Walker

[C5M1]

Not a black powder guru by any means but, enjoy taking the repro walker out for a walk a few times a year. Any one have a pet target and or hunting load for me?

Also, do these felt wads that seat over the ball, work well enough to prevent a chain fire? All I've used in the past was crisco, and find it awful messy. The first round from the clean pistol is very accurate, the remainder are all over. Suspect it may have something to do with the crisco. Any advice from the pro's?

Might just use it for hunting this year if i can find a decent load.


regards, dennis

[Johnny P]

It's been a while since I shot black powder pistol competition, but I had very good luck using Navy Arms sealant/lubricant on my Ruger Old Army. The club member I bought it from couldn't get it to shoot, so I bought it for a song. We shot ten shots for record, and accuracy was great through the ten shots. The Navy Arms lubricant was in a tube with a nozzle that you could squeeze a ring of the lubricant around the ball.

[holdover]

The over powder wads will help prevent a chain fire, but I heard that some chain fires come from the nipple end due to lose fitting caps. Accuracy should be good for all six shots, I shoot BP rev in competition and use either MCM or SPG as an over the bullet lube, not as messy as crisco. You bullet should fit the chamber so that a circle of lead comes off when you seat it. I would say at least a .457 ball. has the barrel had a forcing cone job? My '58 Remington shoots a quarter size group from a rest with all six chambers, I would think that the walker should at least hold them in the black

[C5M1]

Thanks guys, Loading the balls in the cylinder does shave a neat ring off the balls, so should be good there.

No forcing cone job. Its bone stock. Won't stick any money into a plinker aside from loading components. Will try the lubes mentioned.

thanks. dennis

[Embalmer]

I too do the lube over ball method in me repro LeMat. All 9 rounds usually group in black from rest at 25 yards. the shotgun blast at end is bonus :D

[madcratebuilder]

Instead of felt wads you ca make grease cookies, a mix of bees wax, paraffin and vegetable oil or tallow (I use Ballistol). Mix this a double boiler and pour it out on a cookie sheet about an 1/8 inch thick allow it to cool then punch out cookies with a .45 case. I store mine in a small tin and use between powder and ball. They keep the fouling soft and make a great arbor lube.

As already posted the shaved ring around the ball is what seals the chamber. You need tight fitting caps as most chain fires come from the nipple end of the cylinder. This was a problem back in the day and was discussed by Sam Colt among others. Manhattan had a patient for a nipple shield that would direct the gasses away from the nipples.

Don't pinch your caps to make them fit your nipples. Cap size varies with manufacturer so it's a good idea to try different brands till you find the ones that fit your particular gun. I well chuck up my nipples in a drill and file them to take a specific cap so I don't need to have six different kinds on hand.

[dogtag]

All the Crisco over balls vanishes with the first shot. As it's really only good
for lubrication, you can try this: Powder, wad, Crisco, ball.
This load obviously has to be shot right away.