CVA Walker questions

[6_gunner]

I've wanted a Walker for a long time. I found a used CVA Walker in very good condition for $175 at my local gun shop.

Is that a good deal? It seems like it to me.

I was wondering about the quality of the CVA replicas. How does the CVA Walker compare to other companies' replicas?

I'm already familiar with percussion revolvers. I have a Remington New Army that I've shot a lot.

I use 30 grain pyrodex pellets in the New Army. I understand that Walkers can handle as much as 60 grains. Would it work to use two 30 grain pyrodex pellets per chamber in a Walker?

My New Army has been maddeningly prone to small parts breakage. I don't really want another revolver that has problems like that. Is the CVA Walker prone to small parts breakage or does it hold up pretty well?


I really appreciate any information or advice you guys can give me. Thanks a lot for the help!

 

[bigbadgun]

6 gunner congrats on the Walker yes $175 is a good price but as far as the maker I cant answer on that one.
Ok yes a Walker can handle a 60 grain load but there is no need for it I only use 50grain in mine with wad and .454 ball. And it is plenty enough, but I use loose powder dont like the pills or sticks because I like to adjust and make sure every load is the same. Also with 60 grain loads you may find that the loading lever may want to fall. You are gonna really enjoy that Walker they are alot of fun.

 

[Misfire99]

I don't know what load you have been shooting in your Remington New Army but I suspect that you are near or even over max. I say this because you are breaking the pistol. Why don't you throttle back a little bit and see if that solves the problem. I have a couple of 1858 Remingtons and I use 20 grains for target and 25 grains for when I want to ring the gong. This is triple seven powder by the way. I have seen posts by guys that shoot 30 to 40 grains, or greater, in their 1858 and wonder why it's coming apart. And then they say "It must be the gun."

 

[Snaggletooth]

I think you will find that the CVA Walker is made by Armian Marcos. I own one and do not find it any worse than any other brand. $175 . is a really decent price. You can get nipples etc from Deer Creek Products at 765-525=6181.. Its a Mom and Pop operation and they wont be back until after the first of the year. I like the finish on my ASM real well.

 

[6_gunner]

I use 30 grain pyrodex pellets in the Remington. It's a Pietta, by the way. The parts breakage has mainly been springs, so I don't think that would be due to overpowered loads.

I haven't bought the Walker yet, but I think I probably will. I'm a poor college student, so I hope its not gone by the time I scrape up the money. I might talk to the guy about putting it in layaway.

If I get it, I'll post a range report.

I really appreciate the advice and information!

 

[Macmac]

I agree with Misfire99. I use 2 grains less in both ROA and a EMF 1860 Colt clone on paper, at 18 grains of powder. Lesser loads are usually more accurate.

In a Nor' West Gun with 60 grains of FFg and a 32 inch barrel, pushing a 0.600 ball, over fresh snow, I can find unburnt powder grains. So I have my doubts any hand gun will consume a 60 grains charge period.

That extra unburnt charge can only produce more recoil, as I see it.

 

[mykeal]

Macmac - the question is not whether the gun will "consume" the powder, but whether it will accept the load.

Yes, "max" loads are very often only partially burnt, the specific percentage varying depending on ambient temperature, the phase of the moon, the amount of compression, the number of letters in the last name of the shooter two stations to the right, etc. That variation is the main reason "max" loads shoot less accurately, accuracy being defined as group size.

A good portion of the expelled powder is consumed outside the gun as well, contributing to the smoke and fire and thus the theater of the event, which is the sole reason many people load their guns that way. So, if you find evidence of unburned powder on the ground, you can be assured that much more was burned externally, and the shot was in effect a crap shoot as to muzzle energy and thus accuracy.

I certainly agree that "consuming" a full charge of 60 grains with a Walker is unlikely, but the Walker will certainly "consume" a whole lot more than any other widely available c&b revolver.

 

[Macmac]

"theater of the event" I must be too cheap to see why ''theater of the event" is a good thing, since flash, smoke, and recoil all bother me. Not to mention waste of a product so far I must buy.

This brings up a question however. In "the day" assuming most powder was also store bought, as is corn meal, hot cereal, wads today, and the like, why would anyone feel want to waste any of the above?

It seems to me buring more powder than needed is a bad thing for numerouse reasons. So is buring food items, and cloth as wool felt.

This isn't the first time I have wondered about these ideas, as a Buck Skinner, having some treking past under my mocs, I wonder who was where, and when, when they begain to tear up clothing far from home to make char for a flint a steel set?

I understand this idea in the here and now, we can afford such things better, but could they? Would a man 100 and more miles from a place to replace items use food, more than what was needed powder, use these things when getting new wasn't going to be easy?

If not what did he do?

Was it for some reason, that over loading to get as much power as possible at the expence of waste in a loss of powder, AND a wild shot were more important than using a more reliable and efficent, and so probably more accurate shot.

And with that, lead wasn't so easy to get either, and I have read accounts of both Mountain Men pre wheel gun, and of Military making some attempt to recover spent lead, for re-casting.

These are real questions and I have no idea as to any true answers.

 

[mykeal]

I think the real reason for a 60 gr chamber was that the powder was lower quality and they wanted as much power as possible for both the 100 yard range and the stopping power. The .44 caliber bullet was chosen for stopping power as the .36 was proving inadequate, especially when used with the lower energy powders they had access to. Certainly the .44 cal bullets cost more than .36's, so I take it that getting the job done more reliably was more important than the possiblity of wasting a few grains of powder, something they might not have considered occurring.

 

[Macmac]

So the ingeneral idea you might say is they used a powder charge to set the ball near the chamber mouth, and so that was pretty much the end of any thinking for most men in the areas,(likey westish), where ever this type of gun was.

I could buy that, as schooling then wasn't like now, so many still then as some now, can not read and write. i would bet most men at the turn of the century could not read and write, while others might just manage some words, and probably only the wealthy could really command the written word.

The hard part is finding what was common, and what ever that was, wasn't written much if at all. That would be akin to writting about tooth paste and or shaving with electric razors. It just might be 3,000 years from now some will wonder if we had paper plates and plastic forks. There is a good chance they will know about many things common to the wealthy, but finding what the more common man had will be harder.

 

[mukluk]

Just kinda throwing this one out there, to chew on so to speak... the Walker was originally intended to use a very pointed "pickett" bullet... I'm sure this bullet was longer than a roundball and therefore one would have to put less powder in the chamber to seat the bullet. So in other words, the Walker wasn't designed for a 60gr charge using roundball, but it could be loaded that way.

 

[bigbadgun]

The Pickett Bullet was a Little longer than a ball but the Walker was still used at 60 grain. If you take a walker load a 60grain charge put in a wad over powder and seat the ball properly you well see that there is still room for more powder but I dont recommend putting more powder in it.