Walker/Colt lever fix

[Gabriel Law]

As I mentioned in another thread, I do not have issues with the lever of my Uberti Walker dropping down during firing, even with full chamber loads.
I bought my revolver in about 1975 as Uberti's cased Walker with accessories.  It has a  very low serial number.  Upon firing, I found the lever dropped down and had to be continuously snapped back up to fire the next chamber.  I didn't know at the time that this was a common fault.  But it wouldn't do so I fixed it.

If I can remember correctly, I increased the tension of the latch spring by simply bending it toward the muzzle just a few 'thou'.  With the lever up and latched, I could see that the case hardened lever was simply resting against a curved surface, relying completely upon spring tension to do the work.  So I used a sharp needle pointed scribe to mark the spring with the latch closed tightly, then released the lever, and gently and accurately, filed a tiny flat notch in the spring to act as a catch for the lever.  I hit it perfectly with the first 'go' and I've never had any trouble with it since.  I'll ionclude a couple of photos to further help explain this.




This image is of the lever hard up against the barrel and held by the latch.




And this one shows the bulbous end of the spring with the tiny notch filed into it.  This last one is a better image of the fix.

[Professor Marvel]

My Good Monsieur Law -

Nicely done, and great photos and explanation. This should do much better than bits of string, rawhide lacing, ribbon, handkerchiefs,  or those strange copper plumbing sleeve contraptions I have seen...

I am willing to bet a nickel that as long as you stay with Roundball and BP you will do well.

On the extreme side,  I recall on a different forum a fellow was playing with 300 gr .45 Colt bullets and a full cylinder of 777 or some such nonsense in his older repro Walker and blew out a chamber wall.

yhs
prof marvel

[Gabriel Law]

It's already a magnum with Holy black and round ball!  Who could want for more?

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[Roscoe Coles]

The most engenious solution to this problem I have seen came from a friend who worked in a science lab where they had a machine for magnatizing metals.  He took the lever to work and made it into a strong magnet.  This, combined with the stock spring kept the lever up when firing.  Your solution is a lot easier.

[Coffinmaker]

Perffesser,

There are those in our world whom personify the "Darwin" principle in propagation.  Or lack of ....... propagation.  We can only hope that those whom exemplify Darwinism as a method of improving the gene pool are somewhat more successful in their efforts.

I would suggest that we council our intrepid nabob that he/she would have a much more gratifying outcome should they, after replacing said blown-out cylinder, utilize the  same large projectile but switch to ........ smokeless??  "They" will obviously see that suggestion as a viable alternative.

Coffinmaker

PS:  Also, if observed from a prudent distance, fun to watch.

PSS:  Gabriel ...... very neat and tasty solution to "drooping lever" syndrome.  Actually an elegant solution.  

[Professor Marvel]

My Dear Coffin -

I see that like myself, you are as busy are at loose ends are as bored as have free time on your hands today too 

yes , there are some who do not take advice particularly well,  ie:

 "increasing bullet weight to 300 gr, increasing bullet bearing surface (cylinder vs rounball), and using a full chamber of compressed powder that is between 15% and 30% more energetic than BP (depending upon who you read) most certainly will lead to higher chamber pressures and will likely be deleterious in an ancient ASM Walker of uncertain provenance"

was ignored, experiment proceeded , and resulted in a blown chamber.

yhs
pm