Walker Carbine

[rodwha]

There’s a fella here who has a sweet looking Walker carbine with something like an 18” barrel (it’s in the Walker group). Unfortunately he didn’t have anything to do with the modifications.

I’ve been rather curious how one would get a barrel made for such a beast. To my thinking a barrel assembly would need to be threaded for a barrel. And then there’s the modification for an actual stock and not a detachable type.

Yes there’s the Remington carbine, but who wouldn’t much prefer a larger chamber capacity for a hunting arm? Or the uniqueness of such a monstrosity! But I assume the custom costs involved would make for a pricy project... To have a convertible Walker would be way too cool though, and the idea of a smoothbore version would essentially make it a revolving .410 small critter gitter.

I find it intriguing...

 

[whughett]

By carbine you mean it has a shoulder attachment as well as a long barrel.

 

[4v50 Gary]

You can be the source of the barrel if you take machine shop I and II during the NRA Summer school at TSJC. If not, I've a friend who can (so can I if I had a working lathe). Look up Throne Arms. L. Throne graduated with me in 2014 and having worked for 17 years as a machinist before attending TSJC, was easily the best machinist in my class. He'll need the entire gun because he has to make sure the barrel/cylinder gap isn't big. Too much and you've got lead splitting and flame. Too little and there's cylinder lockup.

 

[Ephraim Kibbey]

This is close:

It is an ASM third model dragoon with an 18" barrel that I bought last year.
It lacks the cylinder capacity of the walker though.
I wonder if the dragoon barrel would fit an ASM walker frame?
I know the wedge is opposite but the arbor slot is just a slot if it and the pins line up, would the chambers and bore also line up.
Then you would still need to design a stock for the Walker grip like this Pietta .44 carbine:

Oh, wait, its already been done - THR Walker Club page 138 Alienbogey #3430 and on.

 

[rodwha]

You can be the source of the barrel if you take machine shop I and II during the NRA Summer school at TSJC. If not, I've a friend who can (so can I if I had a working lathe). Look up Throne Arms. L. Throne graduated with me in 2014 and having worked for 17 years as a machinist before attending TSJC, was easily the best machinist in my class. He'll need the entire gun because he has to make sure the barrel/cylinder gap isn't big. Too much and you've got lead splitting and flame. Too little and there's cylinder lockup.

Modifying a Walker is rather low on my list, but various mods have certainly piqued my curiosity.

So is it a matter of threading a barrel? I’m guesstimating such an endeavor as this and of adding a full length stock costing $350/ea easily.

 

[rodwha]

By carbine you mean it has a shoulder attachment as well as a long barrel.

Yes, but a full length stock. Not the quick disconnect type we see.

 

[rodwha]

This is close:
View attachment 854964
It is an ASM third model dragoon with an 18" barrel that I bought last year.
It lacks the cylinder capacity of the walker though.
I wonder if the dragoon barrel would fit an ASM walker frame?
I know the wedge is opposite but the arbor slot is just a slot if it and the pins line up, would the chambers and bore also line up.
Then you would still need to design a stock for the Walker grip like this Pietta .44 carbine:
View attachment 854965
Oh, wait, its already been done - THR Walker Club page 138?
View attachment 854975

That is the rifle in question (awesome, right!).

That’s a nice looking Dragoon carbine! How does it shoot?

 

[Ephraim Kibbey]

Sadly I have not fired the dragoon yet!
It is a very heavy beast!!!
I think Fingers McGee has one and has fired it.
Lonesomepigeon may have one too if my memory serves me correctly but I do not remember if he said he had fired it.
Alienbogey's video firing the walker is great but short.

 

[PainlessWolf]

Good morning,
There's a fellow on here who has built a LeMat Carbine not too many years back. That was one sweet revolver mod as well!
regards all,

 

[45 Dragoon]

E.K., you could fit a Walker cylinder to the Dragoon. You just have to reduce the extended forcing cone area. This is one instance where that Mod would make sense because of the bbl length.

Mike

 

[rodwha]

Good morning,
There's a fellow on here who has built a LeMat Carbine not too many years back. That was one sweet revolver mod as well!
regards all,

That would be pretty cool, especially if it was the smaller caliber version. A nice small critter gitter.

 

[Ephraim Kibbey]

E.K., you could fit a Walker cylinder to the Dragoon. You just have to reduce the extended forcing cone area. This is one instance where that Mod would make sense because of the bbl length.

So the respective cylinders are the same circumference, just different lengths?
What about the stop notches and ratchet teeth for the hand; are they the same as well on ASM Walker's and Dragoon's cylinders?

I doubt that I would want to cut down the forcing cone of the 18" dragoon barrel as it would definitely ruin its collector's value but that is an interesting stratagem.

 

[whughett]

From the design of the stock I say the builder simply encased the original pistol grip into the pistol grip of the shoulder stock.

 

[StrawHat]

No need to thread the barrel into the lug. A smooth snug fit and silver solder does the trick admirably.

As for the stock, I would leave the trigger strap as is and forge the back strap to create a top tang. Fit the stock between the tangs.

A good set of sights and call it done.

Yes, I have done something similar but that is not my work on the w Walker.

Kevin

 

[Berkley]

A period Walker carbine conversion from the Texas Gun Collectors Assn. “Parade of Walkers”, D Company Number 1:

 

[StrawHat]

Berkeley,
That is the one that inspired me to create mine. In place of the plate on the wrist I inlet a hunter’s star on each side. I had a pistol grip and no forearm. I used what might now be called Jaeger sights, elevation adjustments made by a two leafed rear sight and so Dave by a dovetailed foresight.

Had it 3, maybe 4 years before it got traded off for God knows what.

Kevin

 

[45 Dragoon]

E.K. Yes, they're the same just the length is changed. The frames are Walker frames, the Dragoon forcing cone bung makes up the difference for frame length.

Mike

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Yes, but a full length stock. Not the quick disconnect type we see.

Yes the wood under the barrel is a nice touch, but the modern stock shape for the shoulder, I'd rather he'd have use a straight stock...but it's not MY pistol...errr..., carbine.

LD

 

[daboyleroy]

Yes the wood under the barrel is a nice touch, but the modern stock shape for the shoulder, I'd rather he'd have use a straight stock...but it's not MY pistol...errr..., carbine.

LD

Would I want to put MY hand on the wood under the barrel......ahead of a loaded cylinder???
Hmmmmm

 

[Ephraim Kibbey]

In the video, using the conversion cylinder and cartridges, it seemed safe enough but when firing the cap and ball cylinder he would need to use the two hand pistol hold to be really safe. That handgun hold seems really awkward on my 18" dragoon because of the heavy barrel. I imagine it would only be more so with a walker.

 

[rodwha]

It was shown that a ball driven from just a cylinder by 30 grns of powder (standard Goex?) that the velocity was extremely low without a barrel. It had something like 8 ft/lbs of energy and was figured to not be enough to do much more than break the skin. Not that I’d feel comfortable doing so or advocate for others to do so. And what of a more energetic powder or a cylinder that holds more? The frame certainly holds back the 6 O’clock ball.

 

[whughett]

A period Walker carbine conversion from the Texas Gun Collectors Assn. “Parade of Walkers”, D Company Number 1:
View attachment 855070

I’m tryin to picture the work done to the frame to reposition/flatten the but grip into a much straighter configuration. Cut the bottom off, heat and bend the back strap and the fore part of the butt into position. Whatever it took some knowledge and craftsman ship.
I watch a lot of blacksmith vids. What some of those folks can do with metal is amazing.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Would I want to put MY hand on the wood under the barrel......ahead of a loaded cylinder???

Never said put your hand there.

Here's how you handle a revolver carbine:



LD

 

[daboyleroy]

I did not say you did.
Sorry for any confusion
Have a great day.
Lee

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I did not say you did.
Sorry for any confusion
Have a great day.
Lee

I'ts all good....the bigger question...., here are some images of a lot of the variations on the Remington 1858 carbine



BUT what I'd like to know, is HOW did the soldiers shoot the Colt 1855 Revolving Rifle?



I found a video showing an in depth look at the Colt 1855..., since I'd seen it used in the movie El Dorado by the town deputy "Bull", played by Arthur Honnicut, and I thought maybe he'd need a glove to use it...




So in the following video, the tolerances on an original rifle were quite tight, so I thought maybe it wasn't a problem.., but the test shooter reported "it spits back". Oh well, here's the video...,




LD