Walker-hand cannon

[Longknife 76]

I just got a Walker replica ser#1701. There is no name on it, only "US 1847" and
 "made in Italy" on rt side of barrel,
and of course all those Itialian proof marks. A couple of questions does the hammer spring have to be that strong. The nipples are battered badly!!! Where can I get internal parts for a tune up? What a HOG!!!

[Longknife 76]

I did a google search and found this site:

http://www.vtigunparts.com/store/default.asp

[Cowpox]

Thanks for the link Longknife 76.   They have a better selection of parts than Dixie.

    I believe your Walker may be the same make as the one I picked up about four years ago.  Like you, I can find no makers mark.

    I read somewhere a while back, that all Italian revolvers have a makers mark on them, but, some of the early ones were marked where disassembly is required to see them.  I haven't needed to take mine down since reading that, but if you take yours apart to clean and tune it, look it over for letters or symbols, and if you find some, let me know, and maybe we can figure out who made them.

    So far, I have determined mine may be an early ASM, by comparing the way the round part of the grip fits into the frame, to pictures of Walkers I have found surfing the net.   Not sure though.

    I know what you mean about the strong hammer (Main) spring, but I believe it needs to be that strong.   60 grains of black causes a lot of gasses to try exiting the nipples, and I think the strong spring helps keep it contained, and out of your face.

    A friend of mine has a newer Uberti Dragoon, and I watched his kick the hammer back to half cock, when he shot a full (about 50 grains volume) dose of Triple 7.   I decided to leave my main spring the way it is, after seeing that.

    You are going to love shooting that old girl.  Especially in low light.  LOTS of fire out front !

[Longknife 76]

Cowpox, 60 GRAINS???!!!!! HOLY COW, I was just getting up the nerve to load her up with 50! I am going to (try) to get the nipples out today and see if the ones I got will fit. Looks like FUN!!! Longknife

[lrrice]

Word to the wise, I wouldn't load it to max loads.  Mine developed a couple of egg shaped chambers because I loaded it heavy.  Hopefully yours has better steel in it than mine did.  Of course the originals were notorious for ruining cylinders.  I read somewhere that they came with white cylinders so when you ruined one, you didn't have to worry about matching the blueing.  I can't remember the grains, but I loaded it with just enough room to get a wad and round ball in it. Don't worry about recoil, Its too blasted heavy to kick.  As for the battered nipples, a lot of cap and ball owners don't know your not supposed to dry fire them.  BTW, Mine is an Armi San Marco.

[Cowpox]

Haven't checked this tread for a while.

Irrice beat me to it, and I see Longknife was a little shocked at what they are supposed to hold as well.

I only loaded mine full for the first couple of cylinders.  As I recall, mine came up a little short, but only by 3 or 4 grains. 

From the amount of smoke on the ground out front, it was soon apparent that they can't burn that much powder anyway, and some just goes out unburned. 

After that, a little research indicated that the boys at Colt knew this as well, and when they brought out the Dragoon, they cut the capacity down to 50 grains, and even they are supposed to waste a little.

The load I settled on was in the neighborhood (cut a long spout to throw that amount) of 45 grains, and a dipper I made from a 32 ACP case full of Cream of Wheat under the ball.   Still plenty of power, and quite accurate. 

The few full loads I shot didn't appear to hurt the cylinder on mine.  Of course, there is no way to know what the guy who owned it for the first two or three decades loaded in it ?  However, I don't think it was shot a lot, because it is still nice and tight. 


     

[lrrice]

I fired mine with full loads for years, well I had it for years, I didn't shoot it as much as my Remington but it got several hundred rounds through it then all of a sudden, it started cutting egg shaped rings off the balls.