Help: Identifying a Walker as Pietta or Uberti

[VE2RF]

Can someone tell me how to identify a Walker Colt reproduction as either Pietta or Uberti ?

I've found a used one that I can't find any markings on.

The reason I ask is I want to buy this used one and get a conversion cylinder to shoot .45lc cowboy loads, and apparently only the Uberti Walker can use a conversion cylinder as the Pietta is too weak.

Thanks !

 

[Voodoochile]

To my knowledge Pietta never made a Walker revolver.

 

[mykeal]

Voodoochile is correct; Pietta has never made a Walker. Your choices are Uberti, Armi San Marco, Colt's Manufacturing Co. Inc., Colt Blackpowder Arms, Inc. and Palmetto.

Palmettos are poor quality; their logo is a palm tree in an oval. This is probably the one that you're thinking is too weak, although I know of no data supporting that.
Both Colts are excellent quality; they carry no Italian proof or manufacturer's marks. The Colt's Manufacturing guns carry the Sam Colt address on the barrel; the Colt Blackpowder Arms do also, with the Sam Colt signature on the backstrap.
The Armi San Marco logo is ASM; they are good to very good quality.
The Uberti logo is the letter U inside a representation of a pistol muzzle. Ubertis are considered excellent quality, just below the Colt versions.

If there are no markings (including proof marks or inspector's stamps) the gun has been defarbed. There is no way to describe how to tell who the manufacturer might be; the chance you are taking is that it is a Palmetto, which would not be one I'd put a conversion cylinder in. The difference between Palmetto and the others is one of quality, something it would take someone familiar with the details of the brands to determine.

 

[BHP FAN]

mykeal is right,but the ''view'' of the muzzle is sometimes a bit hard to make out,think of it as a 'U' inside an octagon.

 

[1KPerDay]

mykeal, do you happen to know who made my Walker, 3rd model dragoon, and Paterson? The only markings I can see other than the replica colt stuff is a GM stamped on the cylinder of each... where there's a space after "Patent".

Any info would be helpful.

 

[mykeal]

1KPerDay - Without proof marks identifying the country or manufacturer's logos there's really nothing anyone can do. The 'GM' is not something I recognize as peculiar to any manufacturer or importer (importers/distributors will sometimes have guns made with their own markings - Navy Arms is one example).

There are expensive metal testing techniques that can raise stamps that have been removed, but they'll cost more than the gun is worth and are generally not available to the public.

Your guns, and those of VE2RF, have probably been 'defarbed', a practice which I consider at best unethical and at worst fraud. Unfortunately, it's widely practiced intentionally. Many reenactment groups and primitive rendezvous groups require their participants remove any markings that would identify their tools, guns and other equipment as of modern manufacture, even though everyone is well aware that the goods are not real antiques. They justify the practice as not hurting anyone as the equipment is not for sale. They tend to forget the problems that are caused longer term. One wonders what they're trying to prove.

 

[1KPerDay]

Maybe there are logos and I'm just not seeing them because I don't know what to look for. I'll take another look and post up the details...

 

[rondog]

Be careful with it! Look it over really good before putting out any cash on it! A friend gave me one of those once, some cheap Italian Walker/Dragoon copy, and it was such a p.o.s. I wouldn't even try to shoot it. I took a bore light and looked down the barrel into the chambers, and NONE of the chambers came even close to lining up correctly with the barrel! There was NFW I'd put powder and balls in it, I ended up giving it to some guy that wanted to use it for a prop for old-time photography.

 

[mykeal]

Here's a link to a paper on firearms proof marks. You'll notice there are no US proof marks, as the US manufacturers are not required to do proof testing on firearms.
Proof Marks
When dealing with Italian replicas, the following paper is quite useful:
Italian Proof Marks

 

[scrat]

excellent link. i havent seen it in a while

 

[bprevolver]

Walker Revolvers

MyKeal, have you ever seen a Walker made by Palmetto? I have been trying to find out if any of these were ever produced. I have a catalog showing pictures of all the models they planned to produce but have never seen any except for the Roots, Remington New Model Army, Spiller & Burr, Whitney, and 1849 Pocket Model. All of these were made in the early 1980's with the exception of the Roots and a new production of the Whitney. I really would like to know if they did make any other models before they folded. Help would be appreciated.

 

[mykeal]

bprevolver - I have never actually seen or held one; I only know of the brand by reputation. I recall an internet reference by Palmetto to a Walker several years ago but nothing else.