Walker Loading Lever Clip

[Doc Hoy]

I hope y'all don't mind I am resurrecting this thread....

As perhaps you remember I made up a coupla these things and spread them around.

The latest iteration is made of steel. Earlier version was brass. The brass ones are expensive to made because of the cost and low availability of brass stock.

The steel ones are hard to make.

So I am shifting to the Third Generation Clip.

It is made of copper tubing.

I have one made and will be testing it extensively since the copper is quite soft. I want to make sure it holds up in the field.

More later including photos.

[sltm1]

Doc, when I made mine, I used brass. If you go to a hobby shop they have brass in an assortment of tube and sheet sizes. Buy the appropriate sized stuff and you really cut down on waste. I was thinking about using black pvc to make one, no cost at all and no marring the finish, just a thought, not having a Walker any more sorta took the incentive to be creative away.

[foolzrushn]

to bad steel is so hard to work with, 'cause if I had a Walker (which I don't) I think I would prefer a blued clips look. But what's important is 'function'.

[drobs]

You might wander around the nuts and bolts section of your local small family owned hardware store.

While not as pretty as a custom made thinga-ma-jiggy - there are of different styles of hose clamps out there would probably work.

http://preview.tinyurl.com/phja79q

On the super cheap side - a zip tie ought to do the trick.

[Doc Hoy]

SLTM....

The brass I have found in hobby shops has very thin walls. It is darned hard to work with.

I did find a source on line for the brass tube which I am looking into. It is not real expensive.

If I were to patent this idea it would be two patents. One for steel and the other for injection molded plastic.

Can't afford to pay a patent attorney so I guess I am out of luck.

FRN....

I am not good enough at welding to join these two pieces together. Welding them together would make the entire apparatus steel and would accept bluing more uniformly.

[maillemaker]

Injection molded plastic would be a snap.

I'm tempted to model one up. You could have www.protomold.com make a mold for probably $300. Parts would probably be $1 each or so. Simple book mold.

Or you could just 3D print them. That's probably the cheapest way.

Steve

[Doc Hoy]

We used to have a store around here (It was on Virginia Beach Boulevard) which was the size of a moderately large warehouse.

They would get military surplus, medical supply surplus, old electronic equipment, and just simple junk. But boy was it a fun store to go through.

They would have had some piece of equipment that had a part made from brass tubing.

[Doc Hoy]

I am not much or phartographer.









Advantages of this clip over the last one:

1. Much less bulky and less likely to get stuck in the holster. (Both are designed to be able to move them all the way up near the lug so that probably isn't a problem in all but the tightest holsters.
2. Much more flexible so it goes onto the barrel easier. I tried it and it still does not move when the muzzle is down or when six shots are fired from the pistol.
3. Copper can easily be polished if someone wants it to look more formal.
4. Copper less likely to scratch the barrel even given the felt lining.
5. It is a lot quicker to make.

I have two of these things for sale on the evil bay starting at 10.50. I am waiting to see how much they fetch. Average winning bid on the last ones was somewhere around 28.00.

[4V50 Gary]

Is that velcro on the inside of the barrel band?

[Doc Hoy]

Yes it is. I have been erroneously calling it felt but it is the felt half of Velcro. Little stiffer than felt.

[maillemaker]

I just modeled up this:



And had it 3D printed using black "strong, flexible plastic".

It cost $12 shipped. When it arrives, I'll let you know how it looks and works.

If it works, I'll make it available for purchase.

Steve

[Doc Hoy]

Now that's what I am talking about.

[4V50 Gary]

3D printing. Not as fancy, but it will do. Makes me want to go back to school for that.

[James K]

Why not make it so the top part is firmly clamped to the barrel (and won't slide forward in recoil) while the bottom part has enough spring to clamp the lever so it can be easily pulled down to load then snapped back up. It could either clamp the sides of the lever or the end.

Of course, a regular latch could easily be installed, but then the gun wouldn't be a Walker.

Jim

[Doc Hoy]

That could be done.

In my design the strength of the lower ring would be compromised if the lower ring were not complete. Too easy to break the thing.

But made from flexible plastic that problem goes away.

I think there are those out there who would want it made from metal of some kind.

But there may be a real market for an inexpensive plastic one. With the right manufacturing structure you could sell these things for about two bucks and still make a profit.

You could give (license) the design to Uberti or Pietta and they might throw one in the box of every new Walker.

[maillemaker]

Why not make it so the top part is firmly clamped to the barrel (and won't slide forward in recoil) while the bottom part has enough spring to clamp the lever so it can be easily pulled down to load then snapped back up. It could either clamp the sides of the lever or the end.

With my design above, I made the top diameter about .02" smaller than the barrel diameter so that it is an interference fit. Maybe I should have been more aggressive with the interference; we shall see. The loading lever hole is about .04" bigger in diameter, I think, so it is a free fit but being captive it should keep the loading lever in place, if all goes well.

This 3D printing place can also print metal, so they say. Or maybe they are doing wax casting from a 3D printed master, I don't know. Of course there are companies like Protomold that could machine this part from aluminum, steel, or possibly brass (I forget their material selections). Probably cost $100 a piece to have done that way, though.

The ideal way to mass produce this would be out of aluminum using an extrusion die. They would crank out 30 feet of this profile shape and then just chop-saw them to length. Probably get 450 of them out of a 30 foot run. Die would probably be about $500 but with a single run of extrusion you'd end up with a lifetime supply for the market of people wanting to buy them. Tumble them to deburr and then anodize and voila.

Steve

[4V50 Gary]

Extrusion would be a good way to mass produce it. Paint them black afterward.

[Ricklin]

The profile of the part screams for an extrusion.

[maillemaker]

>Paint them black afterward.

Anodize.

Steve

[swathdiver]

For simplicity sake, why not just once piece? Same design, just no metal between the two "rounds". A jig could be made and the material simply bent into place.

[maillemaker]

Yup, the web in between the two holes could probably be done away with. Probably should, in fact, even if it were to remain a plastic or extruded part.

If you want simple the best bet is to go to the orthodontist and get a package or two of those tiny clear rubber bands.

An alternative design based on Swathdriver's comment:



Steve

[maillemaker]

Clip came in today:

http://imgur.com/a/IX29M

Works perfectly.

Doc, I'll email you the .stl file; you can upload it to Shapeways and set up a store or whatever you want to do with it.

Steve

[jimbob86]

The latest iteration is made of steel. Earlier version was brass. The brass ones are expensive to made because of the cost and low availability of brass stock.

I have thousands of short peices of "brass tubing".... nearly closed on one end, but for a small hole in the center. So much of it in fact that when a piece get worn out, I often discard it..... what diameter did you need?

[Doc Hoy]

Thanks a lot. I still have the visit to the patent folks sched for 05 Oct.

[Doc Hoy]

Hmmm... Lets see now....

Larger diameter tube should be close to 13/16. Smaller dia. is about 7/16.

PM sent....