So would you take a gamble on an Armi San Marcos Walker?

[Peter M. Eick]

I have been eyeing an early Armi San Marcos Walker. Very original looking right down to the unfinished cylinder. The gun is unfired, no documentation and appears to have not to have been turned on the cylinder and the trigger is all nylon tied back. I did extensive searches and it seems to indicate that ASM's are crap shoots. Some good, some really bad.

The gun appears to look very very nice and frankly the dealer wants a significant premium over just getting a Walker from Uberti or Cimarron. My fall back is just order one from Cimarron or Cabelas and go to town shooting it. I see the reviews seem to indicate the recent Uberti's are quite nice with better (taller) sights.


So, given that I will really not be able to check the revolver out like I would a normal one, (ie: check alighnment, trigger action, cylinder lock up, etc), would you take the gamble on an old Armi San Marcos Walker that looks great, but may not shoot well?

ps: if it is a really bad bad dog, my dealer I am sure would make good on it, but I think I would have to make some compensation for the fact that it is not an unfired model any more.

 

[Coltdriver]

Peter,

I found that the nature of shooting black powder required so much handling of the gun between powder, wad if you use one, ball then grease if you don't use a wad then primer that you would make a really nice gun look fairly used in short order. So I'd vote for good and reliable and cheaper is better.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

Yeah I am starting to lean that way. I have been out searching the other forums, SASS pages, general internet etc.

There seems to be two basic camps:

1) "My ASM XYZ revolver is great, super smooth, accurate, perfect out of the box. No complaints".

2) "My ASM XYZ revolver was the worst piece of steel (if you can call it that) ever created. It would not fire on the first shot"

There is little in the middle and the more I read, the more I see that repeated over and over again. If you get a good one, great. If you get a bad one, they are the biggest waste of time and money ever. With ASM defunct and parts available from VTI etc but on a "limited" scale. I am quickly talking myself into a new Uberti just becasue I have heard so much recently good about them in the post Beretta era.

Besides, a brand new Uberti Walker is about half the cost from Cabelas as this ASM is and I would get a manual and a new factory warrantee and Cabelas backing (which I have never had problems with).

Any other thoughts? I have a few days to think about it.

 

[444]

I am confused as to why you would want to pay a premium for a gun that has a poor reputation ? Just curious: I guess I don't understand your question or dilema. Put another way, what is it about the ASM that makes you want to take a chance on it rather than just buying one from somewhere else ?

I don't have any worthwhile input on the subject although I do own a Walker from Cabellas. I have never fired it and really spent very little time looking at it. I traded a thrashed motorcycle for it, put it in the safe and bascially never touched it again.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

Peter,I'd go with the Uberti from Cabela's.Better to have the manual and the return option since you want to shoot it.Ubertis have the best reputation so you would likly be getting a better gun anyway.JMHO

 

[mcneill]

Peter -

Don't have any experience with Walkers, but I do have both an ASM and a Uberti 1851 Navy as well as a Uberti 1861 Navy. The ASM is a good shooter (accurate and reliable), but it is not nearly as well finished as the Ubertis. There are sharp edges/burrs on the screw heads/points on the ASM and the metal-to-metal and wood-to-metal fit is not as good as the Ubertis. BUT, the ASM cost about half that of the Uberti. Got the ASM from Rebel Arms there in Pasedena about twelve years ago and ordered the Ubertis from Dixie Gun Works last year.
Good Luck with whichever way you go.

Jim

 

[Peter M. Eick]

Thanks guys.

Yes I got over the "problem" of the good looks today when I started thinking about trying to get it running if there is a problem. I am just going to pass on the ASM and order a Cabelas.

Besides, Cabelas just sent me a nice $30 off any order over $100 coupon in the mail. That should just about cover shipping after christmas (I better give my santa (wife) a chance to buy it for me first if I know what is good for me).

Thanks again.

 

[Fiveshooter]

Cabelas Uberti

Hi Peter,
Are you sure the model that Cabelas is selling is made by Uberti?

 

[Peter M. Eick]

No I am not "sure". I have read it several times on the internet but the rest of Cabela's guns are pietta if I remember right. I was going to ask them when I order it and if it is not, then I will order one from Cimarron here in Texas. Cimarron is just up the road a few hours so I may just go buy one directly if Cabela's is not sure it is Uberti.

 

[Iggy]

Everything I have seen at Cabela's was a Pietta..

While the P's I have seen were pretty nice looking, I think I would go take a look at the Cimarron.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

Thanks Iggy.

Pete

 

[AirForceShooter]

Peter:
you answered your own question.
GAMBLE??
not a word to use when talking about guns.
For me it's that simple

AFS

 

[mec]

A friend ordered me one from Dixie. It was made by Uberti USA and is a fine piece of gunnery. A bit cheaper than Cimarron and uses the same spare parts.
He also has an ASM dragoon which was nicely finished but had several shortcomings including heavy trigger, ill timed action and chamber mouths of all different sizes. by the time he got through with it, it was a good shooter suitable for 454 or 457 balls. Had to open up the chamber mouths and go through the action.

I'm not sure what would have to be done to make either Pietta or Uberti parts fit one of these but If I were more informed, I might take a chance on one. I'd never pay more for one of these than for a uberti. My knowlegeable buddy actually belives ASM was better quality than Pietta though this is a minority opinion.