Loose walker cylinder arbor

[Will52100]

Well I guess I used a few to many heavy loads in my walker, the cylinder pin is a little loose.  Not much, but any movement is bad.  It's kinda iritating because I just got both walkers running good enough for a match and the one that was running good new is down.  Both guns have about the same number of rounds, but the Cabela's one's arbor is loose.  

I haven't had a chance to tear it down and realy look at it, but the retaining pin seemes mighty soft, I taped it with a scribe and it left a deep impression which looks a bit softer than mild steel.  I'll check it out when I get back in in a couple of weeks.  The way the pin dented almost leads me to believe it's lead, thats how soft it seamed.

If a steel pin won't tighten up the arbor, the other idea I had for a permanet fix was to take the arbor out and grind a bevel on the end, remount and weld or brase.  Anybody ever used this methoud before?

Thanks

[Flint]

That retaining pin should be the same part that is used as a pair to locate the barrel lug at the front of the frame.  I have had some luck just hitting it with a drift hard enough to drive it in harder and expand it.  

Otherwise, drill it out with a drill the same or a hair less than the barrel locater pins at the front of the frame, remove the arbor, degrease it and the frame, and locktite it back in place, especially if the arbor can turn past the proper position for the wedge slot.  

Reinstall the barrel and replace the wedge to orient the arbor and hold it straight if it doesn't stop turning in the correct position, while the Locktite sets up.  Blue Locktite if you want to remove the arbor in the future, as the red Locktie needs heat to break loose.

You can tap the hole and put in an allen or slotted set screw to replace the arbor retaining pin that was there.

Please DON'T try to weld or silver solder it.

[Will52100]

Thanks Flint, though what would be the problem with welding?

[Will52100]

Thanks Flint, though what would be the problem with welding?

There also seems to be a little side to side and up down movement, like the threads were cut slightly oversize.  Instead of locktight I considered JB weld.

[Flint]

Problem with welding is getting everything straight, blowing away the frame's finish with heat, and cleaning up the weld bead.

If it's loose, the cause isn't the threading dimensions by Uberti, it is the stretching and deforming of the threads from the heavy loads, the wedge is trying to pull the arbor out of the frame when the bullet hits the forcing cone, and given enough 60 grain loads, it can and will.....

That is why brass frames are not recommended for cartridge conversions.

[Will52100]

Ah, I was wondering if there was an alloy problem with welding.  I'll try the JB methoud first, and if I need to latter on I'll weld and refinish.  I have the means to grind the weld down, and should be able to clamp everything in place.  As for the finish, the case colors are not that great and If need be I may color case harden it.  I'll save welding for a last resort.

Only thing that bothers me is that this gun hasn't had nearly as many rounds though it as the  other.  Also I had a walker 20 years ago from Cabela's, it was a Uberti also, and other than eating wedges it never shot loose, and I put a lot of heavy loads through it.

Of course this is all guess work till I get home and get the pin out and see what I got.

Thanks for all the help Flint, I do apreciate it.

[Will52100]

Ah, I was wondering if there was an alloy problem with welding.  I'll try the JB methoud first, and if I need to latter on I'll weld and refinish.  I have the means to grind the weld down, and should be able to clamp everything in place.  As for the finish, the case colors are not that great and If need be I may color case harden it.  I'll save welding for a last resort.

Only thing that bothers me is that this gun hasn't had nearly as many rounds though it as the  other.  Also I had a walker 20 years ago from Cabela's, it was a Uberti also, and other than eating wedges it never shot loose, and I put a lot of heavy loads through it.

Of course this is all guess work till I get home and get the pin out and see what I got.

Thanks for all the help Flint, I do apreciate it.

[Will52100]

Ah, I was wondering if there was an alloy problem with welding.  I'll try the JB methoud first, and if I need to latter on I'll weld and refinish.  I have the means to grind the weld down, and should be able to clamp everything in place.  As for the finish, the case colors are not that great and If need be I may color case harden it.  I'll save welding for a last resort.

Only thing that bothers me is that this gun hasn't had nearly as many rounds though it as the  other.  Also I had a walker 20 years ago from Cabela's, it was a Uberti also, and other than eating wedges it never shot loose, and I put a lot of heavy loads through it.

Of course this is all guess work till I get home and get the pin out and see what I got.

Thanks for all the help Flint, I do apreciate it.

[m-g Willy]

Had the same problem with a 18690 army.
I removed the loose arborand peened the rear shoulder with a hammer just enough to put a small lip around it's edge makeing it a mite longer.
Screw it back in useing enough pressure to line it up with the barrel cut out.

Willy

[Will52100]

well after I drove the pin back in the arbor hasn't loosend back up.  I figured I'd shoot it and keep a close watch and when it loosened back up I'd drill it out and lock tight the arbor and put a new pin, but it won't cooperate.  Guess I'll just have to leave as is.  I think recoil and jarring made a less than tight locking pin back out.  Also think I'll keep the loads down to 50 grains instead of seeing how much I can stuf in there.

[Will52100]

Arbor started to get loose after the Sat. match, come to find out the locking pin was backing out under recoil.  Removed the arbor, no stretch, thread looked good.  Locktighted the arbore and made new pin and everything is tight and hopefully will stay that way.

[Flint]

The best suggestion, if you have removed the locking pin is to thread the hole (#6-32 or #6-40) and replace the locking pin with a set screw, either slotted or allen.  This will allow easier removal later if it needs work, and being threaded (and set with locktite) it is far less likely to loosen again.

[Will52100]

I actualy thought about it after I put the new pin in, seems I always figure a good fix after after the fact.  If I have any more trouble I'll tap it and put a set screw in.