Differences between Pietta 8" 1860 Army Blued Steel Revolvers???

[Bunk]

It looks like you've answered the question right on the money. Not knowing all of the different distributors out there and not seeing them listed on Midway's site, I didn't realize how much of a difference there was their prices.

I can certainly say that I'm glad I didn't have to pay the $388 they're asking for the Taylor's offering.

my 1861 Navy caliber has had that done and is a complete pleasure to shoot
. As reliable as a suppository gun thanks to Goon's gun woks

 

[n.h.schmidt]

I just ordered the 1860 from midway at $289. I will let you guys know on what comes. Right now it's the lowest cost 1860 out there. About a year ago I ordered a 1851 steel frame from them. It came with the plastic grips. I know not great but I'm good with it. Its otherwise really nice.Timing is good not too smooth but I will be ok with it. In the past I have handled some that were really rough ,almost junk. Ah yes good times.They only cost $25 to $50 too. way back in the 1970's.

 

[TrapperDude]

I just ordered the 1860 from midway at $289. I will let you guys know on what comes. Right now it's the lowest cost 1860 out there. About a year ago I ordered a 1851 steel frame from them. It came with the plastic grips. I know not great but I'm good with it. Its otherwise really nice.Timing is good not too smooth but I will be ok with it. In the past I have handled some that were really rough ,almost junk. Ah yes good times.They only cost $25 to $50 too. way back in the 1970's.

I look forward to reading your first impressions of it and also what the box says regarding the distributor. You may very well end up being the one with the best buy out of everyone making choices among Midway's available picks, there.

 

[n.h.schmidt]

OK My 1860 came in from Midway usa. 44 cal 8" barrel steel frame $289. With shipping and tax $323. It has a Traditions box. I don't know how to tell the distributor. The box says Midway. I'm impressed ,I can't see a single thing wrong. Finnish is as good as any cap and ball revolver I have seen. Here are some stats.As everyone knows the devil is in the details. Timing is real good.The bolt comes up just before lining up with the notch. Cylinder gap a tight .003. Barrel groove .445 dia. Cylinder dia .446. A .001 difference and the right way.These are good measurements using a snap gauge and mike. The wedge came out with only the normal effort with with a wooden drift and plastic hammer.Barrel removed with normal effort. Arbor bottomed out with light taps on the wedge with the plastic hammer ,all the way through to the other side and with some space to go. That's how I got to the .003 cylinder gap. Two good ones in a row from Midway. If you guys have questions ,I will try to answer.

 

[TrapperDude]

OK My 1860 came in from Midway usa. 44 cal 8" barrel steel frame $289. With shipping and tax $323. It has a Traditions box. I don't know how to tell the distributor. The box says Midway. I'm impressed ,I can't see a single thing wrong. Finnish is as good as any cap and ball revolver I have seen. Here are some stats.As everyone knows the devil is in the details. Timing is real good.The bolt comes up just before lining up with the notch. Cylinder gap a tight .003. Barrel groove .445 dia. Cylinder dia .446. A .001 difference and the right way.These are good measurements using a snap gauge and mike. The wedge came out with only the normal effort with with a wooden drift and plastic hammer.Barrel removed with normal effort. Arbor bottomed out with light taps on the wedge with the plastic hammer ,all the way through to the other side and with some space to go. That's how I got to the .003 cylinder gap. Two good ones in a row from Midway. If you guys have questions ,I will try to answer.

So, it sounds like yours being distributed by Traditions is the only difference. You got the same kind of timing I did, too. Mine, however, has a minor scrape on one of that lands, which doesn't affect accuracy or cleaning any. It just irks me to see it in there. It's practically invisible when there's a coat of Frog Lube in the barrel as I punch the bore to purify it after a range session, but it becomes visible again when I run the dry patches through.

I suppose the only saving grace on that note, after reading about how you got basically the same revolver as I did for less, is that I only paid $26 more than your shipped coat for mine. I'm hoping that that light scrape will get filled in with lead over time and end up effectively disappearing so I don't have to look at it anymore.

Congratulations on a great purchase!

 

[n.h.schmidt]

Sorry you got a flaw in your barrel.It has happened to me. On a 1970s euroarms 1851 revolver. Mine was a bump in the barrel inside under the drilled place for the front sight . Too much tool pressure I suppose. It didn't hurt a thing as this gun shot really well. I still have it and its in good shape after a lot of shots fired. You know for a new $32 revolver it looked and shot good. It seemed too cheep even for that time. You could get a 1851 brasser for $23 from the same place. Ordered from the back of a gun mag.

 

[n.h.schmidt]

I forgot to mention. It has a blued steel backstrap. It is also setup for a shoulder stock .

 

[45D]

OK My 1860 came in from Midway usa. 44 cal 8" barrel steel frame $289. With shipping and tax $323. It has a Traditions box. I don't know how to tell the distributor. The box says Midway. I'm impressed ,I can't see a single thing wrong. Finnish is as good as any cap and ball revolver I have seen. Here are some stats.As everyone knows the devil is in the details. Timing is real good.The bolt comes up just before lining up with the notch. Cylinder gap a tight .003. Barrel groove .445 dia. Cylinder dia .446. A .001 difference and the right way.These are good measurements using a snap gauge and mike. The wedge came out with only the normal effort with with a wooden drift and plastic hammer.Barrel removed with normal effort. Arbor bottomed out with light taps on the wedge with the plastic hammer ,all the way through to the other side and with some space to go. That's how I got to the .003 cylinder gap. Two good ones in a row from Midway. If you guys have questions ,I will try to answer.

So, for timing to be correct, the bolt should be on the cylinder or in an approach (some call it a lead) at least a full bolt width before the locking notch. The bolt dropping on any of the edge of the notch is late. Left in this condition will lead to peening of the material into the notch . . . preventing lockup.

And, just curious, if you tapped the wedge in further, would the "gap" (endshake) close up any more?

Mike

 

[n.h.schmidt]

I knew I didn't say it the right way. The bolt is poping up at the start of the lead. The wedge will only go so far and stops with what I consider to be the normal amt of hammer(plastic) blows. At this point the gap is between .002 and .003. Sure beats my 58 rem brasser which had a .016 gap. Now corrected by setting the barrel back.

 

[45D]

I knew I didn't say it the right way. The bolt is poping up at the start of the lead. The wedge will only go so far and stops with what I consider to be the normal amt of hammer(plastic) blows. At this point the gap is between .002 and .003. Sure beats my 58 rem brasser which had a .016 gap. Now corrected by setting the barrel back.

You didn't mention the maker of the revolver so unless it's a fairly new Pietta, it has a short arbor. I'm just offering information to you , not trying g to degrade you or the revolver. It's an easy diy fix and the benefits allow you a rock solid revolver that is the same build each time you reassemble it. You can't get that with the wedge "in just right".

Mike

 

[n.h.schmidt]

The subject of this thread was about what is different about the three or four Pietta 1860 revolvers that Midway USA has listed.All have price differences but the same specs. Same picture too.I chose the lowest priced one and reported on it. So It's a Pietta and new. The wedge stops abruptly at the same place . I didn't take any offense as I know a lot of owners could get this wrong. Up to a few years ago I didn't know about the arbor problems. I think just about all the 70s era revolvers didn't bottom out. Many looked like the barrel was pointing up to the roof they were so off. A Lot of shooters couldn't hit anything because of that.

 

[woodsnwater]

They're not $289 any more. The 1851's are, in .44.

 

[springfield art]

OK My 1860 came in from Midway usa. 44 cal 8" barrel steel frame $289. With shipping and tax $323. It has a Traditions box. I don't know how to tell the distributor. The box says Midway. I'm impressed ,I can't see a single thing wrong. Finnish is as good as any cap and ball revolver I have seen. Here are some stats.As everyone knows the devil is in the details. Timing is real good.The bolt comes up just before lining up with the notch. Cylinder gap a tight .003. Barrel groove .445 dia. Cylinder dia .446. A .001 difference and the right way.These are good measurements using a snap gauge and mike. The wedge came out with only the normal effort with with a wooden drift and plastic hammer.Barrel removed with normal effort. Arbor bottomed out with light taps on the wedge with the plastic hammer ,all the way through to the other side and with some space to go. That's how I got to the .003 cylinder gap. Two good ones in a row from Midway. If you guys have questions ,I will try to answer.

Hey, I'm aware of Midway, but didn't know they had percussions. I've not ordered from them in a good while, so thanks for the tip, just good to know in general.

 

[n.h.schmidt]

I just now checked. The $289 1860 is gone. I only ordered it two weeks ago.Maybe I got the last one or started a run on them. They still do have 1860s at higher prices.

 

[TrapperDude]

I just now checked. The $289 1860 is gone. I only ordered it two weeks ago.Maybe I got the last one or started a run on them. They still do have 1860s at higher prices.

Yeah, you have to jump on those black powder handguns when you see them available. They don't stay in stock for very long, and then you end up having to wait for a new shipment.

 

[woodsnwater]

Really? I was hoping the 1851 would go on sale. When do they offer the sales prices?

 

[ryoung14]

Check Natchez for a good price on a 44 1851. They had 5" Sheriffs' models for $289 I believe. They had several when I called. They also had a 7.5" model with plastic grips for $239. They may have had only one 7.5" model when I called. If so, I got it. It came in a Pietta box.

Went to Natchez because Midway won't ship BP guns to western NY so couldn't buy the 1860. When I talked to Natchez and told them where I was, no problem.
Bob

 

[GYJ]

Doesn't look like there's any difference. If it's a Traditions, it's Pietta.

Both Cimarron and Taylors charge a premium price and claim that they have a
more carefully selected revolver.

This is pure myth. In the `80's, Cimarron started paying Uberti $30 more per gun for a higher level of fit, finish & QC. Today, they are all the same, regardless of importer. Only the importer markings are different. Even Mike Harvey conceded to this himself on another forum. This never applied to Pietta anyway.

 

[n.h.schmidt]

I had my new 1860 Pietta out Tuesday. I had done nothing to it except greasing the arbor and cleaning out the barrel and chambers. Fired 30 shots with three powder types. Diamondback fffg, 777 and Black mz. 24grns of diamondback ffg shot to point of aim at 25yds. The other powders shot a little higher .Not much though. .454 balls used and they loaded kind of hard (.445 dia chambers) So is the barrel. I use my own caps.Made from .005 thick K&S brass roll . I used a much reduced charge of priming powders like used in the 22 reloader kit. No failures at all. All fired and NO cap jams. The cup didn't fragment only expanded a little and didn't fall off the nipples. To anyone making their own percussion caps give brass a try. Cost is a bit higher a role 12" X 30" cost about $20. Can make as much as 1200 cups.

 

[TrapperDude]

I had my new 1860 Pietta out Tuesday. I had done nothing to it except greasing the arbor and cleaning out the barrel and chambers. Fired 30 shots with three powder types. Diamondback fffg, 777 and Black mz. 24grns of diamondback ffg shot to point of aim at 25yds. The other powders shot a little higher .Not much though. .454 balls used and they loaded kind of hard (.445 dia chambers) So is the barrel. I use my own caps.Made from .005 thick K&S brass roll . I used a much reduced charge of priming powders like used in the 22 reloader kit. No failures at all. All fired and NO cap jams. The cup didn't fragment only expanded a little and didn't fall off the nipples. To anyone making their own percussion caps give brass a try. Cost is a bit higher a role 12" X 30" cost about $20. Can make as much as 1200 cups.

Are you using the cap puncher from Sharpshooter? I was wondering if it was okay to use that with anything other than aluminum cans.