Pietta Disappointment

[fourbore]

I visited a Cabelas today and on a whim decided to take a serious look at the Pietta 1858 cap ball with adjustable sights. As my title suggests I was very disappointed.

First and worst was the rear sight. It might have been painted aluminum, but I am pretty sure, 99%, it was painted zinc. Aka pot metal. A real obvious eye sore. It was not even nicely painted to hide the obscene part until the user wore off the finish. I have nothing against anodized aluminum. This was just awful. You would think the sight would be steel, right? It looked like some fake antique grey paint with bear spots and bare corners!

I am looking over the gun and I notice the bore is way off center viewing from the front! I mean enough to use up all the windage. I got curious and looked at another Pietta 1858 with fixed sights, Same display case. Had I not been looking, that bore was fairly well centered. Since I was looking, it was also off. I expect that would need to be compensated for a little. Perhaps filing the rear of the frame. just a litte. I would not mention it if I had not see the "target" model with the bore way over to the side.

In closing "Thank god for Uberti".

 

[Stantheman86]

Awaiting the Pietta fanbois to kick the front door in to this thread ........

I own bunches of both and I'm happy with the pros and cons both offer, so I'm largely unbiased

However, the "post pandemic" production has been a crap shoot because much of the skilled labor of the Italian gun makers has retired , has passed away and they aren't being quickly replaced. Pietta and Uberti guns are assembled, not fitted anymore. The end user often does the final QC.

 

[TDM]

That's a shame. In a way though I'm not too surprised. With all the fan fare of the last couple of years quality just about has to slip.

 

[fourbore]

Awaiting the Pietta fanbois to kick the front door in to this thread ........

I own bunches of both and I'm happy with the pros and cons both offer, so I'm largely unbiased

However, the "post pandemic" production has been a crap shoot because much of the skilled labor of the Italian gun makers has retired , has passed away and they aren't being quickly replaced. Pietta and Uberti guns are assembled, not fitted anymore. The end user often does the final QC.

All the hand assembly and fine tuning wont center the bore in the barrel. Maybe some machinist/operator skilled labor lost post covid. That rear sight!! That was just awful.

I am not making this up. I was seriously shopping. I do get your warning. Pietta seems to get a lot of love on the web. That is why I ask to see the gun and why I was disappointed.

I am not saying Uberti is perfect. it might sound that way. The last Uberti I looked at seemed just a bit odd cocking the hammer back. Maybe nothing. Maybe me. That was an SAA 45 LC. That is a difference, i am not sure, so; I am not critical. Cabelas does not allow the buyer to cock and check timing. That is another dont know. Assume it was ok.

 

[necchi]

I own bunches of both and I'm happy with the pros and cons both offer, so I'm largely unbiased
However, the "post pandemic" production has been a crap shoot,,,,

I hear ya man,
But that "post pandemic production" is global and affecting ALL industries!
If our youth's work ethic and labor skills don't somehow improve, their elder years will be pretty dismal.

 

[64Springer]

Pietta: The Yugo of Cap n Ball Revolvers.

 

[Stantheman86]

All the hand assembly and fine tuning wont center the bore in the barrel. Maybe some machinist/operator skilled labor lost post covid. That rear sight!! That was just awful.

I am not making this up. I was seriously shopping. I do get your warning. Pietta seems to get a lot of love on the web. That is why I ask to see the gun and why I was disappointed.

I am not saying Uberti is perfect. it might sound that way. The last Uberti I looked at seemed just a bit odd cocking the hammer back. Maybe nothing. Maybe me. That was an SAA 45 LC. That is a difference, i am not sure, so; I am not critical. Cabelas does not allow the buyer to cock and check timing. That is another dont know. Assume it was ok.

If I can't inspect a gun that's in their case by working the action and checking it mechanically, I'm not buying it.

 

[Stantheman86]

The hammer on my $1200 Pedersoli CS Richmond hits the nipple off center, instead of "tweaking" it I installed a 209 Adapter.

However, for a weapon that costs more than most people make in a week, I'd expect good fitting.

I've also had some junk come out of Ruger that I had to send back for repair, brand new in box, and I'm a huge Ruger fan.

I think it's just a business model to let the customer return the turds instead of paying more for man hours to QC them

 

[Johnny Tremain]

Got the Pietta for free, after a hun and a half, Im almost ready to say it works well.

 

[ernbar]

Pietta: The Yugo of Cap n Ball Revolvers.

I have both Pietta and Uberti and honestly aside from the Pietta "in your face"”markings on the barrel, I can’t see any difference. The finish, fit and function of both are the same. I have read about bad experiences about both.

 

[JRL1164]

I hear ya man,
But that "post pandemic production" is global and affecting ALL industries!
If our youth's work ethic and labor skills don't somehow improve, their elder years will be pretty dismal.

Agreed 100% here. I see it with almost everything I buy now. It all depends on the batch going out and how well you check it out before you buy.

 

[Barry Strickland]

I own bunches of both and I'm happy with the pros and cons both offer, so I'm largely unbiased

However, the "post pandemic" production has been a crap shoot because much of the skilled labor of the Italian gun makers has retired , has passed away and they aren't being quickly replaced. Pietta and Uberti guns are assembled, not fitted anymore. The end user often does the final QC.

I totally agree with this.
When the guns were bought up during the pandemic there were tons of buyers nagging the different companies to order more. Which they did, this put pressure on the manufacturers get them out the door as soon as they could. With the conditions quoted above the products were hit and miss.
Personally, I would like to see anything manufactured have a tag on it that said whether it was manufactured on Monday, Wednesday or Friday. I think you know which one I would pick.
Barry

 

[Zapadach]

I have both Pietta and Uberti and honestly aside from the Pietta "in your face"”markings on the barrel, I can’t see any difference. The finish, fit and function of both are the same. I have read about bad experiences about both.

I have a Pietta 1858 Remington and a Uberti 3rd model dragoon pre-pandemic by a couple of years. They are both excellent shooters right out of the box.

 

[Stantheman86]

I bought two Uberti cartridge revolvers recently, both 2022 production and they are flawless. I think they're putting the best guys on the guns that probably make more profit and the trainees are over in the percussion revolver section because they know most of the world uses them as "toys"

 

[Stantheman86]

I totally agree with this.
When the guns were bought up during the pandemic there were tons of buyers nagging the different companies to order more. Which they did, this put pressure on the manufacturers get them out the door as soon as they could. With the conditions quoted above the products were hit and miss.
Personally, I would like to see anything manufactured have a tag on it that said whether it was manufactured on Monday, Wednesday or Friday. I think you know which one I would pick.
Barry

Older Piettas were also prone to be complete junk , in 2008 I shot out a brand new Pietta 51 Navy in one day. It was a steel frame, I used Pyrodex P and Buffalo Ball-ets made for .36 revolvers which the revolver should have easily handled.....the barrel peened by the barrel wedge so bad the b/c gap was huge and it just looked terrible

I emailed Pietta to try to get a new barrel and they told me they don't heat treat the barrels and the barrel should have handled that, so I must have done something wrong and damaged my gun. Given that spare barrels were probably almost as much as the gun then , and I probably paid like 100 bucks for the Pietta I think I remember throwing the barrel away and putting the cylinder and frame somewhere never to be seen again, I guess because I forgot all about it

My new Piettas have taken conicals and max loads with no problems so they apparently have made the guns to shoot now instead of being glorified cap guns

My coworker told me he bought an older 1990s Pietta Brasser from.his brother in law for 20 bucks. And him and his sons took it out to the rock pit to blast cans and loaded it up with the 777 he uses for his inline. And then it "stopped working " so he chucked it into the woods. I'm like using guns until they break or stretch out then just flinging them into the woods sounds fun actually but I myself would have kept it to salvage parts off of it.....in fact tell me where you threw it

 

[jambuster]

Fourbore I have the gun you describe above but mine was built about 20 years ago. Mechanically and esthetically my gun has been pretty good. The lug that holds the loading lever was soldered onto the barrel and fell off at about 100 rounds . This has been frustrating but I recently bought a lug from Ubertie that is dovetailed to the barrel . I will add this to my gun shortly. Other than that mine has taken a beating and has been reliable.

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

That is a shame for sure.

I bought a Pietta London and Colt Army both in 2020 and fit/finish were excellent. Both are fine shooters, especially the Army.

Sad to see their quality slipping. Hopefully my Traditions Crockett is okay. Should be delivered today.

 

[Bad Karma]

Awaiting the Pietta fanbois to kick the front door in to this thread ........

I own bunches of both and I'm happy with the pros and cons both offer, so I'm largely unbiased

However, the "post pandemic" production has been a crap shoot because much of the skilled labor of the Italian gun makers has retired , has passed away and they aren't being quickly replaced. Pietta and Uberti guns are assembled, not fitted anymore. The end user often does the final QC.

It’s darned hard to find Pedersoli premium rifles due no doubt to those factors. Skilled gunsmiths don’t grow on trees and they grow slowly if they grow at all.

 

[Stantheman86]

It’s darned hard to find Pedersoli premium rifles due no doubt to those factors. Skilled gunsmiths don’t grow on trees and they grow slowly if they grow at all.

The "glut " of repro percussion revolvers we're seeing is not indicative of Pedersoli's production, because you can hardly find a Pedersoli muzzleloading rifle anywhere. The rifles and muskets coming out of Chiappa and Pedersoli have not caught up with revolver production from Uberti and Pietta.

All of the Italian gunmakers are recovering at their own pace and I would imagine it's easier for Uberti to pump out revolvers than it is for Pedersoli to season wood stocks, bore the "match grade" barrels for the Silver Line stuff, make the high end Hawkens, also make their popular 45-70 Sharps lineup and fit all the locks for this stuff.

 

[wilded]

I have purchased several of the Uberti and Piettas models when Cabelas used to send them to you. I have returned two ubertis that were extremely out of timing. I have not had problems with my Piettas. That being said I prefer my Uberti models.