My first purchase for my first reenactment

[mofederal]

Nice revolver, an 1851 Navy is lighter. It's a lot like lugging around a M-1 Thompson all day. A M-1 Carbine is much lighter. You still got a good deal I would say on the Walker.

 

[sourdough]

Says made in Italy on top of the barrel... 1847 us on the side

The "1847 US" stamping on the barrel lug was present on both the original Colt Walkers and modern replicas. If there are no proof marks or date code present on the frame, most likely it was created from a CVA kit. Italian law only requires those on completely assembled revolvers, not kit guns.

This is what ASM frame stampings look like. Arrow at left is the ASM logo, arrow at right is the date code. Proof marks are there, also.

Regards,

Jim

 

[sourdough]

This is a CVA ASM Walker currently listed on GunBroker (43 photos).

GunBroker.com - Error

Another one on GB. ASM but not a CVA.

GunBroker.com - Error

Regards,

Jim

 

[Aunt Bee]

$125 is an excellent price. The 'CVA', if there, will be in a circle a bit smaller than a dime on the right side of the frame between the grip & the rear of the trigger guard .

 

[cavalry_historian]

Don't let the foot sloggers down play the usefulness of a revolver on horseback. They're jealous [not really]! Be sure to work at training your mount to expect gunfire. You may want to put a lanyard on that revolver so you can drop it in an "equine emergency." Did mounted for 30+ years -- lots of fun, but also lots of work (as any horseowner knows). No horse, no cavalry. One of my own on the set of the film Gettysburg named "Brigade." Admittedly not always the bravest of equines, he never gave me a major problem. He was the veteran of dozens of battles.
I had another mount named "Brandy" -- he was part Tn Walker. (below) Bravest animal I ever saw. Stood and obeyed regardless of what was going on. His fearlessness sometimes got him in trouble -- like jumping electric fence.

Thats me at the end (furthest right) on my other mount Brandy.

 

[Hag]

Don't let the foot sloggers down play the usefulness of a revolver on horseback. They're jealous [not really]! Be sure to work at training your mount to expect gunfire. You may want to put a lanyard on that revolver so you can drop it in an "equine emergency." Did mounted for 30+ years -- lots of fun, but also lots of work (as any horseowner knows). No horse, no cavalry. One of my own on the set of the film Gettysburg named "Brigade." Admittedly not always the bravest of equines, he never gave me a major problem. He was the veteran of dozens of battles.

View attachment 371646

That is a nice looking horse and rig... l am just gonna borrow most things till I find out if this is something I will do long term but I have a good friend who has done it for 10 years or so and I will be on his hip the whole time following suit and hoping I don't mess up hahaha

 

[cavalry_historian]

Good luck to you. It's a blast!

 

[cavalry_historian]

Let us know how it goes -- with PICS

 

[CowCavalry]

If the maker was Armi San Marco, the right side of the barrel will be marked SM or ASM at the beginning of the logo. The bottom of the frame where it meets the barrel lug will have a stylized ASM in the form of an equilateral triangle above the serial #. The date code will either be 2 alpha characters in a rectangle above the serial# or in Roman numerals on the right side of the frame. All markings are normally stamped very lightly. That would be the good deal revolver, but ASM folded in 2002 and parts are scarce as hens' teeth.

I have an ASM Connecticut Valley Arms Colt 3rd model Dragoon I purchased in the mid 90s or so. Lost the screw over the barrel wedge and it wont turn the cylinder now unless its pointed down. :/

 

[DixieRifles]

Its been a long time since I have seen a Colt Walker. I didnt know CVA made them. Of course, I shy away from any CVA products, including caps & other supplies.
I enjoyed looking at the photos. I noticed the brass trigger guard is squared off. When I bought my modern Ruger "Old Army" the seller asked $100 for it and thru in a Dragoon Trigger Guard. I've never seen another Ruger with one like that.
The Ruger .44 can be rather heavy. But I recalled the Walker had a 9-inch barrel—right? That had to be tuff to handle.

Firing only 30 grains of Hodgdon FFg a week ago.

 

[Cavalier]

Now that look like fun!

John

 

[cavalry_historian]

I have an ASM Connecticut Valley Arms Colt 3rd model Dragoon I purchased in the mid 90s or so. Lost the screw over the barrel wedge and it wont turn the cylinder now unless its pointed down. :/

The screw over the barrel wedge is only there to keep the wedge from falling out. It is NOT a stop for driving it in. The spring with the bump on the end is supposed to catch on the screw head when the wedge is pushed out. You may be driving the wedge in too far. Check the clearance (.006-.010 inch) between the cylinder and the barrel for proper clearance so that the revolver rotates freely. The edge of the spring on the wedge should just clear the slot on the right side when the wedge is driven in.
Note you may also have broken the small spring that pushes the hand forward. One of the weakest points and an area prone to failure in the Colts and its clones is the handspring. This may be why it rotates when pointed down (gravity does the job). The hand is the part connected to the hammer that when the hammer is cocked, it extends through a window in the frame and rotates the cylinder for the next round to be under the firing pin. These springs are pretty much all the same (or functionally so) for different models. You can check this with the barrel and cylinder off. Hold the grip, etc. straight up and see if the hand comes out when you actuate the hammer. http://rvbprecision.com/firearms/uberti-single-action-army-hand-spring-fix.html

Numrich has ASM parts including handsprings

Armi San Marco 1847 Walker | Numrich Gun Parts

Armi San Marco Model 1847 Walker Black Powder Revolver Gun Parts & Accessories. Shop current, OEM, obsolete and the rare hard-to-find gun parts and accessories for pistols, rifles, shotguns, long guns, and revolvers from the early musket days to today’s modern firearms (both U.S. and foreign)...

www.gunpartscorp.com

Hope this helps.

 

[CowCavalry]

Note you may also have broken the small spring that pushes the hand forward. One of the weakest points and an area prone to failure in the Colts and its clones is the handspring. This may be why it rotates when pointed down (gravity does the job). The hand is the part connected to the hammer that when the hammer is cocked, it extends through a window in the frame and rotates the cylinder for the next round to be under the firing pin. T

Thanks! I haven't fired the revolver in years, lost the screw years ago. I believe you are correct, the handspring is broken I'm guessing as it quit turning years before I lost the screw (I do not think I was driving the wedge to far in other words). Thanks very much, I think I will order the part. I have owned several over the years, a 51' navy and this one and more recently a 51' and 61' navy, the Colt sold ones, still in the box never fired, they are just to pretty to shoot. I have never disassembled one beyond the wedge, barrel, and cylinder pin for cleaning purposes, how big a job is it to replace the handspring?

 

[cavalry_historian]

You do need to be careful and methodical, but its not a "pay a gunsmith more than the gun is worth" project. There are a number of YouTube videos that will walk you through a complete disassembly. They all come apart basically in the same manner. Get a good set of screw drivers. Unfortunately, the handspring is about the "deepest" part in the mechanism. The BIGGEST problem is getting the proper part or one that works (possibly from Colt -- not sure here). You might want to cannibalize another ASM gun with "problems" available for cheap.
This video from Mike Bellevue (Mike knows!)

 

[Michael C. Hardy]

Great buy! I have one as well, but I've never taken it to a reenactment. Just not appropriate for an infantry officer back east. I do haul it out for a firearms display every once in a while.

 

[sourdough]

I believe you are correct, the handspring is broken I'm guessing as it quit turning years before I lost the screw. Thanks very much, I think I will order the part.

ASM has been out of business since they folded in ~2002. Parts are very scarce, and the only folks who may have them are VTI and Track Of The Wolf. You might be able to fit an Uberti hand/spring to the revolver.

Regards,

Jim

 

[DixieRifles]

It has been awhile since I disassembled a Colt replica---I forgot about that HandSpring.

My Ruger is quite different. It has the typical Hand but it uses a Plunger with a HandSpring attached that applies force to the Hand.
The HandSpring/Plunger is inserted in the back side of the Frame with plunger end inserted first and the spring protruding out the back. When the brass Grip is installed, it compresses the HandSpring.

 

[Jeff in Ohio]

Yes, a youtube video or two will explain how to get that part out. You will find there is a curved piece of metal, which is the hand, and fastened to the back base of the hand is a thin slot is a flat spring that curves backward. It is fastened to the hand by someone tapping that slot closed - and so sometimes you'll find the spring just fell out of the slot, and is still inside the innards of the revolver! These flat springs will not usually break, they just get worn or fall out. A flat spring from about any maker should work - it is the hand that was carefully fitted to the gun, and so long as the hand is still okay, an easy fix.
If the hand rotates the cylinder fine with the gun is pointed down, that means the hand is fine, just needs that spring to push the hand forward as you work the action.

 

[Dusty]

Good looking revolver, enjoy it!

 

[Virginia Dave]

picked this up for $125... in decent working order... good deal? View attachment 371109

I love it. If you find another one I would I interested I could use it on my wall.