Decided to final buy a Walker, need some advice

[Peter M. Eick]

Ok, after reading about them and BP revolvers for over a year, and collecting over 900 posts from various forums on BP revolvers in general and Walkers in particular I have decided to take the plunge. First off, I have several weeks to get organized as I am working offshore and have to wait out this hitch till I can reward myself for this duty.

I decided I wanted a Uberti Walker, preferably a recent imported one. I decided to go with Cabela's over Cimarron because of Cabela's great return policy if I get a "lemon". Anyone see a problem here or an issue? I was going to confirm the Cabela's Walker is an Uberti when I order it unless someone has already done so recently.

I am going to order one of the starter kits since I have no prior BP experience. This should get me a powder flask, nipple wrench, some balls, some patches, cleaners, capper and spare nipples. Anyone gone this route and have comments? Does anyone know if the starter kit is Walker specific or just a 44 generic kit?

What other supplies should I order other then maybe another box of balls and some wonder wads?

I am going to order one of the little loading stands from Cabelas and probably their presentation case. I figure what the heck, might as well show the gun off a bit.

I will pick up a plastic dish pan at target to clean it in. My wife has already said "no" to cleaning it in the sink so I will have to do it outside.

I am going to source my BP and primers from Bass Pro shops and I have seen that they carry the BP substitutes like pyrodex and 777 on the shelves. I figured I would have to ask about real BP as I am under the impression that it is kept behind the counter.

I believe that the Uberti Walker takes #11 primers? Anyone have a particular brand they recommend?

So do I have the basics down? Any big items I missed?

By the way, I have bought and read several books on black powder one by Sam Fadala if I remember right and the Lyman book on BP. I try to investigate the problem before I jump in.

Any other advice or comments would be great and thanks for all of the great posts and information over the years.

 

[Sham66]

Howdy!

Add to your list: Having fun!!!

I have found that the patience and concentration required is all worth it when that hand cannon goes off. Patience in the time it takes to load and clean; concentration to make sure you have followed all the steps to load correctly. Kind of stress relief since it clears your mind.

I've only been to the range and not to the field - yet. I live in Dallas so I need to find somewhere I can go. Since you are from Houston area, have you been to that huge gun store, I think it is called "Collector's Firearms"?

I would like to hear how the loading stand works out.

Take care,

James

 

[mec]

We've had good luck with Cabelas and their prices are generally favorable. You need to check to make sure, but I believe that Uberti is the primary source for Walkers at this time. Armi San Marco used to make them but are now defunct. I don't believe Pietta has them.

The Dixie Walkers probably come from Palmetto and it would be a very sad situation if you got a Palmetto product by accident (or, on purpose).

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

The Dixie brand Walker does come from Palmetto and is best avoided. Dixie also sells the Uberti Walker, so that could be an option. Not sure who is supplying Cabela's now, but I would call and ask them before I ordered one.

 

[silverfox]

Peter. The loading stand I got at Bass Pro Shop about a month ago was $14.95 and like alot of other stuff made in Taiwan. I think DGW want $24.95 the last time i looked. They work well with Remingtons and the quick change cylinders but with a Colt it's up to you if you want to bother with it. I didn't notice a pistol stand in your stuff you may want to find one as they are handy. Good luck and have fun. Fox :thumbsup:

 

[Sham66]

The Dixie brand Walker does come from Palmetto and is best avoided.

What's the issue with Palmetto? Safety?

James

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

Poor fit and finish and rough actions. The Uberti is a bargain compared to the Palmetto version. My Uberti has a slick, consistent action and first rate fit and finish.
Another possibility would be to buy the Uberti from Dixie and finish your own. It is an enjoyable process and you wind up with a personalized revolver. The action is fully assembled and tuned and the gun is pretty much ready to shoot. I'm thinking of doing this and I already have three Walkers.

 

[mec]

The issue with Palmetton is that they suck. Check out the reviews on the Dixie web site. Just about everything from Palmetto is a piece of non functional junk.

I don't blaim Dixie for this- particularly with the oddball palmetto guns like the 1855 pistol carbine and the root revolvers. People want them but the demand isn't high enough to get a decent manufacturer on board.

I wrote three e-mails to Palmetto asking about spare parts. They didn't answer any of them. One was an attempt at Italian by way of an internet translator program.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

Thanks guys.

Yes fun is included and pre-supposed. As a long time handgun shooter this foray into Texas history is really to learn and to understand what C&B was all about. My native born daughter has been encouring me to take her camping and so we have been hitting a lot of the civil war sites and the texas independence trail. The walker was involved in a lot of the history so I figured I should try it out.

I assume that Dgw stands for Dixie Gun works? I have heard of them, but never looked them up. They are the ones with the telephone book of BP stuff correct?

On Collector's firearms. Great place but becareful. It is hard to get out of there without buying something. So far they have sold me 2 Sig 210's, a couple of Les Baers, 4 DW's, A python, 1 M1A, 2 94's, 2 diamondbacks, and a bunch of S&W pre-numbered N frames. Yes I know Collector's well and like them. I just wish they did not have such nice stuff!

Thanks again for the advice.

 

[mec]

That's the one. Been in business a long time. I've ordered several things from them- like a LePage pistol, A lyman Plains and a lemat. The guns arrive withing two days and sometimes late the day after the order-postage paid. They have a warranty/return policy. It is best to order from them over the telephone as they can tell what they have in stock that way. The catalog is thick but some items arn't really there. For instance, right now, the Palmetto made "Lincoln Derringer" is on back order. They may get a shipment of them within a few months, or it may be five years or never.

The telephone sales people are helpful and knowledgible. the people who answer their e-mail are ignorant and apathetic and cant find their way around the catalog. From what I hear, the DGW headquarters in Union City, Tenn is a super great place to visit.

 

[Old Charlie]

I just got a Uberti Walker from S&S Firearms Phone # 718-497-1100 for $280.00, $294.00 dilivered to my door by UPS.
Thats the best price I have found. You have to order over the phone.
OLd Charlie

 

[Zonie]

"I decided I wanted a Uberti Walker, preferably a recent imported one. I decided to go with Cabela's over Cimarron because of Cabela's great return policy if I get a "lemon". Anyone see a problem here or an issue? I was going to confirm the Cabela's Walker is an Uberti when I order it unless someone has already done so recently.

I am going to order one of the starter kits since I have no prior BP experience. This should get me a powder flask, nipple wrench, some balls, some patches, cleaners, capper and spare nipples. Anyone gone this route and have comments? Does anyone know if the starter kit is Walker specific or just a 44 generic kit?"
_____________________________________________________________

Thoughts on your Walker:
As you don't know who makes the gun Cabela's is offering and you want a Uberti, you might consider going directly to Dixie Gunworks.
In the current 2005 catalog, they are offering a Uberti Walker for $340. Part number RH0450

Per the Dixie catalog, your correct. The cap size is #11
The starter kit will not give you powder or caps.

Of the Cabela's starter kit, it seems to be generic. The only things I see in it that you really will use is the powder flask, the balls and the nipple wrench. The rest can be replaced with a can of Crisco for lube, soapy water for the "cleaning solvent", your fingers for the in line capper.
I don't know why you would need spare nipples. IMO you should get over 200 shots from each new nipple that's in you gun before you would even have to think about replacing them. In my 2005 Cabela's shooting catalog they say the price of the starter kit is about $60.

If you buy the flask for $22, the Walker nipple wrench for $14 that will leave you $26 for .454 balls, ($9), caps at your local store ($4??) and powder ($16??) (Prices are Cabela's except for the powder and caps which are guesses).

I didn't see in their starter kit one important thing you will need. a .45 caliber cleaning jag (brass button). It will work in your .44 cal gun with regular .44 cal cleaning patches.

Have fun!!

 

[Rat]

Heads-up on the dish pan.

You CAN clean a BP firearm with just Hoppes #9+, some penetrating oil and some regular oil, much like cleaning a "regular" (!!!) firearm. Just use them in that order. Don't HAVE to use soap and water, it's just how most, but not all, people do it.

Ok now I got to run from all the rubber duckies!

:shocking:

Rat

 

[mec]

I've been removing the barrel, cylinder, nipples, grip frames to expose all the internals but not taking all of them out. Then saturating with spray bottle mixture of murphy's oil soap, hydrogen peroxide and alchohol and diddling out the recesses with pipe cleaners and tooth bruses. running patches with the mixture through the barrel and chambers.

Then flusing out everything with hot tap water (no wife) and heating them in a pot of boiling or near boiling water. As soon as I pull them out, I start getting water displacing oil EVERYWHERE. This has worked 100 percent.

I have no doubt that you are doing the trick with Hoppes 9 and oil-just haven't gotten around to experimenting with that yet.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

Thanks for the additional comments. I will have to give Dixie Gun works a call prior to getting off the boat and order a catalog before I place the final order.

On the Cabelas kit, it kind of looked generic to me, so I think your advice of just ordering what I need makes sense if I go Cabelas over DGWs.

On the cleaning, kind of my plan was to break the gun down. Put all of the parts into a hot soapy water outside and then just scrub them hard with a brush. I was then going to rinse them heavily with hot running water (I have a drain for the hot water heater installed). Once I had it completely rinsed I was going to use the air compressor to blow out any additional water.

My final step was going to be immerse the parts in about 5w30 Mobil 1 oil and then let the gun drip dry in the garage for a few days. I have had very good luck this way of getting the oil everywhere it needs to be. When I plan upon shooting again, you just clean up barrel and cylinders and I should be good to go.

Thanks again for all of the advice.

 

[David Teague]

Howdy,

Welcome to the world of "cap and ball" revolvers

I picked up my first one in the mid 70's and still putter around with them today.

Here is my 2 cents... Uberti does not build each Walker the same way... They offer a standard pistol for companies to sell at a fair price and have higher models to choose from with better fit, finish and action work. The one that Cimarron Arms sells should be the latter (thus the higher price)and Cabela's most likely is the former. This is a little fact I picked up when running a large black powder deptment in the mid 80's in Anchorage Alaska... it still hold true today. Now Uberti builds a nice firearm either way... just thought you should know... I've learned to buy the top of the line models as they last and are more trouble free in the long run.

Now the one thing most Walker owners hate is the lack of a loading lever catch... Your lever will drop with each shot and will jam the gun on the first empty chamber... you learn to lift it before cocking the piece before the next shot.

Cheers from the land of the midnight sun!

David Teague

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

Not every Walker will drop its lever. I've got three of them--two Colts and a Uberti--and none has this problem. I think it depends on the care taken in fitting the catch and the shape of it. And I use full charges, too. No fillers or wads, just fffg Goex. I have seen this problem with a couple of ASM built guns and one that I believe was built by Pietta. In all three cases, the fit and finish was poorer than the Uberti model, and no doubt the prices were a lot less, too.

 

[David Teague]

Hello Russ,

My statement was from what I saw going on in the mid 1980's with Allen Arms Walkers (built by Uberti)

At the time we had a number of hard core buckskinners carrying these as "bear guns" in case they had to shoot a Brown Bear in their camp... :youcrazy: They were all stuffing em full of FFFg and a heavy conical... that might be the reason they all had loading lever drop-i-tist... :winking:

I just skipped the whole loading lever drop-i-tist thing and went with a 3RD model Dragoon myself.

Cheers,

DT