Current quality of the Italian makers

[Stantheman86]

When put in perspective like this, these guns are a bargain! When my honey and I go out for dinner it's an easy $50-$60, including only 1 or 2 drinks each. And what do I have left to show for it tomorrow? When I buy a revolver it's there for as long as I want to keep it, and it has resale value. I'm surprised more spouses don't encourage us to buy guns more often!

100% , I mean when you think of entertainment value for your $, you can't go wrong with one of the lower cost cap and ballers

We'll be looking back in just a couple years talking about the 250 buck Piettas and how we miss them

Spouses should believe guys who tell them guns are money in the bank , and it's just "diversifying investments"

 

[Old-Duckman]

Reading all of the positive comments with respect to these firearms coming from the factory with extremely questionable quality issues, might I suggest the following:

They should come with a clear disclaimer that they may require some minor gunsmithing and are sold with that understanding. As I said earlier, were I not somewhat handy and have some knowledge about firearms then some examples would be boat anchors in the hands of the uninitiated. I can not condone the lack of quality control coming from these manufactures irrespective of price.

 

[fireman1]

100% , I mean when you think of entertainment value for your $, you can't go wrong with one of the lower cost cap and ballers

We'll be looking back in just a couple years talking about the 250 buck Piettas and how we miss them

Spouses should believe guys who tell them guns are money in the bank , and it's just "diversifying investments"

My bridal unit understands that.

Now where in the heck was I when these $340 dragoons where being sold! I need another one.

 

[mkabe]

Cartridge guns . . .

Mike

Right! CIP (European) is similar to SAAMI (USA) and provide specifications like cartridge dimensions, allowable pressures, etc. But someone posted CIP having pressure specifications for muzzleloaders. I’ve never seen or heard that.

 

[Gus Alexander]

A while ago I posted about my recent purchase of a Pietta handgun from Midway, $234 (Navy-ish, .44 cal.). I had a good bit of their mess to clean up. I got it all sorted out, made a grip out of red gum eucalyptus (original is plastic). polished the brass to a 400 grit finish. Haven't shot it yet but am really happy with how it turned out. It has a 2022 date stamp and I have read on this forum how the Italian gun makers quality has declined since the scamdemic.

So yesterday I picked up a Uberti unmentionable from my dealer, suffice it to say SAA-9, paid $625 from Bud's. This handgun is outstanding. Near flawless finish, perfectly checkered grip, crisp trigger with no perceptible creep (does have some over travel) build date 2022.

So I don't consider this a Uberti-Pietta quality difference but what? Is it just a better quality because of the price point difference or does Uberti treat center fire revolvers different than BP revolvers?

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I've bought both. Both needed "slicking up". Both had scars where the machined edges touch or parts slide. The older Uberti ( bought 3yrs ago) needed less work than the others. The Uberti I just bought needed as much work a the Peitta I bought 4yrs ago.. for the money, I'd buy another Uberti. Or better yet a ruger.. remember, the guns aren't made by a gunsmith, it's an assembly line machinist who puts it together..

 

[Stantheman86]

My bridal unit understands that.

Now where in the heck was I when these $340 dragoons where being sold! I need another one.

I almost pulled the trigger on one of those even though I already have 2....I wouldn't even care if it was a "second " or a blem..... , $340 Dragoons don't pop up , ever. It Giuseppe dropped it on the factory floor, oh well, here's my 340 give it to me

 

[Stantheman86]

Reading all of the positive comments with respect to these firearms coming from the factory with extremely questionable quality issues, might I suggest the following:

They should come with a clear disclaimer that they may require some minor gunsmithing and are sold with that understanding. As I said earlier, were I not somewhat handy and have some knowledge about firearms then some examples would be boat anchors in the hands of the uninitiated. I can not condone the lack of quality control coming from these manufactures irrespective of price.

The way it was explained to me, is that you are guaranteed a gun that will safely shoot

Try emailing Pietta about a gun, the response will be comedy gold if they even respond

I had a Pietta that shot loose , about 2008 or so and the Pietta rep emailed me back that they don't heat treat their barrels and it's my fault the wedge slot opened, I must have used it wrong. I can buy a new barrel.

I have never bought a Uberti or Pietta that was unsafe or inoperable out of the box but I have read some stories on here about guns with bent barrels, etc

Out of what I own and what I've sold over the past 20 years or so I have probably had 30 or so cap and ballers pass through my hands. And all of them fired out of the box. They may not have been perfect but I got a gun that fired, including a Brasser with chambers that didn't line up perfectly with the bore.

 

[fireman1]

I almost pulled the trigger on one of those even though I already have 2....I wouldn't even care if it was a "second " or a blem..... , $340 Dragoons don't pop up , ever. It Giuseppe dropped it on the factory floor, oh well, here's my 340 give it to me

Agreed!

 

[GYJ]

One thing affecting the price of the $235 gun at Midway is the plastic grip. Looks like the same grips I have on another cartridge gun and they are cheap. I'm sure they're significantly cheaper to produce than one piece walnut. I'm tempted to get one for the hell of it.

 

[Stantheman86]

One thing affecting the price of the $235 gun at Midway is the plastic grip. Looks like the same grips I have on another cartridge gun and they are cheap. I'm sure they're significantly cheaper to produce than one piece walnut. I'm tempted to get one for the hell of it.

The grips are absolutely terrible , fit some wood grips, or anything else and they'll be a little better

Using a new type of wool wad, rather than felt, that I got from an Ebay Muzzleloading supply store......I fired 163 rounds through the pair of them without taking them down to clean.

Also added Treso nipples this time out.

The action is a bit tough, the trigger pull isn't perfect but they work and are accurate. I ended up slinging way more lead then I planned but I had fun doing some one-man cowboy action shooting.

They use the Dance .44 cylinder, not the stepped 1860 cylinder in case anyone is a cylinder swapper.

 

[GYJ]

What did you swap the grips from? They don't look like they have the usual brass frame Pietta "tail". I put one in my cart but haven't pulled the trigger yet.

 

[Stantheman86]

What did you swap the grips from? They don't look like they have the usual brass frame Pietta "tail". I put one in my cart but haven't pulled the trigger yet.

The Pietta tail was phased out in 2012 or so. I have 1 Pietta with this grip. People complained about this grip and Pietta changed it.

I had the wood grips I took off of a new pair of .36 brasser Navies I put fake pearl grips on. They don't fit perfectly, at all, and needed some file work but they're a vast improvement over the plastic grips that look like they'd crack if you squeezed too hard

Pietta 1851/ Peacemaker aftermarket grips are all over the place

I would have tried to get by with the plastic grips but they fit so poorly they rattle around in the grip frame

 

[fireman1]

Stan,

I've always been hesitant to buy a brass frame gun.....gunshop wisdom told me they stretch out will kill me dead.

What is your experience shooting .44 out of them?

 

[Jappo]

My bridal unit understands that.

Now where in the heck was I when these $340 dragoons where being sold! I need another one.

They $350 now. Just picked up a second model Dragoon Uberti used.

 

[Johnny Tremain]

My first production gun I hated was a 1992 Pedo Harpers Ferry. It was junk.
Then some one gave me a 2000 built Army 1860. Didnt work when it was given to me. A hun later, works like a charm.

 

[Ed C.]

Reading all of the positive comments with respect to these firearms coming from the factory with extremely questionable quality issues, might I suggest the following:

They should come with a clear disclaimer that they may require some minor gunsmithing and are sold with that understanding. As I said earlier, were I not somewhat handy and have some knowledge about firearms then some examples would be boat anchors in the hands of the uninitiated. I can not condone the lack of quality control coming from these manufactures irrespective of price.

I think that goes both ways. I'm sure many people look forward to getting a new gun, tuning it up and "fixing" it before they even shoot it. Then there are others that want good function, sights, trigger, and action right out of the box. Personally, I think any product should have a level of quality control that provides reasonable function for the average person.

 

[fireman1]

They $350 now. Just picked up a second model Dragoon Uberti used.

Where are they $350? Sold out at Midway.

 

[Jappo]

Where are they $350? Sold out at Midway.

Gunbroker, was just browsing and saw it. Was up for bids or buy it now. So I bought it. That’s with shipping, user fees and credit card.

 

[Stantheman86]

Stan,

I've always been hesitant to buy a brass frame gun.....gunshop wisdom told me they stretch out will kill me dead.

What is your experience shooting .44 out of them?

At some point in the 2000s , Pietta went with a better brass alloy

The old butter soft Navy Arms Ubertis from the 70s and the FAPs, old Pietta brassers etc had very soft frames and pinned in arbors. Apparently they were expected just to be shot occasionally or with blanks by reenactors. Arbors pulling out was as big an issue as frames getting beat up

After decades of brassers shooting loose , Pietta made them able to actually be fired a lot.

According to old "wisdom" I'd have shot my two brassers loose yesterday with nearly 100 rounds each.

I have hundreds of rounds through all of my brassers, which isn't a lot. But one particular pair of .44 Colt Brassers I own, I've made no attempt to keep loads light , and I have burned up several 100 round boxes of balls with 30gr loads of 3f, which is a .45 Schofield load for reference......Pyrodex P with whatever the spout of a Thompson Center U View flask holds for an entire afternoon, or I've topped them off with 1F and blasted away. Not a single sign of ratchet dents in the recoil shield or any stretching .

People have reported shooting old brassers loose in one day , so that's definitely not the case with newer ones.

A YouTube guy has a .44 Colt Brasser he claims has several 1000 full power loads through it and no change to any specs when he mic's it

Within reason , unless someone is trying to beat one up with 40 grain charges of 777 or something, I feel like a Brasser is as good as a steel frame. The cost difference isn't even a lot anymore, it's more about cosmetics. The steel used in the steel frames is very mild too, as were the original frames that were basically Iron.

 

[GYJ]

I'd like to convert a new brass frame gun just to see how long it would last.