Pietta??

[dlhumphrey]

I want to thank you all for your valuable input. I knew that I would get some good advice after looking through some of the other posts.

After all your input and looking at the photos of the different guns I have considered (1851, 1858, and 1860) it looks to me that the 1858 Army has a hammer that may be more user friendly for me. It looks to be shorter and cocked back a little more than the 1851 and 1860. I saw a You Tube review where the person did comment that the hammer stuck up rather straight on his 1851 and if was a little difficult for him to cock. I have rather small hands and that may be a plus.

I intend to look for a steel framed revolver. There is a local dealer that carries both Pietta and Uberti and I can actually handle the weapons and pick one that feels right. His prices are quite a bit higher than Cabela’s but I would probably get better service if needed.

Thanks again for all the good advice and comments.

 

[Pete Gaimari]

If you have small hands the 58 or 51 will suit you better than the 60.

All good guns. Just different.

 

[CaptainKirk]

If you have small hands the 58 or 51 will suit you better than the 60.

All good guns. Just different.

+1 on that, Pete.

Yes, the hammer on the '58 is less "straight up" than on the Colts. The mainspring tension is also "adjustable" on the '58 as well (though I keep mine at full tension).
Good 1st gun, in my opinion. :thumbsup:

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

I want to thank you all for your valuable input. I knew that I would get some good advice after looking through some of the other posts.

After all your input and looking at the photos of the different guns I have considered (1851, 1858, and 1860) it looks to me that the 1858 Army has a hammer that may be more user friendly for me. It looks to be shorter and cocked back a little more than the 1851 and 1860. I saw a You Tube review where the person did comment that the hammer stuck up rather straight on his 1851 and if was a little difficult for him to cock. I have rather small hands and that may be a plus.

I intend to look for a steel framed revolver. There is a local dealer that carries both Pietta and Uberti and I can actually handle the weapons and pick one that feels right. His prices are quite a bit higher than Cabela’s but I would probably get better service if needed.

Thanks again for all the good advice and comments.

Excellent point! I too buy from a dealer that has everything laying in a case so you can handle before you buy! Keeping the "little guy" in business isn't such a bad thing. As a relationship develops, sometimes different pieces that are extraordinary examples of period firearms (or replicas thereof) come walking in and wind-up on the used rack or in the used case for sale. Not having the little guy there to display them means that you don't get the chance of purchasing something in mint or near-mint condition at a vastly reduced price. For me, it's a win-win, so I'm willing to pay a little more (and sometimes significantly less than the catalog stores!) :thumbsup:

Eventually, you'll have them all (the revo's that is) cause curiosity will eventually ensue. I feel that I like all of the different models that I and my son own. Sure, some get fired more often than others, and I have a favorite (the Walker, just because when that 52 grain rifle charge lets go it's an attention-getter!), but revolvers are like Doritos or Ice Cream: They both come in different "flavors" :haha: .

Good luck with your '58!

Dave
NRA Expert in ML Pistol

 

[guad42]

Yes, the '58 is a good choice and with all this gabbing about it I will probably have to procure another one at some point.

 

[B. Miller]

I have two 1858 Remingtons made by Pietta One stainless and one blue I thought the finish on the stainless was bad until I saw a Uberti stainless which was slightly worse. Both Remingtons are very accurate. I also have a 51 Colt Navy and I have a lot less problems with the spent caps falling into the action on the Remingtons.
Bruce

 

[86marine]

See the only real problem I have with my pietta is the pivot screw for the hammer likes to back out after about 4 cylinders worth even with lock tite on it. Other than that I love it

 

[Pete Gaimari]

See the only real problem I have with my pietta is the pivot screw for the hammer likes to back out after about 4 cylinders worth even with lock tite on it. Other than that I love it

Polish the shaft of the screw and lube with Ballistol. It might help.

 

[Steve French]

I have five 1858 Remingtons and three are Piettas. I highly recommend the Piettas.

 

[DutchmanDick]

I really like my Starr 1858 double action. I got it on sale from DGW a couple years ago. Got to watch the quality, though, on the Starrs - I had to send my first one back, as it wouldn't index properly or pop a cap reliably in d/a mode. They hand-picked and tested the replacement before they sent it out, though.

 

[bprevolver]

Since there are only three major manufacturers of replica percussion revolver remaining in business this limits a choice. They are Pietta, Uberti, and Euroarms. Currently Pietta is the largest with more different models to choose from than Uberti and Euroarms. All three produce a very good quality Remington New Model Army revolver. Pietta is definitely going to be the cheapest because they are the largest manufacturer and have many distributors and retail outlets through many discount stores. Euroarms only make the Remington New Model Army and the Rogers & Spencer revolvers.

There are a few companies that produce a competitive version of the Remington New Model Army but these are very expensive. Most of these are produced from parts supplied by the other manufacturers and are finished and fine tuned in the same way that the Colt 2nd & 3rd Generation percussion revolvers were produced. A few of these companies are: Pedersoli, Feinwerkbau, Artax, and Hege.

 

[soldierof4cheese]

Piettas are worth what they cost, I love mine and of course want more

 

[Bear Rider]

I purchased a Pietta Stainless Remington '58 a few years ago, and it's a nice gun. It locks up tight as a bank vault and shoots great. However, the frame is larger than the originals, and noticeably larger than the old navy arms '58 that I have.

I just got a Pietta '51 and it's the same way -- tight as a bank vault. I had to tap the wedge out the first time, using a large screwdriver handle padded with a towel. After polishing the wedge and the edges of the slot with a fine stone, the wedge can be popped in and out with finger pressure.

There is a fine, two-part pdf article floating around the internet that details how to tune up a Pietta '51, and a another one that details the process for an Uberti. From comparing the two articles and inspection of my '51, it appears that the base pin is the correct length on a Pietta, but the hand is a touch too wide for the cylinder slots, whereas on the Uberti, the hand is correct, but the base pin is too short.

Fitting the hand is not difficult, but is tedious.

My only criticism of the Pietta '51 is that it has the worst trigger pull of any firearm that I have shot in the last forty years. The sear notch in the hammer is so deep that the trigger travel is close to 1/8"! I'll probably drill and tap the hammer and put a set screw in so that I can reduce the sear engagement without stoning off any surface hardening.