Walker problems

[BDFT]

I acquired a used Armi San Marco Colt Walker clone. When the hammer is pulled back, the cylinder rotates past the stop. The stop does not appear to be rising up to engage the slot in the cylinder. If you pull the hammer back slowly the cylinder engages the stop, most times. The cylinder stop isn't wore out or broken. There doesn't seem to be any parts missing, the springs aren't broken but I haven't got the knowledge to determine if anything is bent. Any thoughts?

 

[Preposterous!]

If you remove the cylinder, what does the bolt do when you pull the hammer back?

It should drop, then return as the hammer goes past the half-cock position. If it does not protrude through the frame with hammer at rest and at full cock or it does not drop and return correctly, then I'd guess that either the bolt/trigger spring is broken (may not be immediately obvious - had a hairline crack on my Uberti pocket), or the end of the bolt that engages with the cam on the hammer is broken.

I think there are some photos on one of the stickies in this forum.

HTH, Preposterous!

 

[pohill]

On my Uberti Walker, if the screw that holds the trigger/bolt spring is too tight, the bolt won't lock in place. Try backing it off a 1/4 turn or so until the bolt rises and stays in place. And of course, as Preposterous said, that spring might be broken.

 

[mykeal]

If either the bolt arm or the trigger/bolt spring is not broken as you stated the only other possibility is that the trigger/bolt spring is bent or shortened.

Here's the proper operation: in the fired position the bolt arm rests against the side of the hammer with the round notch in the bolt arm around the edge of the cam. As the hammer is drawn back the cam pushes up on the bolt arm, causing the bolt to pivot on the bolt screw and the bolt end to retract from the cylinder, dropping below the frame. By the time the hammer reaches full cock the bolt arm slips off the beveled edge of the cam, and the trigger/bolt spring causes the bolt to move upward through the frame and into the cylinder notch for the next chamber.

It sounds like the trigger/bolt spring is broken or bent. The long and short arms of the trigger/bolt spring should be flat and parallel, except near the ends. The short (trigger) arm will be bent downward to engage the notch on the trigger face below the sear. The long (bolt) arm should also be bent nearing the end but much more 'gently'. This longer arm rests on the two bolt arm and exerts force to make the bolt rotate about the bolt screw and push the bolt up through the hole in the frame. You should be able to see this in action with the trigger guard/grip frame removed. The longer arm might be too short, bent or just too weak from heavy usage.

Also, Pohill's suggestion that the bolt screw could be too tight is another possibility. The threads on that screw are actually just under the head. There is no bushing, so the bolt simply rides around the screw itself.

If loosening that screw (just a very little bit) is not successful, I'd replace the trigger/bolt spring and see if that doesn't correct the problem.

 

[BDFT]

Thanks for all the info. Nothing appeared broken but something might be bent or weakened. I'll take it apart again and have another look at it. Its not like its complicated. It is a 130 year old design after all.

 

[bigbadgun]

Famous last words.