Leather loop for Walker loading lever?

M

Model12Win

Moderator
Hello everyone, as some of you may or may not know, the 1847 Colt Walker has a problem with the loading lever popping down during recoil, this was true of the originals and it's true of many of the Walker replicas currently being made.

I have heard that a period-correct solution to the dropping loading lever problem is to tie a loop of leather or rawhide around the lever and barrel, keeping the lever from dropping when the gun is discharged. I assume it can then be pulled over the lever to allow it to swing free for loading the revolver again.

Does anyone out there have any personal experience with this? Does it work, what do you use? I am going to buy a replica Uberti 1847 Walker soon and would like to do this when I get it. It will hopefully solve this little issue and will look period.

Thanks guys! :)
 
I shoot mine with 50 grains equilivalent of FFF pyrodex. The loading lever stays in place with no need of string. 60 grains supposedly made the lever on the Ubertis fall but they rebuilt the clip/spring. Dont know if 60 will drop mine as I have not used 60 as it is reported that 60 grains caused the wedge to wear rapidly.
 
A leather loop might be authentic, but now we have better stuff.
Hose clamps, wire ties and paracord. :)
Wonder if the old timers just removed the danged thing, all together, until they needed to reload at their leisure.
 
loop

you can take a file or a dremel to the loading lever latch to flatten it a bit and this helps.
But as to your loop.
I took a piece of scrap suede leather I had, punched two holes side by side.
One big enough to slip over the barrel the other the loading ram arm.
trimmed all the excess off.
Workd fine and dandy!
 
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I have been meaning to do this. I'll do it today and take pictures.

I shoot my Uberti Walker with 45 grains 3F Goex and it is quite accurate but the loading leaver drops free at least after 2 shots. I have been given N-SSA approval to make a leather loop.

Steve
 
Wow cool Maillemaker! Please show us when you get done!

Sorry, but if I'm going to get a Colt Walker, I'm not going to use paracord or hose clamps to stop the lever drop. That's would be like putting LEDs on a Dusenberg!

Leather is the authentic way, cool to see it's NSSA approved!
 
You might also try..

You can use a file to put a little more "tooth" on the catch and it will stop some of them from falling, and nobody can see it. Don't get crazy making the tooth though. 'Too much and you'll have trouble getting the lever down to load.;)
latch.jpg
 
Here's what I whipped up in the shop. Took about 5 minutes. If I wanted to get real fancy I would do a butt-join with tunneling stitches that would be invisible.

http://imgur.com/a/Fuo3X

Probably would have been better with thinner leather, too, but this does not interfere with my custom front sight, and it slides on and off fine.

Steve
 
fixing the spring looks like the best fix... however I wonder if it'll crack earlier or sooner, being thinner???

I was thinking a threaded hole on the bottom of the barrel with a thumb screw "C" clipped to the loading lever might be a good fix

... similar to what we did with my cartridge conversion 51 Navies ( only I used a screw into a beveled hole to fit smoothly, since I only had the levers on the shortened cartridge conversions, for traditional looks ) I'd think a small thumb screw, with a clip to keep it with the loading lever might work ok ???

I'm sure the leather loop would work, but think I'd find the loop of leather over the top of the barrel at the least distracting, & could even possibly require a different sight picture ???

here is a pic of my Navies... showing the load lever screwed to the bottom of the barrel... only bad thing I can think of about a thumb screw, would be possibly re-holstering, it could snag, depending on the shape or size of the thumb screw...

attachment.php
 
I'm sure the leather loop would work, but think I'd find the loop of leather over the top of the barrel at the least distracting, & could even possibly require a different sight picture ???
Click to expand...

Since I had already put on a taller front sight to correct the point of aim at 25 yards, the leather does not get in the way of my front sight at all.

Steve
 
If you do a search on this forum, you will see pictures of a sweet brass loading lever holder that Doc Hoy posted. He made one for me and I have it on my Colt Walker. He doesn't post here much anymore I don't know what happened to him.

I hope he is well,

Birch
 
How about two pieces of brass pipe that are soldered together? Of course, the top will be cut partially away so it can slid past the front sight. It'll look like a figure 8 and can be slipped on/off as needed.
 
I think that's the one Birch is talking about.

I've seen it before. It's a figure-8 of brass with a slit cut in the larger circle for the front sight.

Steve
 
Supposedly Uberti re did the spring catch on their later Walkers so if you have a later one like me you might not need anything else.
 
Yup if you get a package of those tiny rubber bands from the orthodontist I best it would last you a long time and be nearly invisible.

Steve
 
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