junk from Uberti

[Old Charlie]

FedEx brought my Uberti 1851 Navy this morning. I got some .375 ball and set out to do some shooting! I am so disgusted I don’t know what to do! The Dam thing won’t bust a cap! Brand new out of the box and it won’t bust a cap. just junk as for as I am concerned.
If anyone is thinking of buying one I would suggest that you not buy an Uberti!!! It seams to me that the hammer spring is just to weak. They had to know about this defect as they must proof the gun over there. That tells me they just don’t give a dam! Man am I pissed!

Old Charlie

 

[Rebel]

Are you sure the hammer is hitting the caps? Maybe some longer nipples are in order. I would contact the retailer you got it from and have them either replace it or send you a new set of nipples or new mainspring.

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

Every once in a while all of the Italian manufacturers ship C&B revolvers with size 10 and 3/4 nipples. If you try using #11 caps, they fit onto the top of the nipple, but won't fire the first time around, as O.S.O.K. found out. They finish seating with the first hammer strike, and proceed to ignite with the second hammer strike.

If this is your problem, you can either buy 10 3/4 caps or replace the nipples :hmm: .

I hope that this helps, and that this is an isolated case. All the best!

Dave

 

[Wes/Tex]

Agree with the others, the caps are the problem not the pistol.

 

[arcticap]

Hopefully it's nothing too serious, but when someone buys a new revolver, they don't expect to have to do gunsmithing work before shooting it.
I hope that you bought it from a cooperative retailer that will either accept a return or will fix it if you can't easily fix it.
If the cylinder is loose, pushing in the wedge could tighten it up. Although it's not recommended for shooting, maybe the nipples can be backed out a fraction of a turn to test the strength of the mainspring and its ability to fire a cap, and the length of the nipples.
If the caps can be fired, then maybe you need a better set of nipples.
If not, I believe that there are 2 major Uberti importers, Cimmaron and Taylor's. If the serial number shows that it's one of Taylor's guns, I've heard that they help people fix their new revolver defects.
Try to contact Taylors if you can't get help from the outfitter where you purchased it from.
[url] www.taylorsfirearms.com/[/url]

BTW, I've also heard that the Uberti .36 Colts prefer a .380 roundball because their chambers are little larger.

 

[Old Charlie]

I tried # 10 caps and then # 11 neither will fire until maybe the third drop of the hammer. They fire very well on my other guns so it is not the caps. I ordered a new main spring maybe it will help.
Old Charlie

 

[Bob Riegl]

:hmm: I find that to be a very rare complaint about Uberti which, IMHO, is the best of the Italian repro gunmakers. The nipples on are usually the cause of 99% of the failure to fire problems with a revolver.I would remove the nipple and carefully observe how well the caps seat (be careful)---the clue we are hearing is that you manage to get a satisfactory report on the third attempt---usually that's on the 2nd try. Try a #11 cap and see how it seats (do not use anything to make them seat)just your finger's mild pressure. If it refuses to seat, then chuck the threaded end into a drill, and using a small jeweler's file at low speed file down the outer surface of the nipple body. Keep trying until you get a good seated cap which can be removed fairly easily. If you put this nipple back in the gun try and see if you have success on the first hit---now do the same on the rest. I don't think it's the spring that's the cause. Good luck anyway I know the frustration of buying a new gun and having to do some work on it. I've had some Pietta's that I have returned because of the damaged condition they arrived in, it is so rare to hear such a complaint about a Uberti. :thumbsup:

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

You may not have BAD caps!

They MAY just not fit the ODD-SIZE 10 3/4 nipples!

After you do the spring, if it doesn't work, buy the ODD caps or replace the nipples and you'll be fine!

Hope this helps!

Dave

 

[Mulebrain]

I just had the same experience :cursing: Load shoot, and only 3 go off. I had to fire again to makem go a second time!

I have many of these revolvers, and this one is a recent grab used, but near mint!

It is a Pietta 1860 Army. I have never seen any new or used pistols that require anything other than #11
caps. The #11 caps fire every gun I own. who is going to want to change out new nipples, or change to different caps for one gun :cursing:

I don't know yet, but I agree that any of these new pistols should fire the #11 caps, and have all the chambers go off!

I cannot find a Uberti, of Pietta that requires the other size cap for sale anywhere!

What gives?

 

[Bubba45]

I agree with Pasquenel ,the problem most likely lies with the nipples.I have 5 Piettas and the nipples were all odd and no.10 caps wouldnt even start to go on,no.11 caps would go on but wouldnt seat all the way.I tried some old Navy arms caps I had ,CCI and Dynomite Nobel and most of the time they all required 2 hammer falls to go off. I ended up polishing them down with 150 sand paper while they were chucked in a drill.
I believe they just have an odd taper on the cones.

 

[Tinker2]

Take it back where you got it if you can, have them fix it.

Hammer may not be moving far enough, hard enough, not
square with the nipples.
Can be that the nipples are the wrong size, to big, to short,
or dry fired.

If where you got it doesn’t work for you, there are a lot of
good folk here that may live close enough to you to help.

If not still lot of great folks here you could send it to I think.

I know how frustrating things like that can be.
Good luck and keep us posted.



Tinker2

 

[Jac Spring]

Well, I have the new Thunder Ridge SS nipples installed and as you guys may remember, I added a screw that allows me to increase the hammer spring pressure a bit and also deburred the innerds.

I haven't had it to the range but it did bust caps on empty chambers just fine - #10's.

The Thunder Ridge nipples are longer and the caps sit down flush on the end.

This is the 6th cap and ball that I've purchased and third Uberti, and its the only one that gave me any ignition issues. There were other little tweeks needed for some of the others like the Dragoon that needed the loading lever catch deepened and a new spring to keep it in place.

I've learned that if you dont't like tinkering a bit that you are probably better off with a Ruger... though I've read that they can have issues too...

 

[mec]

My Uberty 60 army and paterson have light springs and will not set off cci caps unless they are seated very hard. Hammer seating is not enough. I have to use a dowell and a lot of pressure (with the gun pointed down range in case it goes off.)When I do that, the revolvers are reliable. Unfortunately the only remaining major distributor of percussion caps is cci and they are not about to make their cups thinner.

 

[Mulebrain]

Over 150 years to get it right, and this? I would hate to be in a gunfight, not to have a cap go off!

I bet it cost many lives over the years.

 

[Old Charlie]

Well I took the Navy apart and put a wedge behind the main spring as I thought it was to weak. It worked! She is now firing every time! That is when I use # 11 caps. Number 10s just don’t go all the way down on the nipple. So maybe when I get the new spring that I ordered I will have a permanent fix.
I love shooting this gun. It just feels better in my hand than any of my other pistols. So thanks for the help and encouragement.
Old Charlie

 

[Jac Spring]

Your post count is a little scary... (666)

 

[Old Charlie]

I guess it is a good thing I am not superstitious! :rotf:
Old Charlie

 

[oldarmy]

Forgive my ignorance,but
What does a "wedge" behind the maine spring do??
Why does it make the spring stronger??

 

[arcticap]

I believe that it takes up some of the excess space that allows the mainspring to overflex, thus having the effect of stiffening [or strengthening] it.

 

[mykeal]

articap - you've pretty much got it right - it shortens the effective length of the spring, thus stiffening it (which results in less flexing).

oldarmy - it doesn't make it any stronger, just stiffer. A stiffer spring will produce a larger restoring force for the same deflection.