, tore up the muscles in my right arm real bad and tore a rotator cuff.  I spent 11 days in the hospital and my wife kept telling me about my package from Cabela's to cheer me up.  When I got to open it some of the joy was offset by the fact I couldn't even pick it out of the box with my shooting arm.  I can hold it a little above waist height now and am getting better every day so I'll be ready to try it when the weather breaks.  I'm afraid this will put the conversion on the back burner for a while though specially when the bills start rolling in.

    HH, I'm sorry to hear you lost your post after all that work.  I hate it when that happens and really ought to compose my posts in word and transfer them over but I never seem to do so.  I really would like to hear your opinion on how to go about this conversion and the differences between the brands of converters.  I will be sending you a PM with my contact info and thanks.

[Hoof Hearted]

Sorry to hear of your unfortunate situation.........sounds like a danged train wreck!
'The blood clot thing can really make a mess of stuff (I had a doozy a couple years ago and spent weeks in the hospital, then they found Kidney Cancer in my scans so had that to deal with also).

I check my PM's and get with ya and GET WELL

HH

[Coffinmaker]

Hi Hawkeye2,
I'm not Hoof Hearted, didn't stay in a Holiday Inn last night (I wouldn't admit it anyway) but I thought I important to kick out a full hearted
GET WELL to ya.  As you progress along, your probably going to have a lot closer relationship with the "Minister of Pain and Torture" aka
your physical therapist.  No matter how uncomfortable.  No matter how much it hurts.  No matter how often you want to quit.  DON'T.
Do everything your PT tells ya to do and don't skimp.  Get better SOON!!

If your really interested in converting your artillery piece to 45 Brimstone, go with the gated Kirst.  Yes, it's more expensive, but in the long run, it will look right, feel right and be just plain KOOL!!

Coffinmaker

PS:  Pay attention to what HH tells ya too!!  Knows of what he speaks.

[45 Dragoon]

Yap!  ^^^^^^^^^


Mike
www.goonsgunworks.com
Follow me on Instagram @ goonsgunworks

[Major 2]

The R & D and what Taylor offers in the same part,

no brainer get it fitted for the $11 difference and you are buying it locally.
Which is good business.

I'm gonna back peddle big time ....perhaps I should have read the OP post a bit tighter

Some how I glazed over Kirst... in my jeal to tell you R&D & Taylor's were the same....

Gary forgive me 

YES... the Kirst , it is so worth the added beans , I have both , Hoof fitted the 36 cal. seen here...
I love this little belly gun....course han't no Walker, but the quality of the Kirst has shown through.

and here is the fitted R&D on my  2nd Gen Colt.... cool beans however having both.... go the Kirst

[Hoof Hearted]

Gary forgive me 

M2...........I'm just a gunsmith.............

[Major 2]

 

no God like entity ..then ? 

[Hoof Hearted]

Only in my ability to sense BS

[Graveyard Jack]

Give me a loading gate every time!

[hawkeye2]

    Well Gary (HH) called me, actually twice, right after my last post and we had a very enjoyable conversation.  I learned a lot about conversions in general and the Walker specifically.  Ir seems Gary recommends pulling the arbor and reinstalling it with a high strength high temperature adhesive to prevent the gun from shooting loose for this conversion and for shooting full house loads in the original cylinder.  That's something I had not though about and will be the first thing I have done to the revolver, well probably will have the chambers reamed to take a .457" ball too.  I have all my serious C&B revolver cylinders reamed for a .457" ball and recut the forcing cone.  The medical bills are starting to creep in and probably will snowball in the next week or so and this project will be put on the back of the stove for a while.  The positive thing is that it can be done in stages with the last being having the conversion cylinder reamed to take the .460 brass and it looks like that's the way it will happen.

     Craig, good looking Dragoon.

[Hargrave]

Hawkeye2,

I see here you talked to hoof ... I am also sure he conveyed confidence and knowledge since he has good reason for both!

Hoof has done a bit of work for me and I can tell you his work is beyond top Notch.

I recently saw a walker he did and now I will have to be sending him mine to convert eventually. I have a few other projects for him this year that come first ...

He does great work !

Jacob

[hawkeye2]

Jacob,

     Based on his posts and those by others I was quite sure that HH has the knowledge and skills to turn out excellent work.  I think the most impressive thing is that someone would volunteer to take time from a busy day to call a stranger to chat and share some of that knowledge.  Another person like that is Mike, 45 Dragoon, who did a revolver for me last year.  I only wish there were a lot more like them out there.

[45 Dragoon]

Thanks so much hawkeye2 !!!

Sorry to hear about your "ordeal " !!

Mike
www.goonsgunworks.com
Follow me on Instagram @ goonsgunworks

[hawkeye2]

Well it's been a while now and I just got the Walker back from HH last Friday.  I had sent it some time back but he got buried and couldn't get to it for a while which is OK as I was too busy to worry about it and he threw in an extra to make up for it.  He pulled the arbor, welded the end up and fitted it so that it has a good barrel/cylinder gap and then glued the arbor in so it can't ever come loose.  Before I could push the wedge in with my fingers and lock up the cylinder.  I had cut a forcing cone in it so I guess it's ready to go now.  The trigger is a little lighter than I like, probably under 2 lbs., but I can deal with it for now.  The cylinder is soaking in a jar of Evapo-Rust right now.  Deciding to remove the bluing was a major decision and I had to get my wife's opinion (which I promptly ignored  ) before starting.  I'm thinking about taking some Citri-Strip to the grips and putting an oil finish on them too.

[Reverend P. Babcock Chase]

Howdy Conversionists,

You can't beat Hoofhearted for conversions. He did my 3rd Model dragoon and it's a treat. Shoots great.

Reverend Chase

[Hoof Hearted]

Now Hawkeye.............no fibbing, it was more than a while
I am back on track, finally, as the summer season of horses and farming is finally winding down.

I should have taken a pic or two of your arbor. I don't think most folks understand what I do when I fit one to a barrel so if you get a chance take a couple and post them or email me them and I will post 'em up!

It's funny how nice the triggers are on some of these new Uberti's due to their manufacturing techniques and how poor their arbor fit still is

Of course a gun that weighs close to 6 pounds makes a light trigger feel a whole lot lighter..............

Good on ya!
HH