Finest quality percussion revolvers?

[Bad Karma]

If I see one I'm bidding till it hurts

The open top revolvers are Ubertis…

 

[Stantheman86]

The open top revolvers are Ubertis…

It's like everyone just uses churched up Uberti parts for the "premium"
open tops......

I already paid the extra $ for 3 2nd Gen Colts, I don't need any more Ubertis in disguise

 

[Stantheman86]

It’s no Pedersoli but it’s not too bad… for a Remington. Also the only revolver I have ever chain fired. View attachment 207757View attachment 207758View attachment 207759

They should all have the Color Cased frames

 

[Widows Son]

It’s no Pedersoli but it’s not too bad… for a Remington. Also the only revolver I have ever chain fired. View attachment 207757View attachment 207758View attachment 207759

It’s beautiful. Who made it?

 

[Relic shooter]

Yes but what is "regular shooting " to some is a warmup for others

I have an original 1861 Springfield, it is a piece of history. I enjoy owning it but I'm happy to have a Pedersoli repro to put 100s of Minies through and not have to worry about rod wear, metal and wood stress, or breaking a lock part

I was just reading about an original Colt blowing a nipple out. Stress and Fatigue will eventually catch up to these old pieces of history

I take my original stuff out for the occasional few rounds but I beat on my repros with a lot of rounds.

Shooting original firearms is certainly not for everyone.
I never encourage anyone to shoot an original unless either they or know someone with the proper knowledge to 'properly' evaluate a vintage firearms condition & especially the nipples as due to corrosion they should all be replaced before being safe to shoot.
Now that I'm 80 & unable to shoot the remaining long guns I have, finding a buyer with the right background experience to become their caretakers might be a challenge.

I cringe at some of the guns I shot 65 years ago as a newbie. I was fortunate that an old local gunsmith took me under his wing before I planted a hammer or nipple in my forehead. His patience put me on a more educated path in collecting, shooting & competing with original flint & percussion era firearms.
Forum members are lucky to have several members who have the experience like .45D & others to help them out.
Relic shooter

 

[45D]

Thanks Relic shooter, I appreciate the kind words!!

If you have ever handled a Pedersoli revolver, you would have had in your hands the “finest quality percussion revolver “.

They do indeed put the care and attention into fit and finish, and they are machined to close tolerances.
That’s why they are so expensive.

I would add that they install premium barrels . . . and that's another cost addition.

I'll also say that Uberti /Pietta offerings can be "put" to exacting tolerances. They can also be set up with and maintain perfect timing.

Something you won't find in a Pedersoli (or any production revolver that I know of) is an action stop (a must in a truly premium SA) and a bolt block. These two items are responsible for extending the parts life as well as maintaining mechanical accuracy . . . without them, the "setup" is as "good" as a production line setup.

Therefore, you can have an even more "Premium" (mechanically) revolver . . . for much less. I doubt most shooters can "out shoot " the barrel in a standard offering, but I know some can.

Mike

 

[jimhallam]

Lou Imperato imported unfinished Italian parts and "tarted them up". As for HEGE, the originals were beautifully made but costly (reasonably so) but the current offerrings are val Trompia clones and not in the same league, although they are priced high --- so that people will think that they are the real thing ?
There was a German gunsmith making copies of the M1851 Adams for those "serious" competitive shooters who wanted to win MLAIC Trophies. At one time (25+ years ago!) I was in discussions with a British gunmaking company (their basic model was the Sterling SMG) who were expanding, and were setting up for high end shotguns etc. We looked at producing a Tranter but when it came to the crunch it was decided that it would have been uneconomic -- the price for an uncased one being probably several times what one could buy a period revolver.

One of our biggest problems now is that so many M-L shooters are falling off of their perch. Certainly in the UK the price of cased originals has dropped, and it is hard to get £50 for a near mint early Uberti M1851... and there is no benefit in trying to send them Stateside.

 

[Bad Karma]

It’s beautiful. Who made it?

Pietta. It’s a massaged and defarbed early Shooters Model.

 

[Bad Karma]

Lou Imperato imported unfinished Italian parts and "tarted them up". As for HEGE, the originals were beautifully made but costly (reasonably so) but the current offerrings are val Trompia clones and not in the same league, although they are priced high --- so that people will think that they are the real thing ?
There was a German gunsmith making copies of the M1851 Adams for those "serious" competitive shooters who wanted to win MLAIC Trophies. At one time (25+ years ago!) I was in discussions with a British gunmaking company (their basic model was the Sterling SMG) who were expanding, and were setting up for high end shotguns etc. We looked at producing a Tranter but when it came to the crunch it was decided that it would have been uneconomic -- the price for an uncased one being probably several times what one could buy a period revolver.

One of our biggest problems now is that so many M-L shooters are falling off of their perch. Certainly in the UK the price of cased originals has dropped, and it is hard to get £50 for a near mint early Uberti M1851... and there is no benefit in trying to send them Stateside.

Certainly some of the forgings were uberti…

”Unlike their first arrangement, Imperato was now responsible for the entire production of Colt black-powder models. "They were all hand-fitted. There was no way to do mass production," explains Imperato. "We had the barrels, cylinders and backstraps cast in Italy (as Forgett had done), but we finished them off in-house. We made the frames, the center pins, nipples, all of the screws, springs, and built every F Series gun at Iver Johnson Arms. We even used the old style color-case hardening method with the charcoal and bone meal, and Colt's exclusive Colt Blue Finish. They turned out pretty good. In fact, I think our finishes were actually better than Colt's single actions being done in Hartford."

I’ve had good luck with 2nd generation Colts. I can only recall one that had real issues that couldn’t be easily and cheaply resolved. Uberti have been fairly good with good dimensions and finishes. Centaure has been a mixed bag and other than the Shooters Model Piettas my experience with Pietta has been very disappointing. I’d be really happy to purchase a replica built of modern steels, not built to a price point and built faithfully in all other respects. im not hopeful that this will happen so we’re stuck sending the pistols we have out to tuners or pistolsmiths.

 

[Stantheman86]

I learned the value of a good "fluff and buff" on a revolver 10+ years ago with some Mother's Mag Polish and careful use of fine files . I have Ruger Vaqueros that identify as worked over Colts and GP100s that can play with old S&W's with their DA pulls

A Pietta can be finessed into a good, slick shooter .

 

[Hawk54]

Just saw a pair of unfired new in the box consecutive serial number USFA 1851 Navy .36 pistols in the boxes complete with all papwerwork posted on Gunbroker an hour ago.

 

[Blackpowderwarrior]

Just saw a pair of unfired new in the box consecutive serial number USFA 1851 Navy .36 pistols in the boxes complete with all papwerwork posted on Gunbroker an hour ago.

Saw em too that were gorgeous id love to have an and shoot em like crazy

 

[Hawk54]

Saw em too that were gorgeous id love to have an and shoot em like crazy

That was a special edition matched pair with silver trigger guard and back strap. They can't have made very many of the USFA 1851's. I didn't even know USFA made 1851's. Did they make 1860's? There was an 1851 USFA that sold on Guns International for $1,599.00 I just saw as I did some searching. Those are the first USFA black powders I have seen for sale. That is why I did some searching about them.

 

[Blackpowderwarrior]

That was a special edition matched pair with silver trigger guard and back strap. They can't have made very many of the USFA 1851's. I didn't even know USFA made 1851's. Did they make 1860's? There was an 1851 USFA that sold on Guns International for $1,599.00 I just saw as I did some searching. Those are the first USFA black powders I have seen for sale. That is why I did some searching about them.

I dont think they dabbles in the 1860 armys I'm pretty sure they had a VERY SHORT run on 51 navys only.

I could be wrong though, its happened once or twice ;-)

Maybe a USFA afficianado will chime in

 

[Hawk54]

I looked up US Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company (USFA) and found they were incorporated in 1993, which was earlier than I thought, and the company was officially dissolved in 2017, which was later than I realized, although they apparently stopped making Colt-style single-action clones in 2011. I would still maintain that they just lost their focus. If in doubt, look up their "USFA ZiP .22" firearm. They should have stuck with single actions...

If anybody is interested, this is the USFA percussion revolver manual I mentioned in post #35:

View attachment 207127

It is a small, pocket-sized manual, four inches by six and one-half inches, and 44 pages long.

View attachment 207128

Somebody put a lot of thought into writing this. Most of the directions are written in a very authentic 19th century prose, with loading, cleaning, and maintenance instructions, and the illustrations look "period":

View attachment 207132

I guess the significance of this would be that USFA must have been seriously intending to produce percussion revolvers at one time. As noted previously, this publication was in the box with a Colt-style .38 Special revolver I got from them. It was certainly put in the box with that gun by mistake, but it is actually a dandy little booklet, and I'm glad to have it.

Best regards,

Notchy Bob

Two USFA 1851's for sale on Gunbroker this afternoon.

 

[Hawk54]

I dont think they dabbles in the 1860 armys I'm pretty sure they had a VERY SHORT run on 51 navys only.

I could be wrong though, its happened once or twice ;-)

Maybe a USFA afficianado will chime in

I replied to Notchy Bob's post as he like me didn't know USFA actually made 1851's. Beautiful pair of pistols for less than a pair of non matched Colt gen 2 pistols sell for.

 

[TDM]

Two USFA 1851's for sale on Gunbroker this afternoon.

Was there a price range or starting bid?

 

[Hawk54]

Was there a price range or starting bid?

$1,400 starting bid and buy now of $1,500. Here are pictures of the pair. I saved the add to favorites.

 

[TDM]

$1,400 starting bid and buy now of $1,500. Here are pictures of the pair. I saved the add to favorites.

Man, those are beautiful! Thanks.

 

[Hawk54]

Man, those are beautiful! Thanks.

Two more pictures.