Walker range report II/some questions

[Texas Moon]

Took the new Walker out to the range again this morning.
It was COLD!
So cold all my home made lube was hard a rock and unusable!
Fired about 80rounds.
I'm tickled this old hog leg shoots so well. I'm getting 3" groups at 30yds with my old eyeballs.
Had some small trouble with the gun getting tight because of lack of lube. Had to break it down and wipe the arbor every other cylinder.
Some questions:
1.) Does anyone make a cylinder loader/press for a Walker?
2.) What kind of capper are you folks using? I've tried a couple of different models and they don't work very well. I've filed down the tip a bit and it still isn't working. The nipples on the Walker seem a tad too small for #11 caps(all I have is 11's). So I have to deform the caps to stay on the nipples. Then they won't feed thru the cappers.
3.) During re-assembly after clean&cooking how do you install the mainspring?
I'm using pliers to hold it down while pushing it back up on the hook mounted to the triggerguard. Takes 3 hands to do.
Is there a batter way?

 

[mykeal]

1.) Does anyone make a cylinder loader/press for a Walker?

Yes. Powder, Inc. sells one that works for any percussion revolver. It's expensive ($65) but it works.

2.) What kind of capper are you folks using?.

Ted Cash snail. I did have to modify the tip some to get it to fit.

3.) During re-assembly after clean&cooking how do you install the mainspring?

During disassembly I place the hammer on full cock and use twine to tie it down to the frame in the compressed position. You have to wrap the twine around a few times and use a very strong knot, and you'll probably have to cut it to get it off later.

 

[Tommygunn]

I obtained a C-clamp at a hardware store to deal with the mainspring.
IIRC the Walker nipple wrench doubles as a tool for replacing the spring.

 

[Oyeboten]

Hey Texas Moon,


God Bless the brave Souls who get out to Shoot in this unpleasant COLD stuff..!

Say, if you want, post your results or whatever you like in the friendly informal January's BP Handgun Match, it's the last day to do so!


http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=500775


Get some of those dry chemical 'Hand Warmer' things, fire 'em up, set your Lube on them to soften it up...

 

[pohill]

This is how the original Walker mainspring vise/nipple wrench/screwdriver was used:


I bought this mainspring vise at Track of the Wolf (eventually the mainspring weakens and you can slide it by hand):

 

[Hellgate]

I used a piece of cardboard to pad the grip frame and a pair of vise grip pliers to compress the spring. Once I got it back together I vowed to NEVER take the Walker apart again except to fix something broken. I was unable to get a '61 Navy apart for about 15 years so I generously oiled or sprayed WD-40 into the innards: into the frame in front of the hammer and up behind the trigger. After 15 years when I finally got it apart there was just a bunch of oily black mush but no rust whatsoever. So just keep the insides oiled and leave the guts alone. Knocking it apart into its 3 big chunks is plenty good to get it cleaned.

 

[pohill]

Walkers are notorious for jamming due to spent caps falling inside. I take mine completely apart for cleaning every time I shoot it. It's worth it.

 

[Texas Moon]

Thanks for the info!

I've been breaking mine down all the way to clean and cook it.
It doesn't seem to be very difficult.

 

[JCT]

I cap mine in the hammer notch where there's much more room....first few years I never thought of that, but I don't see why it's not a good idea, it's so much easier.....

 

[Acorn Mush]

Get some of those dry chemical 'Hand Warmer' things, fire 'em up, set your Lube on them to soften it up...

That is a great idea Oyeboten!