Looking for opinions on brand

[msarver]

I'm just getting started in BP. I've been looking at the Ubertis, Piettas, Cimarrons and now the Taylors. There seem to be some sales right now at Cabela's and Dixie.

I've heard different things about Cimarron. Some good, some that they leave the inners alone and only touch up the exterior fit and finish.

I've also found conflicting info about extra cylinders. Some say the cylinders are unique to brand (Uberti or Peitta), some say they are interchangable.

I would like to get a gun that I can start shooting without having to 'work' it. Having an extra cylinder or two would be nice and if I decided to go to a R&D conversion cylinder later that would be a plus.

What is the quality control like for the Uberti and Pietta? Either one any better than the other? I really don't mind spending more up front to have a gun I'm going to be happy with after I've shot a 100 rounds through. Is Cimarron or Taylors known for working with one manufacturer more than the other?

I'm waffling back and forth between the 1858 Remington New Army and the 1860 Army.

 

[rabjr]

I can only speak about Pietta. Bought a couple og 60' Armys a few years ago and both needed tweaking before I liked em. Didn't hold on to them long before selling them. I bought a 51' navy this past summer cause the price was right. Glad I did, very nice pistol, fit/finish is good, better than my previous Armys. Just a much nicer pistol. Oh and I do have a Uberti 49' pocket thats just a joy to carry and shoot. Wasn't impressed with the case coloring on it but besides that, a good solid pistol for the money. :thumbsup:

 

[CaptainKirk]

Well, the Ubertis are a higher quality gun, IMHO than the Pietta. That being said, you'll spend a bunch more. The Cimarron is the best of the best of the Uberti crop, whether they work the internals, I can't say. Don't know enough about the Taylors to comment; they have a good rep, tho.
The quality on the Piettas has come WAY up since they switched over to CAM/CAD machinery. Most of them are decent out of the box, can be made very nice with a little work. If you want the work done before you buy, go with the Cimarron (or Taylor)
Me; I like playing with my guns, so I don't mind tuning a new (or even a used ) Pietta. But that's just me....

 

[loki04]

Sir,

+1 on the Pietta 1860 Army. I got one in July from Cabella's, and it is quite nice. I did a little work on the nipples and it is a joy to shoot, and cleans up very easily.

Regards,
Loki

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Ten years ago I bought four of the Pietta Confederate "Navy" revolvers in .44 from Cabela's. The brass framed jobs, for like $89.00 a piece. I was shooting CAS at the time, and it was an experiment. I test fired them, and one of the four didn't shoot very straight, while the other three were very accurate, so I designated the fourth gun as my parts gun. One of the three remaining I modified by cutting, squaring, and coning the barrel to be a "pocket pistol" for side matches. So I had two full sized revolvers, and two spare cylinders, plus a gun for a side match. :grin:

Since we normally shot 5-6 courses-of-fire, I ordered 8 spare cylinders. That way I could pre-load the cylinders, and uncapped, store them in an ammo can until it was my turn to compete, and then assemble the revolvers at the loading point.

The only problem I ever had was that with heavy loads, the caps would rupture, and sometimes fall off the nipples and jam the cylinders. I settled on a 13 grain load, with some felt wads to fill the gap between the round ball and the powder, and had no worries after that.

The idea had been to find the most "inexpensive" revolver setup, that would allow a person to compete with few headaches. I made my own holsters, and the whole thing cost around $500 for three guns, ammunition, and leather to make the holsters. Even the vest pocket pistol shot well.

If you are looking for a fun revolver, to plink with from time to time, that looks good hanging on the wall, a brass framed Pietta is just fine. If you are looking for a serious reproduction cap-n-ball revolver, that your grandkids can shoot when they are the age you are now..., you are looking at Uberti from Cimarron, or Taylors, imho.

LD

 

[BillinOregon]

In my experience, the Piettas are much better fitted and timed than they were a few years back. Hard to beat for the price, but if price is no object, definitely handle the Ubertis. That said, most of the Colt guns seem to need some tuning, no matter who makes them.

 

[aeatwood]

+1 on the better fitting. I bought a '58 target model in 97. Shot the SNOT out of it in 2 years of CAS. One or 2 matches every week, and practice during the week. I had to work on it with files before it was smooth enough to work on with stones.

Bought a '61 Navy in '07, and the fit and finish was much better, but the bolt was too big for the cylinder notches, and raised a burr on each notch. Needed to have it fitted.

Bought a couple of the 5 1/2" '58's when they were on sale recently. Much, MUCH better fitted than they were before. Bought 2 spare cylinders, and haven't had to do anything to them.

Alan

 

[Farmerted]

I have had two Piettas for a couple of years and have shot both a whole bunch. I did have to do some small fiddly things, but personally it was neat to learn a bit of gunsmithing. One hand spring has worn out, easily replaced, and that is the only real failure of any part on the two guns. The nipples were wretched on one, right from the start and have been replaced with Treso nipples. Hope that this helps some.

 

[msarver]

Thanks for the info guys!!!

I drove out to Taylors today and I was like a kid in a candy store!!! Besides all the handguns, there were more Henrys, Spencers, Winchesters and Sharps than you shake a stick at. Most by Uberti, some Chiappa and a few Pedersoli.

I had decided that I wanted a .44 for my first BP. From there it was either an 1860 or an 1858 with an 8" or 5.5" barrel. After much looking and handling I finally went with the Uberti 1858 5.5".

You know that feeling when you pick up a gun and it just feels right?

So tonight I'll sit down, remove all the packing preservative and get it cleaned up. Then I can find out where the closest range is that will let me shoot BP.

again thanks for all the comments and info!!

(Oh, and yes the action is just a little stiff and the cylinder takes just a little work to get it back in.)