kh54
45 Cal.
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- Jan 26, 2021
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Hi All. A few days ago I posted something about my MOFRA Colt Paterson with photos of the case that I repaired for it. On Monday I took it to the range for the first time. I also took the first BP revolver that I bought a few years ago, an Uberti 1861 Navy. I hadn't really intended to compare the two but it sort of turned out that way. And I guess it makes sense since the Paterson was the first of Colt's successful designs (even though it wasn't financially successful), while the 1861 Navy is considered to represent the pinnacle of Colt’s percussion revolver designs. So these two guns bookend the 25 or so years of Colt’s career in the percussion revolver business. Below are the specs for the two guns and I’ve also attached a photo of each:
I was shooting offhand at a distance of only about seven yards, but since this was the first time to the range with either gun I was just trying to get a sense for how well they shoot and not set any records. For each round I used 20 grains of 3F Goex and a Hornady .375 round ball. I forgot the loading tool for the Paterson so I only managed to load one cylinder and fire those five rounds. I had to use a plastic hammer to seat the balls. (Note to self: don’t leave the loading tool at home.) Those five shots are circled in red on the target. I then loaded and fired six cylinders (36 rounds unless I’ve forgotten simple arithmetic) from the 1861 Navy. You can see the results. I was pleased.
I bought the Uberti 1861 Navy for my wife several years ago, but we only had one chance to shoot it before she died. After that I couldn’t bring myself to take it out and use it until the other day. When I bought it, I took it apart and followed the advice of Blackie Thomas and Mike Beliveau to remove all the burrs and polish all the mating surfaces. The results are a fantastic shooter, with a light action and trigger. I don’t know how much of that was due to my efforts and how much is due to Uberti, but it is by far the nicest revolver that I have. I didn’t have a single cap jam, something that occurs regularly with my other revolvers, and overall, it was just FUN. The Paterson is a bit more cumbersome to load, as expected, and I hope to try again soon with the loading tool in hand to see if I can get results consistent with those from Monday.
Original | Model | Manufacturer | Proof Date | Caliber | Barrel Length | Weight |
Colt | Paterson | MOFRA | 1964 | 0.36 | 9in | 2lb 9.5oz |
Colt | 1861 Navy | Uberti | 2018 | 0.36 | 7.5in | 2lb 10.9oz |
I was shooting offhand at a distance of only about seven yards, but since this was the first time to the range with either gun I was just trying to get a sense for how well they shoot and not set any records. For each round I used 20 grains of 3F Goex and a Hornady .375 round ball. I forgot the loading tool for the Paterson so I only managed to load one cylinder and fire those five rounds. I had to use a plastic hammer to seat the balls. (Note to self: don’t leave the loading tool at home.) Those five shots are circled in red on the target. I then loaded and fired six cylinders (36 rounds unless I’ve forgotten simple arithmetic) from the 1861 Navy. You can see the results. I was pleased.
I bought the Uberti 1861 Navy for my wife several years ago, but we only had one chance to shoot it before she died. After that I couldn’t bring myself to take it out and use it until the other day. When I bought it, I took it apart and followed the advice of Blackie Thomas and Mike Beliveau to remove all the burrs and polish all the mating surfaces. The results are a fantastic shooter, with a light action and trigger. I don’t know how much of that was due to my efforts and how much is due to Uberti, but it is by far the nicest revolver that I have. I didn’t have a single cap jam, something that occurs regularly with my other revolvers, and overall, it was just FUN. The Paterson is a bit more cumbersome to load, as expected, and I hope to try again soon with the loading tool in hand to see if I can get results consistent with those from Monday.
