Pietta NM Remington 'Shooter's Model'

[mhb]

I have decided I need (?) a Remington .44 revolver, and information is that the Pietta 'Shooter's Model' is the best available in terms of workmanship and adherence to original dimensions, tolerances and accuracy.
However, there is other information that they may suffer from the typical Italian variation in all those things, and I'm not willing to spend the premium price for one of these unless I'm sure it's what I want it to be.
Dixie currently lists them for $925, which is rather a lot, compared to the 'non-premium' models available from various sources and by other manufacturers.
So...
Who has experience with these, and what advice can you offer?
Thanks;
mhb - Mike

 

[Billnpatti]

Other than having progressive rifling and a tapered octagon barrel, I don't see what the difference is between it and a good Remington replica such as those offered by Cimarron
http://www.cimarron-firearms.com/percussion-revolvers-2/1858-model/1858-army.html

I suppose if you are a competitive target shooter and have the extra money that the "Shooters Model" costs, it may be worth the extra cost. But if you are like most folks, you will be spending money on something that you will not be able to utilize the benefit of. Cimarron sells good products. From what I understand, they accept only the best that the Italian manufacturers offer and then disassemble them and give them a good examination for flaws, fit and finish before selling them. Contact them and talk to them to find out what they have and what they do to make sure that their guns are worth the bit extra that they charge. I don't know of a dissatisfied Cimarron customer. :hatsoff:
http://www.cimarron-firearms.com/about-us

 

[Wes/Tex]

Bill, old son, you put it in a nutshell. Unless you're competitively shooting on an international level, the standard Remington is fine. The adjustable, dove-tailed front sight is a nice thing to have but you can buy the sight from Dixie and a triangular file will get you going!

 

[AZbpBurner]

Cimarron is an importer, just like everyone else. They drop ship from a warehouse to you. They no more disassemble, and paw over the product anymore than Cabelas or anyone else does. Read the scribble/drivel on their website, then step back and wipe the BS offa your shoes.

If you can't already squeeze one hole groups outta a standard model Pietta or Uberti, the Shooter's Model won't make you something that you're not already.

Unless
Dixie has the only inventory in the Northern Hemisphere, you can get better prices elsewhere. I consider them the next step beyond the last resort.

 

[B. Miller]

Of the competitive revolvers the Pietta is the most available here in the U.S. but the third choice among international shooters. The number one revolver among international shooters is the Hege Remington Revolver but get the right one as Hege is pretty much a German DGW. These revolvers are special order and when they have enough orders to produce a run they make them, potential long waiting period and very expensive. The second choices are from Pedersoli. Pedersoli offers a Remington pattern and a Rogers & Spencer pattern both of which are high quality and expensive. The last time I looked between $1,100 and $1,200.00. I have a Pietta deluxe from Navy Arms Co. which is the same as the DGW Shooters Revolver. I had the forcing cone and trigger job done by Tri L at a N-SSA national. At the moment I need to get it tightened up as I use this one a lot. When tight it would consistantly shoot off hand in the 90s at 25 yards. Another option would be a semicustom revolver from Hann Machine Works. I do plan on sending mine to Charlie Hann to have him do the work I currently need done on mine.

 

[mhb]

Thanks for the replies, folks.
My basic concern is to have a revolver which is correct as to function, properly fitted and timed, fairly well finished, and, most importantly (to me), having chamber diameters consistent with each other and of correct diameter for available balls/molds, and not (much)larger or at all smaller than groove diameter of the barrel.
I can easily correct most minor issues, adjust sighting and so forth, but have a fairly low opinion (from experience) of Italian adherence to dimensional standards in barrel making, chambering and internal finishes of bores, etc.
I guess I can simply go around with my calipers and bore gauges and measure any specimen of the current crop of reproductions which comes to hand and seems otherwise acceptable.
Sigh.

mhb - Mike

 

[excess650]

My own 1858 repro is by Uberti. I stopped at a BP shop that had quite a variety of revolvers, with the 1861 Navy in mind. They allowed me to handle every revolver in stock, and I chose the Uberti 1858. Mine is fit like a Swiss watch with perfect timing. I've since checked and found the chambers to be slightly over groove diameter. At the range it made no difference between .454" RBs or 450229 hollow based conicals over fffg Swiss. It shot ragged hole groups at 25 yards with no fuss. Too, mine has the dovetailed front sight. After owning this revolver, and handling the others, I have no desire for any of the Colt clones.

From what I've read, Piettas tend to have cylinders undersize compared to groove diameter, and in the world of modern revolvers, that isn't conducive to accuracy. Too, they have slow rifling twist, but should be of no consequence if you ONLY want to shoot RBs.

The price mentioned for this "shooter's" Pietta is more than 3x what I paid for my Uberti( :shake: :youcrazy: ). I would not purchase a revolver that I couldn't handle first. Local shops with good inventories make this easier. Otherwise, mail order, examine, and return if not up to snuff.

 

[Leatherbark]

Quote

"From what I've read, Piettas tend to have cylinders undersize compared to groove diameter, and in the world of modern revolvers, that isn't conducive to accuracy."


The Pietta Shooters model uses a .460 ball diameter at least. A special order mold will be needed to extract maximum accuracy. A .457 will almost drop in the cylinders. I've seen the rammer on mine push a .457 in and when I extracted the rammer it would pull it back out. The Pietta Shooters model has a checkered hammer top. The sides of the hammer are "Plum" colored as is the trigger face. Even the inside parts are finished very nice. The barrel's rifling is opposite twist from Uberti's and regular Pietta Remingtons and the lands are wider and of course the twist is a gain twist. The top of the barrel has the old timey Remington address and all of the Pietta markings are under the bottom of the barrel.
Mine had a hair trigger. The gun is defintitly different than a regular Pietta 58.

Bob

 

[B. Miller]

Bob. it could just a case of the lack of quality control, which the Italians are known for, but I get a very nice lead ring using a 0.457 round bald on mine. I also get good accuracy using the 0.456 Lee conicals.I just purchased two extra cylinders from DGW for the shooters revolver. Aftery your post I hope I do not run into ball size issues.

Bruce

 

[Naphtali]

I own three stainless steel revolvers. Fit and finish compares favorably with my Freedom Arms 97s and Colt Python.

Nearly every part differs from Pietta's standard version. Chamber-barrels uses a .456-inch projectile rather than .452.

When I bought mine directly from Pietta-Italy just before the turn of the millennium, the factory informed me that all lock parts and cylinders of these revolvers interchange without fitting. While I cannot comment on lock work, I also bought MANY extra cylinders, all of which shoot comparably accurately in the single revolver I shoot regularly. I bought the others as "parts guns," for there was no importer of the stainless steel version at time of my purchase. The redundancy has not been needed. As usual, I overdid the parts thing.

At the price you mention, I recommend you get it. This comment becomes "strongly recommend" were the revolver the stainless steel version.

Hope this helps.

 

[gifford]

It appears that Pedersoli isn't selling the Rogers & Spence model at this time. An email inquiry to Pedersoli in Italy indicated that they were planning on making them in the foreseeable future. I guess they have plenty of business with just the Remington Model.

You will see them, as well as the Hege Remington at Friendship. I believe that most use the Pietta shooter's model. It's pricey enough imho.

I acquired Dixie Shooters Model from a friend last year and it is one sweet shooter in my hands and a medal winner in the hands of an expert shot like two of my shooting buddies are.

Although it's been said, the shooter makes the score, not the gun. when experts go head to head, the shooter;s model or the Pedersoli Match Revolver can make the difference between first and second place or medal vs no medal at Friendship. It's a rarefied atmosphere at those levels, I hope to get there someday.

 

[mhb]

Thanks for the additional comments - which appear to verify that the 'Shooters Model' does require a non-standard size ball due to chamber and/or groove diameters.
I do not believe there is any magic in the non-standard dimensions sufficient to make the need for bullets of non-standard sizes worthwhile.
The best solution would appear to be in-hand examination of available revolvers until I find one with matching, proper dimensions and fit and finish up to the kind of performance I'm looking for.
Thanks again;
mhb - Mike

 

[Lenny two butts]

I have one for sale (well, an ad asking if anyone would be interested). I can say without hesitation, that this pistol is the most accurate bp pistol I have ever shot or witnessed being shot. If you want the very best...this is it. That being said ..the pistol is wayyy more accurate than I am. Lol this is the case with most of us. If you are interested, shoot me a message.

 

[Lenny two butts]

Also, I shoot .457 round ball and had no issues finding it. I bought up a nice pile about a year ago, so I can't say the same conditions apply. I know caps are getting hard to find and I've seen some ridiculous price gouging all across the ammo market.

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

Thanks for the replies, folks.
My basic concern is to have a revolver which is correct as to function, properly fitted and timed, fairly well finished, and, most importantly (to me), having chamber diameters consistent with each other and of correct diameter for available balls/molds, and not (much)larger or at all smaller than groove diameter of the barrel.
I can easily correct most minor issues, adjust sighting and so forth, but have a fairly low opinion (from experience) of Italian adherence to dimensional standards in barrel making, chambering and internal finishes of bores, etc.
I guess I can simply go around with my calipers and bore gauges and measure any specimen of the current crop of reproductions which comes to hand and seems otherwise acceptable.
Sigh.

mhb - Mike

What makes you think the “Shooters Model” will have all those things? Genuinely curious because if it is actually set up ideally like that, it could be worth the money. If it’s got the typical mismatched bore/chamber dimensions and other things, then it probably wouldn’t be worth the costs.

 

[mhb]

Wow! It had been so long since I posted the original item (and since the last response) that it never occurred to me to check back on this thread. As it happens, I just recently found a Pietta NMA at the local swap meet, which looked good and which I got for a VERY favorable price, as part of a package on some estate stuff. With the revolver, I got 6400 #10 CCI and Winchester caps, 4lbs. of GOEX 2Fg, 146 brass CBC 12 ga. shotshells with several bags of wads, 450 rds of FN .32 and .25 ACP ammo, and some miscellaneous shooting-related items... for just under $300 all told. The revolver turned-out to be in great shape, though the cylinder had been left loaded with an unidentifiable BP substitute (deteriorated), RB and a solidified heavy grease. Unloaded, the cylinder had some beginning surface rust in the chambers, which cleaned up perfectly. The chambers all measure .445-.446", and the groove diameter is .446". The .451 Hornady RB works perfectly. Unlike nearly all the repro revolvers I've had over the years, which typically shoot WAY too high, due to a too-short front sight, this one actually shot too low - I was able to correct this easily by measurement, calculation and careful filing. It still shot a bit to the right, so I gently tapped the blade to the right to correct that - the blade popped-out of its seat (it was brazed-in). I cleaned the bottom of the sight and the socket in the barrel, roughened both surfaces and J-B'd it back in. When it had set up, I re-shaped the blade for a cleaner sight picture. Little adjustment to the internal parts was needed, as the original owner had apparently cleaned it up previously. He was an old SASS shooter who went by 'Rockhouse Rick', IIRC. It shoots very well...


mhb - MIke

 

[No second place]

I have decided I need (?) a Remington .44 revolver, and information is that the Pietta 'Shooter's Model' is the best available in terms of workmanship and adherence to original dimensions, tolerances and accuracy.
However, there is other information that they may suffer from the typical Italian variation in all those things, and I'm not willing to spend the premium price for one of these unless I'm sure it's what I want it to be.
Dixie currently lists them for $925, which is rather a lot, compared to the 'non-premium' models available from various sources and by other manufacturers.
So...
Who has experience with these, and what advice can you offer?
Thanks;
mhb - Mike

Get this sort of question from non- match shooters frequently. They all seem quite annoyed no matter how nicely I try to explain a match grade gun only helps high level match shooters get a bit of an edge. So if this not you don`t waste your time and $. At this point they sometimes ask how to make their guns work better. Better shooter behind the gun. Of course I don`t personally know the guy asking this question. Maybe he`s a high level match shooter wanting an edge...c