1st day with Uberiti Walker, initial impressions

Doc,
Nothing taken the wrong way. You are correct. Pietta seems to have found a way to get the arbor length right (mostly). Uberti won't even admit there's a problem!! I would say there isn't if -a. You don't care that the revolver isnt the same every time you assemble it or -b. you don't shoot but twice a year!
As long as the arbor has room available to move, it will. Until that is corrected, extreme accuracy, and tuning can not be expected or maintained. These (open tops) can be extremely accurate and as trouble free to shoot as a modern revolver. The Remies that you mention were a step in the right direction but they need a bushing (in front of the cyl) like Colt/Ruger/Rgrs.Spencer . . .
Most folks will never know or experience an open tops capabilities. They can be the smoothest, have the lightest action and one of the most reliable revolvers they ever own. (They're already the best lookin!!!)
I guess my point is, until you get the revolver "finished " (or fixed), it's like treating the symptoms instead of the problem.

Mike
www.goonsgunworks.com
 
Good day with the Walker, and an update

I think I have solved my issues with the Walker, and have started a bit of load development.

After the first day of binding cylinders, I took the gun home and cleaned it and then took it out again. It started binding after 5 shots or so. Figuring that something else was going on, I moved on to my flintlock.

I'm prone to learning lessons over and over, and this is a good example! I had not completely disassembled the gun when I got it, and should have. After day two of binding, I took it home and stripped it completely. As I was doing so, one spent cap fell out of the internal works, and I found another one in there that had clearly been there a while. It was green, not copper colored, so it must have been in there for quite a while.
I knew I should have taken it apart earlier, but these opportunities to go shooting are fleeting, so I hurried into it. 'Nuff said.

After a thorough cleaning, it worked great today. I shot about 4 or 5 cylinders worth, plinking at cans while waiting for an opportunity to set my target. It worked just fine. The action did get a bit stiff, but not horribly so. More on this later.

Load workup:
First was 50 gr Goex FFFg, .457 RB, durofelt wad with 50/50 beeswax/Crisco and a bit of murphys oil soap, Remington #11 caps, and a bit of Crisco over each chamber (more later on why) roughly 15 yards target range. 5 shots. Hands resting on a sandbag.
This load was a bit all over the place, which I expected. about 4-5 inches high, and spread about 2" horizontal, 2" vertical.

Second was 10 shots with 40 gr FFFg, all else the same.
This group was much better. There was one flyer, and the rest were all about 6" high, 1/2" left and it's hard to count the holes because about 6 shots just made a big hole about 1" x 1"

Observations:
Doc Hoy's Walker clip is awesome.

This gun eats percussion caps down the hammer channel. I had to stop and pull a few out before they fell all the way down. I started leaning the gun to the right on about a 45 angle when I cocked it, and that helped a lot.
I found 2 of my felt wads on the target, and there are 2-3 extra holes in the target that are not clean circles. Rookie21 is right about felt wads hitting the target.

The felt wads I am using are probably not distributing lube all the way to the muzzle. The muzzle crown was dry, and did not have a lube star on it. Also, they are pretty sticky, and one of the wads I found on the target (from the 50gr load) still had about 1gr of unburnt powder on it.
I suspect, but don't know, that 50gr of powder does not fully burn before exiting the barrel.

After about 5 cylinders, the action was beginning to show signs of fouling, and that is why I put the Crisco over each ball. I don't normally do this, however, it kept the action free and crisp.

All in all, I am very pleased with it. It was awesome to shoot and the 40gr load is very promising. I need to try a few different caps to see which tend not to fall into the hammer channel.
I also need to work on my formula for lubed wads. I just don't think they are doing what I want. As a side note, I am only moderately sure of the lube mix. I made it 2 years ago and lost my notes. Disorganized..

Cheers,
 
"If you have a chronograph, how about chronographing the velocity of the 50 grain loads? I have seen numbers close to 1000 fps, which seem fantastic. I have read material that claims the Walker was the most powerful handgun till the 357 Magnum, which, if it pushes a 147 grain bullet above 1000 fps, it could be."

The type of powder you use will make a big difference. Mike Beliveau's results with a reduced load of just 33 grns of 3F Triple 7 with a .457" ball gave 1062 fps for 361 ft/lbs of energy (he showed a higher weight throwing off the numbers). I can easily get 45 grns into my stock cylinder.

I've found that Olde Eynsford BP, though as energetic as Triple 7 and Swiss just doesn't compress like T7 does though and so I can only get about 40 grns in my cylinder. Regardless 40 grns of T7, Olde E, or Swiss (3F) can certainly get you well over 1000 fps as would even more powder.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LP_dwo2nThA
 
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