Author Topic: Colt Walker shoots way high ! (Read 1841 times)

KYODE · « **on:** January 13, 2003, 02:02:08 PM »

a buddy at work has a colt walker. he says it'll shoot 5 feet high at about 50 yards. whats the best fix for that? i think he shot like 55grs of black powder in it. thats all they hold he says. seems like it would take something pretty drastic to lower impact 5 feet.

KING · « **Reply #1 on:** January 13, 2003, 04:59:38 PM »

Kyode. Well,thats a lot of bp,even fer a Walker replica. Tell him to tone it down a little. I can shoot fifty in mine,but dont. I use about 35 to 40 fer shooting at cans and such. Mine is shooting with a rb and 40 of 3f just about 12 inches high at 25 yrds. Dont let yer friend ever have a rifle,he might try to see how much powder he can put in that also. I have seen a couple of the replicas that will shoot in the same area of mine,and the owners had a taller front sight put on to bring the impact point down a little,I have not observed one that shot quite as high as yer friends at 50 yards if I remember correctly. King

KYODE · « **Reply #2 on:** January 13, 2003, 05:51:13 PM »

it's a real COLT brand pistol. do you still call them replica's? even though they are not the ones made way back when. don't know much about em. :?

ButlerFord45 · « **Reply #3 on:** January 14, 2003, 12:32:47 AM »

I mean this with no disrespect to your friend but 5' at 50 yds almost sounds like "sight picture"?

I believe the new Colt percussion pistols had their parts made in Italy, I'm not sure if the fit and finish was done by Colt, or if they were finished in Italy and just liscensed by Colt. It says Colt it is Colt. I still consider them to be reproductions, just as I consider the Colt Cowboy to be a "reproduction" but that's just opinion.

The Shrink · « **Reply #4 on:** January 14, 2003, 03:09:56 AM »

Kyode

I believe that all of the originals were registered to hit at 100 yards (!). They all shoot high at 25, even the replicas. A higher front sight would work, but interferes with holsters. A judiscious application of a file to the sight slot in the hammer is a more appropriate solution.

Remember that in most fights, on horseback and moving, the sights were never used. It was point, look down the barrel, and shoot. More misses than hits, but that's still the rule in combat.

Flint · « **Reply #5 on:** January 14, 2003, 05:15:47 AM »

One thing to check is the barrel alignment. The barrel should be parallel with the cylinder, and square to the breech. If the dimensions all conspire to tip the barrel upward, it will shoot higher than it should. The gunsmithing book I mentioned in an earlier post has a section on adjusting the barrel position on an open=top Colt. The front sight can be replaced, I did on two Colts (a second and a third gen), but as the shrink responded, it might interfere with a holster, mine no longer fit a "Slim Jim" holster., but they do hit point of aim. A new Colt is either a second generation, from the 1970's or a third generation (Signature Series) from the 80's/90's. The former being of higher quality. The parts are Italian, the fitting and finishing in USA. 2nd gen by Iver Johnson, 3rd gen by Colt Black Powder, a sub-contractor in Brooklyn, NY. 50 or so grains of BP is a good way of loosening the gun up real fast, remember that the originals in 1847 had quite a few blow-ups, which is why the Dragoon was downsized.

Dan Chamberlain · « **Reply #6 on:** January 14, 2003, 01:28:10 PM »

Everyone had good advice. Let's talk a little about the rear sight notch. The shroud on which the rear notch has been filed is designed to contain cap debris at the moment of detonation. If one takes it down too far, it will no longer to its job. This may or may not harm the shooter, but it could cause a problem. Consider first finding exactly where the notch should be as often the windage is a little off. When you find you are shooting a little to the right or left at 25 yards, slightly open the rear notch a little wider in the direction you want your bullet to move. Now you have your windage correct. Here's a trick I read about from a guy who did this in the 30s. After he had his windage located, he took a hack saw and gently deepened the cut. Then, he was able to lower the front sight into the notch far enough to bring point of impact to point of aim. This keeps the majority of the shroud in place for safety. When shooting cap and ball revolvers, safety glasses are a must anyway.

Dan C

pistolero · « **Reply #7 on:** January 29, 2003, 07:36:32 PM »

I can symphatize with your friend who has a high shooter...

Like one of the other guys said about a sight picture......I think that he is probably right....

As I have come to know my colt walker a bit better and with more pratice, the sight pattern is getting smaller and at least I can get on the target.... Incidentaly, the pattern is begining to get smaller and smaller.... I don't know how long it will take to get a real small pattern, but I do know that the magic word is Pratice and lots of it.......... Maybe it'll take a couple of hundred rounds to get where you want to be.....

Look who is preaching to himself..... ha , ha..

Pistolero,,,,, also a newbie

After all, you can't tell what a book is like by readin the only the first paragraph...... read the who thing.....You'll Like it!!!!!!

alpini · « **Reply #8 on:** January 30, 2003, 08:48:19 AM »

I had the same problem with mine. I finally pulled the front sight off with a pair of pliers. I got an old brass key and cut it in half. I filed the it to fit the slot in the barrel and left it about twice as high as the old one. I also widened the rear sight notch a little.
I got it on paper at 25yd and was a bit low. A little filing on the front sight brought the impacts up into the black. I now feel pretty confident with this old hogleg now.
All the fitting took about 30 minutes or so. It also clears my slim jim holster with no problems.
Clayton

Hellgate · « **Reply #9 on:** January 31, 2003, 05:24:27 PM »

Dan has it right IMHO. I have "lowered" the rear sight on several Colt's that shot high by grinding down the lip on the top of the hammer and filing the notch deeper. A Dremel tool can really wreck guns even faster! There is a limit to how much you can take off. Cosmetic limitations (it might look weird) and the amount of clearance over the top of the barrel for a view of the front sight. You may want to calculate the amount of metal you need to take off. Your buddy might need to change the sights by 1/2" which means 1/4" off the back and add 1/4" to the front sight. Better to put a taller front sight and use a 6 o'clock hold.