Colt Walker

I have an I fired Walker that I picked up for $300 at gun show. After I got it home I polled the barrel, checked the cylinders and Bore, greased everything, and put it away. Approx. a year ago. Pulled it out check it out and discovered that the barrel is stuck solidly on the arbor. After playing with these things for more than 20 years, this is new one on me. Any ideas of how to get this thing apart. It’s currently soaking in Kroil. Thanks.

gear puller?

Kroil is a great start. Next I would take the wedge completely out to eliminate that as a problem. Finally I would saw a hardwood or better yet tough plastic wedge that fits between the face of the cylinder and the barrel lug (the loading port area) and go get a hammer. Good luck.

I assume you have used the recommended method of removing the barrel on Colt pistols?

You have tried putting the hammer on half cock, rotating the cylinder to line up the wall between the chambers with the loading ram and then operating the ram lever to jack the barrel off, right?

If that doesn't work, something a bit more drastic might be needed but remember, the steel these reproduction pistols are made from is soft and it's easy to damage it by doing things like driving a screw driver or a hard piece of steel.

The loading lever was the first try. No way. I then removed the wedge, the loading lever and the rammer. I used a brass rod approx. the diameter of the rammer, inserted a piece of leather across the face of the cylinder between it and the barrel assembly and smacked it with a brass hammer. Didn’t budge a hair. Soaked with Kroil and tried again this morning. Still won’t budge. I tried hitting all around where the arbor fits in the barrel with a plastic hammer. Sort of the way you remove a side plate on a Smith revolver. No way! I guess I now have a one piece revolver. By the way, this is a second generation Colt. Bummer!

GOT. IT! Went to try the wedge idea but got the idea to smack the sight end of the barrel a few times. Up, down, and sideways. Darn thing fell right off?? Go figure. Anyway, thanks for the reply’s! This forum sure is a great resource.

Congratulations! It is always nice to have something like this work out after frustration with nothing working. Let us know what seemed to cause the thing to stick.

For our education:
What was the problem?
We always learn from our mistakes. ( and others )
They are tight enough that a bit of rust or crud can bind things up.
If I may suggest, if you shoot the substitute powders, you can shoot all day and no ceasing up the black powder does. Also the weight of the Walker can cause problems on the hand that turns the cylinder, some people hang on to the hammer, and then drop the gun by its weight, to cock the gun. Shooting substitute powders are great BUT you must be dead serious on cleaning the gun up after shooting.
That big old Walker is a delight to shoot.
Best regards!
Fred

The first Walker, that I had, would rust in just a few minutes. Just a few speckles, here and there.

Now....every pistol that I own, gets taken down for normal cleaning and left disassembled for a couple of days. In fact...I often do my rifles the same way. When I come home from a day of shooting, I'm tired and just want to get the guns cleaned up. So rather than rushing, I leave them unassembled, until I feel rested and have a chance to go back over the cleaning process and check for anything that I may have missed.

:hmm: good idea.

Well, the arbor is slightly larger at rear. Maybe .003 to .005. I VERY carefully polished it down with a strip of aluminum oxide paper. It’s still snug but at least it can removed with the rammer.

This gun has never been fired. It is 2nd generation Colt. $300 at gun show. No box. For $300 I do intend to shoot it. One cylinder of full power and about 45-50 grains after that. Gotta try full power at least once.

Do you intend to use 3F or 2F?

There’s a fellow who hunts hogs with his and prefers 2F. He said a part of his reasoning was that he was using full loads and wanted to reduce the overall pressure.

I was planning on going with 3fff for the lighter loads but probably 2ff for full power. I figure less pressure and MORE noise.

Forgive the (Relative) ignorance, but will that thing burn all the powder in "Full power" load of 2ffg?

Adui said:

Forgive the (Relative) ignorance, but will that thing burn all the powder in "Full power" load of 2ffg?

Click to expand...

Most likely it will not. But it will make one dandy of a flame thrower. :shocked2:
You don't even need a ball in it.
You can cook the lil' sucker right where it stands.
Have a great day!
Fred

Sorry for the delay. Probably won’t burn it all but it’ll be one heck of a flamethrower. Especially at night.

Some years back, maybe twenty or more, if my memory serves me, SHOOTING TIMES did a side by side comparison of a .44 Remington Magnum revolver and a Colt Walker. After the ballistics tests were in, the Walker didn't take the back seat to anyone.

My brother had one years ago and I think he would have kept it if the loading lever would stay put.

You don't see many cowboy movies where they are carrying a brace of Walkers in holsters on a belt unless the belt is attached to a horse.

With a ball the muzzle energy figure was 500-something ft/lbs much like a standard .357. Wonder what that figure would be with the conical as it’s the common projectile used then that I’ve read about. Of course the powder makes a lot of difference.

In Cumpston and Bates book Percussion Revolvers 60 grns of 3F Swiss and a ball clips along at 1278 fps. With a 140 grn ball that equates to 508 ft/lbs. 37 grns of 3F Triple 7 was shown to produce 1201 fps.

With the 170 grn Picket bullet and 45 grns of 3F Swiss it clips along at 1158 fps. That’s good for 506 ft/lbs.

And a Lee 200 grn bullet with the same powder charge was clocked at 1074 fps for 512 ft/lbs.

Sounds like the arbor well is a bit tight or slightly misaligned on the end and the wedge jammed the arbor end up into it!