Pietta Dance and Brothers

[combat32]

I bought this a couple weeks ago, still new in box and unfired, I was really excited until I handled it some. I did not realize that this pistol is based on the 51 Navy frame, which has always been too small for my sasquatch hands. Only revolvers that fit my hands well are the 60 Army, Remington Dragoons and such. I just wonder since this is a Pietta if I could swap over a 60 Army backstrap triggerguard and grip with little issue? Or am I just better off trading for another 60 Army or a Dragoon,

 

[sourdough]

You are correct that it is based on the Navy frame. The entire water table has been lowered to accommodate the larger non-rebated .44 cylinder, shown below compared to a Navy .36 cylinder.

What is the date code (and SN) of your revolver? If it is BS/2002 (when Pietta went to CNC machining) or newer, any CNC Pietta 1860 Army 3-piece grip assembly will work. You may even be able to use the Dance mainspring.

Pietta started manufacturing the Dance in 1996 (BH) as a consignment revolver initiated by Tony Gajewsky. The first ones were .36 caliber. After a contractual disagreement Pietta produced the .44 cal. with 7-1/2" barrels and REBATED CYLINDERS starting with serial # C00128. This production was modified to the current STRAIGHT CYLINDERS and 8" barrel at around serial # C00233. There were only 105 Dance revolvers in .44 cal. made with rebated cylinders.

Any Dance revolvers manufactured from BH/1996 to BP/2001 are NOT CNC machined, and therefore all bets are off that an 1860 Army gripframe assembly will work without fitting.

Just to show off, my Pietta Dance Firearms Co. - Angleton Texas SN C00013, one of only 35 produced before the contractual dispute.

I had been looking for a Dance .36 for a few years and was just about to sacrifice a Pietta Leech & Rigdon (milling off the recoil shields) when I found this and several others of both calibers (.36 and .44) for sale when Dr. Jim L. Davis (RPRCA) died in 2019 and most, if not all, of his collection was sold to October Country (Idaho).

In early 2020 I posted a thread about his (and other) Dance revolvers, both Pietta (1996) and Uberti (1985) and what history I have found about them. If interested:

Replica 1862 J.H. Dance And Brothers .36 and .44 Revolver (Pietta and Uberti) (blackpowdersmoke.com)

Good luck in your endeavors!

Regards,

Jim

 

[combat32]

It is CT serial c2278

 

[sourdough]

CT is 2018 so you are good to go, IMO.

I have a Pietta 1851 Navy .36 AZ/1990 4-screw CFS (cut for stock) that I fitted an ASM 1860 .44 grip assembly to. Both were pre-CNC manufacture. It was a bit of work but I managed to bring it to fruition.

Yeah, I took a few liberties insofar as the barrel (part round/part octagon) and a plain/smooth/non-engraved cylinder to assimilate a Leech & Rigdon. It fits the 1860 Army shoulder stock to a tee.

Regards,

Jim

 

[combat32]

Appreciate the information, now I just have to decide if it is cost effective, probably not but that hasn't stopped me in the past.

 

[sourdough]

Ain't no such thing as "cost effective". You either achieve your goal or you don't. A 3-piece 1860 Army assembly ain't gonna be cheap, and VTI is about as inexpensive as you will get.

Pietta 1860 Army 1861 Navy - VTIGunparts.com Online Store

 

[Stantheman86]

A .36 Navy cylinder and barrel fits my brand new 2022 production Dance revolver

The frame is also stepped like an 1860 frame. The cylinder now appears to be a .36 cylinder bored to .44 ? I don't have an older one to compare it to

 

[Bunk]

I bought this a couple weeks ago, still new in box and unfired, I was really excited until I handled it some. I did not realize that this pistol is based on the 51 Navy frame, which has always been too small for my sasquatch hands. Only revolvers that fit my hands well are the 60 Army, Remington Dragoons and such. I just wonder since this is a Pietta if I could swap over a 60 Army backstrap triggerguard and grip with little issue? Or am I just better off trading for another 60 Army or a Dragoon,

Yes you can make the swap, but use Pietta parts and save a lot of bad language. Uberti parts can be MADE to fit, but why fight the problem. In fact I do have a pair of Pietta Navy snub nose revolvers with Army grips in .44 (.451") caliber.
Not PC but what a hoot to shoot. They point beautifully.and give something to hang on to.
Good luck
Bunk

 

[Stantheman86]

If having an 1860 grip frame is going to make you happier with the gun, it's worth it.

They may not be a 100% perfect fit but neither are some of the grip frames that the guns have leaving the factory. A little overhang or less than perfect grip fitting is no big deal.

 

[Stantheman86]

You are correct that it is based on the Navy frame. The entire water table has been lowered to accommodate the larger non-rebated .44 cylinder, shown below compared to a Navy .36 cylinder.

View attachment 66497

What is the date code (and SN) of your revolver? If it is BS/2002 (when Pietta went to CNC machining) or newer, any CNC Pietta 1860 Army 3-piece grip assembly will work. You may even be able to use the Dance mainspring.

Pietta started manufacturing the Dance in 1996 (BH) as a consignment revolver initiated by Tony Gajewsky. The first ones were .36 caliber. After a contractual disagreement Pietta produced the .44 cal. with 7-1/2" barrels and REBATED CYLINDERS starting with serial # C00128. This production was modified to the current STRAIGHT CYLINDERS and 8" barrel at around serial # C00233. There were only 105 Dance revolvers in .44 cal. made with rebated cylinders.

Any Dance revolvers manufactured from BH/1996 to BP/2001 are NOT CNC machined, and therefore all bets are off that an 1860 Army gripframe assembly will work without fitting.

Just to show off, my Pietta Dance Firearms Co. - Angleton Texas SN C00013, one of only 35 produced before the contractual dispute.

View attachment 66499

I had been looking for a Dance .36 for a few years and was just about to sacrifice a Pietta Leech & Rigdon (milling off the recoil shields) when I found this and several others of both calibers (.36 and .44) for sale when Dr. Jim L. Davis (RPRCA) died in 2019 and most, if not all, of his collection was sold to October Country (Idaho).

In early 2020 I posted a thread about his (and other) Dance revolvers, both Pietta (1996) and Uberti (1985) and what history I have found about them. If interested:

Replica 1862 J.H. Dance And Brothers .36 and .44 Revolver (Pietta and Uberti) (blackpowdersmoke.com)

Good luck in your endeavors!

Regards,

Jim

Sometimes the weird backstories to the repros is almost as interesting as the originals.

 

[maillemaker]

The thing that scares me about the Dance revolvers is the lack of recoil shield. If you get a chain fire you are likely going to be peppered with a cap.

 

[Stantheman86]

The thing that scares me about the Dance revolvers is the lack of recoil shield. If you get a chain fire you are likely going to be peppered with a cap.

Yes we would definitely eat a hot cap , eye pro is a must

 

[TDM]

Yes we would definitely eat a hot cap , eye pro is a must

You gotta be tough to shot cap&balls

 

[Stantheman86]

They're easy to cap with an inline or snail capper though

It does feel weird to be able to see all the caps on the nipples, I'd also be afraid to drop it and set off a cap if it lands wrong

I guess wartime expedient production has it's pros and cons

Apparently they aren't NSSA approved for matches probably for all of these reasons, with the chain fire cap missiles and dropped guns

 

[maillemaker]

They're easy to cap with an inline or snail capper though

It does feel weird to be able to see all the caps on the nipples, I'd also be afraid to drop it and set off a cap if it lands wrong

I guess wartime expedient production has it's pros and cons

Apparently they aren't NSSA approved for matches probably for all of these reasons, with the chain fire cap missiles and dropped guns

The Pietta .36 Dance and Brothers is N-SSA approved.

http://www.n-ssa.org/s/SAC2022.pdf

 

[Stantheman86]

The Pietta .36 Dance and Brothers is N-SSA approved.

http://www.n-ssa.org/s/SAC2022.pdf
View attachment 168806

That's neat, I wonder why the less common .36 is allowed but not the .44

Also no Uberti 1st Model or Whitneyville Dragoon but they list the Walker, 2nd and 3rd Model. And no Pietta 1861 Navy with that longer barrel.

 

[maillemaker]

That's neat, I wonder why the less common .36 is allowed but not the .44

My guess is the .44 is not historically correct. Or, no one has submitted one for approval yet.

 

[Boston Bill]

The thing that scares me about the Dance revolvers is the lack of recoil shield. If you get a chain fire you are likely going to be peppered with a cap.

deleted

 

[TDM]

My guess is the .44 is not historically correct. Or, no one has submitted one for approval yet.

The great majority of Dance & Brothers revolvers were .44, but they did make some .36’s. Dance was the only Confederate maker to build .44’s in any number.

 

[Stantheman86]

This gun screams Kirst Konverter

The newest ones are made with 1860 frames and have the "step" so a converter for an 1860 can be dropped in or 1860 cylinders can be used.

You just have to file a little off the forcing cone according to the Kirst website.

I myself wouldn't bother with it because if I wanted an Open Top .45 I'd just get a new Uberti 1860 .45 Colt factory made "converted" revolver.