1847 Colt Walker replica

[RWMC]

I am pondering the purchase of a hardly used Pietta manufactured Colt Walker replica. The selling price is $200. Are the Walker replicas known as problem guns? Is the price out of line? I didn't realize how BIG the Walker is. Thanks for any directional advice from your personal experience that you can offer me.

 

[mec]

The current Walkers are made by Uberti and Palmetto Arms. Several years ago, Armi San Barfo also had them. Nice finish- absence of quality in boring and assembly

Palmetto Arms is totally irresponsible about metalurgy, heat treating, fitting of major and minor parts assembly and finish.

Uberti makes them in finished and kit form. We got a kit through Dixie Gun Works and the only work to be done was polishing metal and grips and finish selection. The action was perfectly timed with a light trigger pull and the gun is extremely accurate

The loading lever will usually drop down with every shot or close to every shot. Some people report this not happening but it is to be expected. This is why the very next large frame colt revolver had a front latch for the loading lever. The best approach (s) is to simply push it back up into registry after every shot or rubber band it to the barrel.

Original Walker

Parts for the Uberti are available from Cimarron Arms and VTI Gun Parts. Vti Gun Parts attempts to keep a comprehensive parts supply for both but there is no listing for a Pietta Walker on their site.

 

[LEE3370]

Pietta Walker

I have been researching replicas for a little over 2 years now and can't find where Pietta ever made a Walker.
If it was made by Pietta, I would give $200.00 for it. BUT, where would one find parts for it. If you shoot it much, parts WILL be needed.
Good Shooting
Lee

 

[Across The Pond]

I heard that the Palmetto was bad in terms of metalurgy. Fortunately before buying one!

I have a friend that shoots a Walker in our monthly Cap and Ball revo match. Since the match involves a stage with a double tap in four seconds at 10yds, he has learned a trick to keep the rammer from falling and jamming the gun for the second shot. His rammer has a tightly fitting O ring that he slides up against the barrel lug when shooting, thus locking it in position. When loading, he just slides the O ring back to the hinge with the lever.

Hope that helps someone!

Dave

 

[Dienekes]

Mike, I assume that the second picture of the kit Walker is after antiquing it with some sort of finish? Looks pretty good. What did you do?

Thanks.

 

[mec]

Actually the velocities were from the Uberti Kit. The second picture is E company #39- an original Walker Colt. Which we didn't shoot.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

What? You are not going to shoot your 150 odd year old 1 of a 1000 classic pieces of american/texas history revolver, that has served in how many wars and engagements? I am surprised, no shocked.

Whenever I see an original Walker, living it Texas, I think of the History and all the places it might have been. I just gives me "pause to think".



Actually, that is one of the nicer original Walkers I have seen. They are amazing pieces of history and thanks for sharing!

 

[mec]

That thing belongs to somebody else and is quite a bit more valuable than my house, car and safe full of guns. One local guy said that he believes that it is the best Walker in private hands. It has been in known locations for at least 50 years and before that, somebody scratched "Bull Run" on one of the grip panels. We would like to believe that this means it actually was at that battle. No reason why it might not have been. People showed up for the Civil War with everything but the kitchen sink.

 

[LEE3370]

O-ring

Across the Pond,
Thanks for the info on the 0-ring on the rammer. I WILL give it a try.

 

[TexasRifleman]

If you want to be a bit more nostalgic, just take a leather shoestring and tie it around the barrel, then tie a loop underneath. You can slip the loop on and off of the loading lever.

Tie the loop so that it won't drop far enough to lock up the works if it does drop.

Looks more authentic than an O-Ring

 

[Peter M. Eick]

Mec,

I remember your post and pictures of it from a few years back. Still a classic piece of history and americana. Having looked a several Walkers (Collector's down in Houston have had about half a dozen now since I have been really watching them) in person, that one is by far the best I have ever seen. They are amazing pieces to see up close and in person.

 

[mec]

The owner of this one gave me a book advertising a show in Texas displaying a goodly number of the known 160 odd remaining Walkers. Interesting stuff.

 

[TexasRifleman]

The owner of this one gave me a book advertising a show in Texas displaying a goodly number of the known 160 odd remaining Walkers. Interesting stuff.

Out of nothing but pure curiosity, what would one like you've shown be worth?

 

[mec]

One guy told me and I don't know how much he really knew that it might be $250,000

 

[Across The Pond]

If you want to be a bit more nostalgic, just take a leather shoestring and tie it around the barrel, then tie a loop underneath. You can slip the loop on and off of the loading lever.

Tie the loop so that it won't drop far enough to lock up the works if it does drop.

Looks more authentic than an O-Ring

OK, I see your point...but..... remember that the good ol' British government here has transported all pistoleros here back to the early 19th century - we are only allowed muzzleloaders! so we sometimes blur that historical correctness a bit in the name of pure functionality!

(110% Better than losing them all though )

 

[mec]

by the way, pm about that book. Search Engine Amazon.com UK and input Percussion Pistols and revolvers.

 

[Dienekes]

Well, I sure called *that* one wrong. I recall the Texas show where they expected to have about 27 original Walkers ("Parade of Walkers")
on display about a year and a half ago. I was sorely tempted to hop on a plane and go down there just for that.

A beautiful piece. Thanks for putting it up here so we could see it...

 

[mec]

found the magazine-Undated
Texas Gun Collerctors Association-Greg Martin Auctions
Company A 10 revolvers
Company B- 8 complete -one frame and cylinder and one complete with no grips

Company C-10 revolvers
Company D 6 standard revolvers , one converted to a shotgun and one with shortened barrel;

Company E- four revolvers one with double cavity mould/ 6 cavity mould, combination tool and flask

Civilian- 15 revolvers

 

[RWMC]

I just double checked the Walker replica. It was made for Traditions by ASM (Armi San Marco?)

Is that good or bad?

 

[mec]

This ASM Dragoon has pretty case hardening and blue than the Ubertis but required considerable work to get it to shoot well. They had dropped the bolt in without any attempt at fitting and it was too short in the leg- dropping too early and scoring the cylinder. They had also managed to get all the chambers different sizes. they must have had to go to special effort to do this as it would be easier to do them right. Fortunately, the chamber mouths were well undersized for the barrel and the owner laboriously sanded them out to the same ideal diameter.

For a bolt he selected a part from unknown origin. Some ASM owners say that they are able to fit Pietta parts to the guns. When all of the above was done, the owner came up with an extremely accurate revolver.