walker conversion cylinder

[winchesterman]

I'm new here so go easy on me. I know everybody says don't do it, but has anyone tried +p 45lc in the walker conversion? I know the conversion cylinders are made of the same steel as Rugers and the frame on a 'Walker, though open topped, is as heavy as a horse. So anybody as crazy as me tried it?

 

[junkman_01]

Don't do it. The wedge and arbor are the weak link here. You will eventually loosen, bend or break them.

 

[Ron James]

Hello Winchesterman, What you need to be aware of is the pressure curve between smokeless and black powder. The Walker is a large gun but designed for black powder. The higher pressure curve of the +P 45 Colt may not be healthy for it.

 

[Mike 56]

I just wouldn't do it. Your 45LC cylinder is rated for 45LC cowboy loads. Any thing hotter is pushing it. I have been shooting 230gr 45acp cast bullets with Trailboss powder for my 45LC loads for my Walker with 45 Colt cylinder. My 911A-1 also likes the same bullets and powder. Very accurate in both guns.
Mike

 

[Montenegrin]

You can shoot standard loads (you are not limited only to cowboy loads) of .45 colt but +p isn't good for your gun.

 

[winchesterman]

thanks for the info but just so im clear the +p ammo wont blow it up or anything like that its just not good for the frame and will cause it to wear in places that it shouldnt wright?

 

[mgmorden]

The frame isn't designed for it. It won't probably blow up - the first time. Might go quite a few rounds. EVENTUALLY though (and that eventually needn't be too far in the future), you may experience a catastrophic failure. Overall, don't do it.

 

[Pulp]

You didn't say, or I didn't see it, if it's a Kirst or an R&D. The manual on the R&D specifically says "Cowboy Loads Only" for smokeless. That may just be lawyer talk, but I'm not taking chances with mine.

 

[Skinny 1950]

If the bullets are jacketed ie. copper they could stick in the barrel and you might find your barrel flying downrange.
Your gun is a .44 cal and you are trying to shoot .45 cal ammo,my .44 cal balls are .454 inches but it is a ball so the area in contact with the rifling is minimal. A bullet on the other hand has a lot more surface area in contact with the rifling and will "plug" the barrel which is bad.
The hot .45 loads are for a limited number of modern guns that can take the extra power.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

As others have pointed out, the Walker barrel is attached by a wedge that goes through the cylinder post. The wedge is the weak link. Original Colt cartridge revolvers 1871 and 1872 "open top" Colts were made with this wedge system system and are often mistaken for conversions of cap'n'ball revolvers, but the "open tops" were made in calibers like .38 Colt and .44 rimfire. The .45 Colt cartridge was made for the 1873 Colt Single Action Army solid frame revolver. Cap'n'ball revolvers using the wedge system to mount the barrels and used with cartridge conversion cylinders should be fed lead bullet only with powder charges meeting the equivalent of their standard cap'n'ball load black powder pressures.

 

[Montenegrin]

No,it won't blow up,but +p will probably stretch the frame of the gun

 

[Mike 56]

It won't blow up the conversion cylinder can withstand pressure than the black powder cylinder. I would be worried about that i would be worried about shooting the cylinder pin loose. You should only shoot cast bullets at around a 1,000 fps or less. Shooting jacketed bullets with hot loads might work short term but more than likely you will destroy your gun.
Mike

 

[winchesterman]

i completely understand everyones concerns that is why i asked the question but what i was really looking for was someone who had done it and what there results were for i know that the barrel diameter on my uberti is .451 which should do fine with the jacketed bullets that i have the main thing i was concerned with was the smokeless pressure spike and if the wedge would handle it with out launching the barrel and i know all the mfgers are scared to death of law suits so the down play everthing like it wont take anything but something light when alot of time it wil handle alot more

 

[junkman_01]

I answered this in post #2.

 

[mykeal]

No, you didn't. He asked if anyone had done it, not whether or not he should do it. You answered a question he didn't ask.

However, I think he got his answer: No, nobody here has done it. Nobody here is stupid enough to do it.

Bubba's last words: "Watch this!"

 

[Mike 56]

No, Bubba's lasts words are: "Hold my beer while i ___"

 

[winchesterman]

the reason i stured this up was that i like to hunt with repros and the extra punch of the +p,s really makes a difference,i have a uberti 1860 henry that has turned out to be my best dear rifle.everybody said all this about it but its been doing fine with it for years now and has put alot of meat on the table and i was hoping to do the same with the walker but i quess ill give the idea up.its a little to pricey of a gun to tear up and it is alot of fun with black powder any way

 

[junkman_01]

I'm glad you are going to heed the warnings.
I wish I had before I bent a wedge and loosened an arbor, Mykeal!

So you shoot +P .45 Colt in your Henry? Do you reload your brass?
I tried (in my youth) to hotrod my .44WCF Henry, but the brass couldn't take it and always had head separations due to the toggle link action.

 

[winchesterman]

no my henry in 45lc seems like it will handle about anything you can give it i load my own with unique and 200 grain lead that i cast from tire weights just to shoot up for fun i usually buy my +p,s no reason ive just found some that i like the best being from underwood ammo in charleston wv his price with shipping is better than what you can get here at the local gun shops and they are hammers at better than 1500 fps and the taylors model henry i have handles them fine atleast it has for the past few hunting seasons.the difference is problably in that the 45lc uses alot thicker brass than 44-40

 

[junkman_01]

Granted, .45Colt brass is a lot thicker than .44WCF brass. Toggle action rifles have a bit of stretch in the lockup, and that sometimes leads to brass stretching. I only use pistol type loads in my Henry and Bisley revolver now.

 

[winchesterman]

yeah i know what you mean if i ever notice its starting to get any play or anything ill just fix it and quit using the hotter stuff but so far for some reason my henry seems to lock up tighter than my 66 or 73 its almost like the bolt is longer or something when you close the lever you can really see and feal the snap over and the bolt seems to shove harder against the head stamp than it does on any of my other toggle action guns including the 76 it came from the factory with exccessive play but its not a uberti its a chaperal and from what i hear about them im lucky thats the only issue it has.but as far as reloading my 45lc cartridges ive never had any problems the starline brass that they use in all there 45lc stuff seems to be even better to work with than winchester or remington brass iv reloaded i aint had a bit of trouble with anything ive shot out of the henry and i couldnt even tell you how many times iv reloaded most of the cartridges i have and i havent even had to trim the length on most of them

 

[winchesterman]

hey junkman 01
i justbought a 12 inch barrel 1858 remington. with the full frame they have how do you think it would handle the hot loads if i were to buy me a conversion for it

 

[junkman_01]

Black powder revolvers (it doesn't matter which one) are not meant to take the punishment of hot loads. You will eventualy damage it. Stick to BP loads and you can shoot full cases in 45 Colt with no damage. Hot smokless loads have a much higher pressure spike and WILL eventually damage the gun, IMHO.