Walker cylinder failures.

[Gus Fisher]

In the early 80's, I got called to the Office of the RTE Shop and there stood a Stafford Country Deputy Sheriff with a reproduction Walker. A crook had loaded it with SMOKELESS POWDER and a Modern Conical bullet and shot at the Deputy ONE time with it. AFter I found that out, I asked what happened to the crook AFTER he pulled the trigger the first itme. The Officer started laughing because the pistol recoiled so hard and hit the guy in the head, it ALMOST knocked him out. He saw the crook drop like a sack of potatoes and let the pistol fall as he fell. He covered the guy for a little bit before he realized the crook was hurt and then walked up and cuffed him without difficulty while the crook was moaning. I could not believe the cylinder had not let go.

The Deputy had brought it into us because his department did not know how to unload it and it still had the percussion caps in place. I checked with him as to what kind of evidence procdures they used and then pulled the cylinder out and handed the Deputy the rest of the pistol and asked him to come back the end of the week. I cut the top off a soda can and filled it about 1/3 with penetrating oil and then carefully put the cylinder in it and then filled the can over the top of the cylinder. Took the caps off two days later and pulled the bullets and powder the day after that. I saved each bullet with the oil soaked powder and cap from each chamber separately. When the Deputy picked it up, I told him I would testify about what I had done if they needed it for the prosecution. The crook's lawyer wisely talked the crook into pleading guilty and got a smewhat lighter sentence for it, so they didn't need it for the prosecution.

[Stephan]

Folks who shoot conicals say they suck and are more accurate if you load them bacwards.

I've shot a few store bought conicals from some of my BP revolvers...and would tend to agree up to a point.

My guns shot them ok..accuracy not being so much an issue. However by the time you seat a longer bullet with a dry lube wad underneath..not much room for powder(probably less an issue with Walker/Dragoon guns)...Really the round balls work best...whether with light carges of powder..or heavier charges.

You have to watch out on my Dragoon because too small a charge of powder and the rammer won't seat the ball far enough into the cylinder. I've decided 35gr is about safe minimum.

[fredtheobviouspseudonym]

Could you fill the gap with cornmeal, Cream of Wheat or other inert filler?

[Rock]

In the early 80's, I got called to the Office of the RTE Shop and there stood a Stafford Country Deputy Sheriff with a reproduction Walker. A crook had loaded it with SMOKELESS POWDER and a Modern Conical bullet and shot at the Deputy ONE time with it. ............................I could not believe the cylinder had not let go.

I guess that crook overdid it a little but it is interesting that the cylinder did not burst. I've always wondered what would happen if someone fired a carefully measured smokeless powder load in one of those revolvers.

I have fired regular .45 lead bullets from my Uberti 1860 Army and my Ruger Old Army. Loaded just enough 3F black powder so that the bullets could be seated flush with the front of the cylinder. I used some Speer 200gr SWC and WW 255 gr round nose flat point bullets that were meant for .45 Long Colt. Those .45 Long Colt bullets had a very deep hollow cavity in the base. Reminds me of a Minie Ball. All of them fired well and accuracy was good. The Long Colt Bullets printed higher, as would be expected.

[Nate]

Rock, the problem I have encountered with conical bullets has been that they start fine but get stuck half way in and there is no easy solution for that. I sold my first Walker complete with a proper 220gr hollow based conical mold and have regretted it ever since. I couldn't stand being Walkerless very long so this one I will keep. Still, I would like to try a conical if there is one that will work.