Best Load for your Walker

[ClemBert]

What is your BP load range (low-high) you typically use for your Walker? What is the most accurate load? Has anyone experience stretching of the arbor pin or "loosening" up of your Walker because of shooting 60 grain loads?

 

[surbat6]

I made the mistake of getting that adjustable Walker flask, but the load it throws is only about 40 gr max. They seemed pretty anemic in that 4 1/2 pound pistol, so I picked up a Zouave flask and cut the charger to measure 60 gr of FFFg. I'm looking forward to firing 60 grain loads with round ball, don't think they'll hurt my Uberti.

 

[Hellgate]

With my pair of Uberti Walkers I managed in one CAS match to crush both wedges to where the cylinder gap opened up so much that I was blowing all kinds of wasted smoke & flame straight up. It is impressive as youu shoot but not propelling the ball so well. The load was "only" 50grs FFFg and a lube wadded .454 ball for 30 rounds each gun. After replacing the wedges I sobered up and now shoot 44grs of FFg and the wadded ball. Still impressive and the rammer never falls. They are my .44-44s. Thankfully it was the wedges that crushed rather than the wedge cutout in the cylinder pin that could have stretched.

 

[mykeal]

My 'best' load is 50 gr for the Uberti and 45 or so for the ASM; however, the ASM chamber/groove dimensions are so poor that I doubt any load in that gun would work well (I will ream those chambers some day...).

I do not routinely shoot 60 grains in either gun; I have done so maybe 8 or 10 times with the Uberti to 'show off' the power to onlookers at the range, but it's not a good load for accuracy. So far there is no apparent damage.

 

[Texas Moon]

Mine(2 Uberti's) shoot the most accurate with 40-45 grain charges using a home cast .454 ball w/lubed wad. I'm still tinkering with finding best loading.
50grain charges are almost as good.
I've only fired a few 60grain charges. Accuracy was decent but I felt it was stressing the guns.
Below 40 grain charges are pretty wimpy in a Walker.

No stretching or looseness noticed but have only fired a few hundred rounds on these guns.

 

[ClemBert]

I've read a number of posts from folks who mention shooting of 60 grains of FFFg in a Walker is impressive. However, I seldom see anyone post that it damaged their Walker or warned of damage. Having located some older posts I do see it mentioned that 60 grains did cause damage (crushing, stretching, loosening). I don't know if this is indicative of older Walkers made 20 years ago or just ones where they failed to properly harden components on a particular production run. It would seem that the Walker (or at least the reproduction) was made to withstand 60 grain loads. Thus my question or concern.

 

[andrewstorm]

walker loads

my best advice is to not exceed the manufacturers max load ,if you do its on you!!

 

[FiveStrings]

My Uberti Walker was made in 2008. When I first got it I shot a lot of 60gr pyrodex loads through it and eventually that crushed a couple of wedges and did stretch the slot a wee bit. After applying a touch of JB weld in the slot, replacing the wedge (again) and sticking to shooting mostly 45gr loads, there have been no problems.

For me, I get outstanding accuracy with any charge between 45 - 50 gr of pyrodex p (the only powder I can purchase locally) with a .457 ball (no wad, just borebutter) and a #10 cap.

 

[Elbert P . Suggins]

Fivestrings, I did the same thing to a Walker I had 2 years ago. Can't remember the maker only that it had intentional misspelling of Colt "Cotl" on the barrel. I used two pellets of Pyrodex at 60 grains total and that telescoped the reciever for the wedge. Enough to produce quite a gap between the forcing cone and cylinder. I now have a used Walker built from a kit in the late seventies that works great with 50 grains of 3f.

 

[madcratebuilder]

The specifications from Colt for the Walker are 35-55grs (50 recommended) of FFFg. My particular Walker like 45-50grs, more than 50grs and I start getting fliers and under 40grs is a mouse phart.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

50 to 55 grns of Pyrodex. As was pointed out above, this may beat up your gun, but then again, I don't shoot it enough to care. Wedges are cheap and what is the point of shooting a Walker if you have to shoot "mouse fart" loads.

 

[StrawHat]

It seems like folks are discovering the reason that Colts discontinued the Walker revolver. In it's original form it could not stand up to a cylinder full of powder. The originals suffered from burst cylinders to the point that Colts redesigned the revolver and introduced what we now know as the Dragoon series of revolvers. Financially, the Walker was the revolver that put Colt on the forefront of military contracts but in reality it was a flop.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

I agree to a certain extent, but the Walker has such a Texas feel to it. Go out and walk on some of the old battlefields and you can just about hear them boom.

Next step will be a little patterson colt so I can feel right when I am hiking up on enchanted rock (not on my person of course, got to play by the state park rules).

 

[mykeal]

In it's original form it could not stand up to a cylinder full of powder.

I don't believe that's correct. At most it's an opinion. Many Colt historians feel that the burst cylinders were due to loading conical rounds improperly rather than the cylinders being unable to withstand heavy powder charges. And there's certainly no relationship between burst cylinders on guns made in the 1850's and occasional (not epidemic) damaged wedges made in the 1990's.

I don't advocate full cylinder loads in any bp revolver; they are universally inaccurate and can be abusive on soft metal parts. However, to suggest the modern Walker is incapable of withstanding that load is, in my opinion, not supported by the facts. I think we'd hear a lot more complaints than a few damaged wedges if it were. At least, that's my opinion.

 

[StrawHat]

Calm down Mykeal, I just reread what I wrote and should have done so prior to hitting the send button. I meant to say that some of the Walkers suffered from burst cylinders. Enough so Colts scrapped the Walker and introduced the "Improved Walker" or Dragoon revolvers. I have never seen any period evidence of the bursts being anything other than flaws in the metal. Same as with the full fluted cylinders on some of the early 1860s. I have heard of the conical thought but can not recall ever seeing it in any literature of the time.

The Italians and that Eastwood guy have made the Walker much more popular today than it ever was originally.

 

[A. Walker]

In it's original form it could not stand up to a cylinder full of powder

Hardly true. You must remember that the Walker was designed to load a 225 grain bullet which would have limited the ammount of powder per cylinder; only with a round ball can you add 60 grains (and that's pushing it). Colt redesigned the cylinder for the Dragoons to hold less powder and save cylinders

 

[ClemBert]

In it's original form it could not stand up to a cylinder full of powder.

I didn't think I needed to specify that I was talking about modern Walker reproductions not original 1847 Colts. My Uberti Walker is a 2009 edition. I asked the question because I was curious to know if I should expect damage from shooting with the chambers full of BP and a .454 round ball.

 

[A. Walker]

In it's original form it could not stand up to a cylinder full of powder
I didn't think I needed to specify that I was talking about modern Walker reproductions

??????

I don't know if this is indicative of older Walkers made 20 years ago

Who made your Walker? I understand the ASM Walkers were pretty poorly made... most likely you have one of those

 

[StrawHat]

I have only owned three Walkers. In all of them I load the same charge, as much powder as I can get in the chamber and have slight compression when I seat the round ball. On two of the Walkers I used the loading lever that came on the revolver. On my latest Walker, I load the cylinder off the revolver so I can get a little more leverage if I need it. I have not used a "light" loading in a Walker. If I want a lighter 44 load I shoot a Dragoon or an 1860.

 

[ClemBert]

I have not used a "light" loading in a Walker.

What is the load you are using and have you ever experienced any type of damage to your Walkers?

 

[StrawHat]

ClemBert Quote:

"Originally Posted by StrawHat
I have not used a "light" loading in a Walker."

What is the load you are using and have you ever experienced any type of damage to your Walkers?

StrawHat

...as much powder as I can get in the chamber and have slight compression when I seat the round ball...

I don't load as scientifically as many. I use what works and what is simple. I don't know how many grains of powder I use in a Walker, not sure if I have ever weighed a revolver charge for a C&B revolver. Maybe somewhere in my notes I have such a number but I have not the time to go digging through my notes to find it.

With one exception, I don't recall replacing any parts on the Walkers that were damaged by using my load. The front sight on my short barreled Walker flew off on the first shot after I acquired it. I replaced it with a dovetailed sight from my parts bins.

I don't use my Walker for a lot of shooting, I much prefer the 1860s. Or my Pocket Police. I probably only shot two or three cylinders a year from any one Walker.

 

[[email protected]]

Got a idea. What about taking a .454 Casull brass case and putting 50 grs
Black Powder in and seating a 235 or 250 gr. bullet. Put this in a R&D
converson cylinder. Shoot this in the Walker. That if everything will fit. I got
the Walker, will have the converson cylinder Sat. All I need is the 454 brass.
What do you all think? Am I nuts or what!!
If you think that's bad, you should have seen what I used to load for 45 Colt
35 years ago. Yes I did know Dick Casull.

 

[ClemBert]

I doubt you'd be able to get 50 grains of BP into a 454 Casull. The case length of a 45 Colt is 1.28''. The 454 Casull case length is 1.383". That's only 0.098" longer or 7.6%. If you can cram 40 grains of BP into a 45 Colt then my calculations show a 454 Casull would only hold 43 grains. Not too exciting. BTW, your conversion cylinder will most likely need to be bored out to hold anything longer than a 45 Colt. There's a ridge in each chamber that prevents anything longer than a 45 Colt.

 

[[email protected]]

OK, How about a 460 mag case and cut it off to fit.