In the market for a revolver. what’s the best authentic reproduction?

[S.Kenton]

As the title says, I’m starting my search for a cost effective yet authentic reproduction of an old army style revolver, which one would be your pick if you was on a slight budget? Or just starting out?
Thanks!

 

[FishDFly]

Remington 1858, either .44 or .36.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Either a steel framed Colt replica or Remington NMA 1858. This would likely be a used revolver to get one at the lowest cost for the slight budget.
For reliability and accuracy on target, the Remington replica by Pietta would be my choice. Caliber, your choice.

Just starting out, either the Colt or Remington by Pietta, but new and you would need to search the vendors for the best price.

Just my opinion, but a Colt Navy in 44 caliber is not authentic.

 

[sawyer04]

Probably a colt 1860 44 replica Uberti, as the third model of the colt was actually imported by colt from Uberti and tuned and assembled with a mixture of parts from colt until the run was considered over.

 

[sourdough]

Either a steel framed Colt replica or Remington NMA 1858. This would likely be a used revolver to get one at the lowest cost for the slight budget. For reliability and accuracy on target, the Remington replica by Pietta would be my choice. Caliber, your choice.

While I don't find fault with your observations, the OP is new to this BP revolver "cult", so I will point out a few of my observations.

I find that there is a huge difference in the feel of an "1858" (I really dislike that misnomer) Remington NMA (New Model Army) .44 / NMN (New Model Navy) .36, neither of which were produced in 1858 but in 1863, and any of the Colt 1851 Navy .36, the Colt 1860 Army .44, and the Colt 1861 Navy .36 revolvers. I suggest the OP find a source wherein he can hold them in hand to compare. I am a huge fan of the replica 1851 Navy .36 "type" revolvers as I have a collection that includes Confederate replicas like the Leech & Rigdon, Rigdon & Ansley, Griswold & Gunnison, J.H. Dance & Brothers, Schneider & Glassick, et al. All "parts guns" put together by myself. I use the Pietta 1851 Navy .36 CNC guns (made post ~2001) as a base donor revolver.

I realize this maybe more than the OP can digest at this time, so I will not delve into the Walker, Dragoon, or various Pocket revolvers.

Just starting out, either the Colt or Remington by Pietta, but new and you would need to search the vendors for the best price.

During the current pandemic, Italian production of revolvers is a scant fraction of what it was a year ago, if that. Prices on the used or pre-owned new market have skyrocketed on auction sites like GunBroker. Last Saturday I managed to win a Navy Arms/Pietta Spiller & Burr .36 revolver at auction for $355 that would have been readily available in pre-pandemic times for $250. Used part of my stimulus check for it. The new Italian gun drought is far from over.

Just my opinion, but a Colt Navy in 44 caliber is not authentic.

I wholeheartedly concur, especially with a brass frame.

Regards,

Jim

 

[Crow-Feather]

Colt 1851 Navy, Hickock couldn't be wrong

 

[DOUBLEDEUCE 1]

If you can handle one before buying, I would do that. It’s kind of like buying a new pair of shoes. They might look good, but the fit is off.

 

[sourdough]

Pietta 1851 Colt Navy Replica .36 Percussion 7.5" Bbl. - Black Powder Pistols & Muzzleloader Pistols at GunBroker.com : 890052269

 

[Art Caputo]

1851 Colt Navy or 1860 Colt Army replica.

 

[Dale Lilly]

Pietta 1851 Colt Navy Replica .36 Percussion 7.5" Bbl. - Black Powder Pistols & Muzzleloader Pistols at GunBroker.com : 890052269

That one ends in just about twenty hours

 

[Zonie]

As the title says, I’m starting my search for a cost effective yet authentic reproduction of an old army style revolver, which one would be your pick if you was on a slight budget? Or just starting out?
Thanks!

When you say "army style" around here, that means your talking about a .44 caliber pistol. The Army liked the bigger caliber because it was more effective against horses. The early Army Colts were the "open top" Walkers and the Dragoon pistols. These are huge guns with the Walker weighing in at over 4 pounds and the Dragoons slightly lighter. It wasn't until 1860 that Colt made a lighter, 1860 Colt Army in .44 caliber.

When you hear someone say, "Navy", you can figure they are talking about a .36 caliber pistol. "Navy" is what Col. Colt called his .36 caliber 1851 Belt Pistol. Supposedly he did this because he was trying to sell these .36 caliber pistols to the Navy. He was partly successful in this endeavor and the name stuck and became a commonly used name for all .36 caliber revolvers.

Remington made a few small pocket pistols in the late 1850's but it wasn't until 1863 that they put their New Model Army .44 caliber pistol into production. This is a closed top pistol with a frame strap that goes over the top of the cylinder. It is called by many, a "1858 Remington" because the patent for this gun was issued in 1858. After production started, Remington also made a slightly smaller .36 caliber New Model Navy pistol.

The Colt and the Remington look different not only because the Colt open top doesn't have a frame strap over the top of the cylinder like the Remington but the grip on the two guns is quite different in size and shape.
Although some like the grip on the Remington's, many find it serves as a good handle but it doesn't "feel right" to them.
The Colt grip on the other hand (no pun), falls naturally into place in the hand when it is grabbed for most people and the gun points at the same place a persons pointing finger does when he points it at something. This grip was so successful and had so many people that liked it that Colt, when his company came up with the later cartridge pistols, kept the grip, unchanged from the earlier cap and ball pistols.

Getting to the "budget" issue, as the other guys said, the costs on all of these cap and ball pistols has risen lately.
The brass framed pistols are the least expensive but many people have found that shooting a normal powder load in them can cause some damage to them. Because of this, it is recommended that the powder load in a brass framed pistol should be reduced about 20% below the powder charge that would be used in a steel framed pistol. Keep in mind that the brass framed pistols may cost less than the steel framed version but they will lose their resale value even more quickly after they have been shot.

Good luck on your search.

 

[Bad Karma]

As far as which are closest to the historic models? I would say Uberti in either the Remington NMA or the Colts. Pietta makes a nice shooting pistol, no doubt about that but in size and form the Uberti revolvers are generally much closer to the originals. Whether that’s important to you is another matter. For many people it’s not.

 

[S.Kenton]

Thanks all, you have given me some great information to reflect back on. I’ll start my search in a week or two. Either a Remington 1858 or a navy 36 cal

 

[AZbpBurner]

Which Replica Remington is dimensionally truer to the original?

 

[Bill Burgin]

A few years ago, I purchased two 1858 Remington‘s with conversion cylinders from midway USA. Both were Uberty w/Black Rock finish and parts were fit by Midway. Excellent quality and accurate.

 

[Artificer]

I have forgotten how many revolvers we sold at the NSSA spring and fall nationals over the years.

For authenticity, one can't beat a steel frame Colt Navy revolver as they were used during the entire UnCivil War. However, for accuracy when shooting at targets, it is the poorest choice.

The Remington Repro's are more accurate but don't fit many people's hands as well.

My hands down choice would be an out of production Euroarms Rogers and Spencer Revolver because they have both the accuracy of the enclosed/solid frame and BY FAR the best feeling grip of all repro revolvers, BUT since they will all be used guns, it would be best to have someone go over the revolver well before you buy it.

Euroarms Rogers & Spencer Match Revolver | Reproduction Firearms | Gun Mart

My second choice would be the Uberti or any Remington that has the dove tail front sight, because it allows you to zero the revolver for windage and put a higher front sight on the revolver for target shooting.

Oh, I would NOT buy a 1990's era Pietta as many of them were badly done. The author of the video says they have gotten their act together in more recent years, but I'm not sure how far back that goes?

Gus

 

[S.Kenton]

Great video!

 

[Cpt Flint]

I submit that the 2nd gen Colt factory assembled percussion revolvers were the finest of them all. Uberti parts fitted and finished by Colt in Hartford. I never met a Navy Six that I didn’t like.

 

[sourdough]

For authenticity, one can't beat a steel frame Colt Navy revolver as they were used during the entire UnCivil War. However, for accuracy when shooting at targets, it is the poorest choice.

I would agree if one is referring to NIB revolvers as they come from the factory, particularly Uberti Colts. Once one understands how the Colt geometry works with the barrel, cylinder, arbor, and wedge, a bit of TLC will produce a more accurate firearm than the Remington. How does one adjust/change the barrel/cylinder gap on a Remington?

The Remington Repro's are more accurate but don't fit many people's hands as well.

My hands down choice would be an out of production Euroarms Rogers and Spencer Revolver because they have both the accuracy of the enclosed/solid frame and BY FAR the best feeling grip of all repro revolvers, BUT since they will all be used guns, it would be best to have someone go over the revolver well before you buy it.

I totally concur.

My second choice would be the Uberti or any Remington that has the dove tail front sight, because it allows you to zero the revolver for windage and put a higher front sight on the revolver for target shooting.

I totally concur.

Oh, I would NOT buy a 1990's era Pietta as many of them were badly done. The author of the video says they have gotten their act together in more recent years, but I'm not sure how far back that goes?

I have no clue what vid you are speaking of, but Pietta commenced using CNC machining ~2002, and all revolvers produced by Pietta since then are virtually "plug 'n play" insofar as parts interchangeability, with a couple of exceptions. Revolvers produced by Pietta prior to CNC machining sometimes used subcontracted parts from the various small Northern Italian manufacturers in Brescia, making hand fitting at the Pietta factory a must before Pietta could sell them on the market. I happened upon a "good deal" a year ago with a Pietta 1851 Navy .36 4-screw CFS (cut-for-stock) AZ/1990. It needed a new bolt and hand because the previous owner was a Bubba who thought he was a gunsmith. I ordered a new bolt and hand from VTI (CNC parts) and they were not the same as the 1990 parts, with variations of bolt screw hole location, bolt leg(s) configuration, and hand length. I finally found someone on Ebay who had Pietta 1990's parts and that saved this revolver.

Stay with CNC revolvers, no matter whether Pietta or Uberti if you need parts replacements.

Regards,

Jim

 

[sourdough]

I submit that the 2nd gen Colt factory assembled percussion revolvers were the finest of them all. Uberti parts fitted and finished by Colt in Hartford. I never met a Navy Six that I didn’t like.

I submit that the Colt 2nd Gen, 3rd Gen, and Colt Black Powder Product revolvers look very good externally, but Colt pretty much left the internal parts as were sent by Uberti, and were not finished to the same Colt quality.

Regards,

Jim