The Uberti Walkers durability

[54MAN]

I was thinking about buying one of the horse pistols (Uberti walker or dragoon) and have done a fair amount of reading about there quirks and what have you... But my question is does the walker handle a steady diet of 60gr loads well? seems to be some that say yes..others that say no...

In either case seems like i would buy a dragoon if the walker cant handle the 60gr loads... Im not a magnum fanatic BUT dont see th point in spending extra on a gun that cant do as advertised... IF this is the case....

SO im wondering if any of you gents have ran the walkers with the 60 loads and had any issues? (feel free to push me to either pistol with other random facts lol)

 

[rodwha]

I've noticed the same as you. Many claim even 50 grains has battered their wedge. Some have stated they fill it to the gills and have been for years.

I still want one for the historical significance. There wouldn't have likely been any more Colt pistols had Sam Walker not have asked for this one to be produced.

Not to mention the shear size of the thing!

It seems that it's the wedge that gets beaten to death. You could just buy a few of them.

 

[54MAN]

what you say is true :thumbsup: but im still curious what the consensus seems to be....

 

[DOUBLEDEUCE 1]

Both are fun to shoot. The Walker can have an appetite for powder. I find a lot of the powder is blown out and still burning when the Walker is loaded with 60 grains. To me that is just a waste and it does nothing for accuracy. Cutting back to 45 or 50 grains is better I have found. When it comes to powder charges, more isn't always better.

There are some obvious differences between the two revolvers. Which one you choose is up to you depending on your likes and dislikes. :hmm:

 

[54MAN]

well from a shooters stand point if your gonna run 45/50 charges anyhow then the dragoon would be the "better" choice?
as far as shootability and price point?

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

I was thinking about buying one of the horse pistols (Uberti walker or dragoon) and have done a fair amount of reading about there quirks and what have you... But my question is does the walker handle a steady diet of 60gr loads well? seems to be some that say yes..others that say no...

In either case seems like i would buy a dragoon if the walker cant handle the 60gr loads... Im not a magnum fanatic BUT dont see th point in spending extra on a gun that cant do as advertised... IF this is the case....

SO im wondering if any of you gents have ran the walkers with the 60 loads and had any issues? (feel free to push me to either pistol with other random facts lol)

I probably have more experience with an Uberti Colt Walker than almost anybody else on this Board. I LOVE mine and have used it to great effect, winning competitions (sometimes beating all of the single-shot guys using adjustable sights), even harvesting a 280 pound Hog last April. These revolvers shoot much more accurately with 50-52 grain charge of 3Fg Goex pistol powder than any other quantity, whether used with Hornady .454 balls or Lee 225 grain conicals (the Hog killer--a ONE-shot stop through both lungs).

Using a 60 grain charge tends to give you wider groups and slightly more muzzle-flip, so I cut back to 52 grains for my hunting & competition use. I can reliably hit a set of welded-together Scott Air Tanks (firemen use them to breathe) at 135 measured yards with my out-of-the-box Uberti Walker.

Some folks use 777 substitute powder and try to magnumize their Walkers, and it is these attempts, IMHO that MIGHT cause excessive wear on the wedge or the yoke. Using regular black powder has never been a problem, and I did experiment with 55-60 grains of powder in back of a .454 ball, but to tell you the truth, I got much better results with the conical & 52 grains than I did with the round ball and a MAX charge. So for me there's no reason to play with 60 grains any more.

I have already replaced my nipples once and will be ordering Treso nipples again shortly, since even the Treso's will eventually show signs of excessive wear with enlarged orifices from gas cutting.

As to whether or not to buy a Dragoon instead of a Walker, well, I have both and like my Walker better due to better balance and less muzzle-flip, and the need to aim far below what you want to hit at 25 yards with the 3rd Model Dragoon (16"-18" with a 45 grain charge of 3Fg Goex). My Walker requires ONLY a 6.5" adjustment in POA to get it to the correct POI at 25 yards.

Which ever one you decide to get, eventually you'll wind-up with BOTH, because you'll just have to satisfy your curiosity one way or the other, lol! So have fun with which ever you get first!

Dave
NRA Muzzleloading Distiguished Expert (Pistol & Rifle)

 

[54MAN]

Thanx smokin 50... love to hear from hands on users... this pretty much makes me want to go with the walker... given your experience with them which route did you go to help the loading lever drop problem? and is there an accuracy difference in thw alker or dragoon with the same 50 gr charges? (other then poi)

 

[bpd303]

I agree that 50-55 gr of 3f is more than adequate for anything a Walker is asked to do.

Mine is a Replica Arms Co El Paso Texas import which was proofed in 1962. I don't know which company in Italy made it because there are no marks other than the proofs. I also don't know which loads were used prior to my acquiring it but it is still tight as new. I have fired it with some heavy loads and there is no sign of the wedge being battered.

The biggest complaint most have with the Walker is the loading lever dropping free while under recoil.
I was able to correct that problem by some judicious filing of the lever lock spring catch and where it mates up with the lever so it holds tighter. It does not drop free except under the heaviest loads and that is fixed by tying a bit of sinew around the barrel & lever. From what I understand this practice is H/C correct.
I don't have a Dragoon to compare it to, but one is in my bucket list.

 

[don hepler]

I shot the Uberti Walker for a few years, back about 10 years ago. It shot point of aim at 25 yards, but I can't remember the load. I'm sure it was close to max load. I now have 3 Old Army's, but I wish that I'd have keep the Walker. It is a monster, of a pistol. From what I've read here, it is rare, to find a Colt bp pistol to hit POI, at 25 yards. Replacement parts, are so readily available, I wouldn't worry about wearing one out.

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

The loading lever "fix" written about on these forum threads does indeed work most of the time. I wouldn't expect it to hold-up to the recoil of the 225 grain Lee conicals. These days I just use a small rubber-band to make the problem go away!

Dave

 

[TFoley]

The loading lever "fix" written about on these forum threads does indeed work most of the time. I wouldn't expect it to hold-up to the recoil of the 225 grain Lee conicals. These days I just use a small rubber-band to make the problem go away! Dave

That's what I'VE been using since 1988. I maintain the HC appearance by toning the colour down with vegetable dye, in case anybody get shirty about it.

tac

 

[Eljay]

I just use a little piece of leather shoelace.

Personally I was on the fence for a while between a Walker and a 3rd model Dragoon, arguing with myself that either I should go with the oldest/quirkiest model or go with the most refined "final" model of the large format revolvers. I'd like them both eventually but a) I decided if I was going to go old I should go really old and b) Dixie had a really good sale on Walkers.

 

[TFoley]

I just use a little piece of leather shoelace.

Well, I sincerely hope that it is a hand-cut piece of SQUARE leather shoelace, and not a piece taken from a chronologically non-contemporaneous ROUND shoelace, as invented by Eugene S Hasentanzer of Salem Oregon on 9 May 1877 - US Pat - 44274633654.

Can't have you shooting an 1847 revolver with an anachronism on it, can we? :hmm:

tac

 

[D Sanders]

Be careful of those big words! You don't want to trip on one of them. :rotf:

HH 60

 

[Eljay]

Heh. It's square.

 

[swathdiver]

"Lynnbo" over at the Yahoo Percussion Revolver Group had to retire an Uberti (I think) Walker recently. He fired many many hundreds of rounds through it with various bullets, conicals and round ball until the arbor pulled loose. Details can be found on the site.

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

"Lynnbo" over at the Yahoo Percussion Revolver Group had to retire an Uberti (I think) Walker recently. He fired many many hundreds of rounds through it with various bullets, conicals and round ball until the arbor pulled loose. Details can be found on the site.

Any idea whether or not he used 777 or any duplex loads containing 4Fg? Goex 3Fg seems to be regarded by some (on the source you mention) as WEAK!?

 

[TFoley]

Heh. It's square.

Sir, you are thus spared a public flogging by the HC Brigade of Anachronistic Delinquent and Sundry Surrectionist Boys, know as BADASS Boys for short.

tac

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

The loading lever "fix" written about on these forum threads does indeed work most of the time. I wouldn't expect it to hold-up to the recoil of the 225 grain Lee conicals. These days I just use a small rubber-band to make the problem go away! Dave

That's what I'VE been using since 1988. I maintain the HC appearance by toning the colour down with vegetable dye, in case anybody get shirty about it.

tac

I know exactly what you mean, lol! The Hog I killed didn't mind much either, lol! I need to go to Staples stationery store and buy some more blue rubber bands. They almost blend-in to the blue steel of the 9" barrel!

Dave

 

[swathdiver]

"Lynnbo" over at the Yahoo Percussion Revolver Group had to retire an Uberti (I think) Walker recently. He fired many many hundreds of rounds through it with various bullets, conicals and round ball until the arbor pulled loose. Details can be found on the site.

Any idea whether or not he used 777 or any duplex loads containing 4Fg? Goex 3Fg seems to be regarded by some (on the source you mention) as WEAK!?

Sorry, I do not remember.