Santa Barbara 1858

[markdwhite15]

Well I got it, not as nice inside as outside. 3 nipples rusted in, lots of carbon and rust on the cylinder. 4 days worth of maintenance to get it loaded. Didn't shoot that great even at 15 yards. Checked dimensions. Bore is .445 at lands, chambers are .450. BOHICA After reading all the hype. Anybody know of cylinders that might fit?

 

[Jappo]

I bought one without a cylinder. My Pietta fit right in. Don't remember the date on either one. I finally found a cylinder that was stated as a Santa Barbara. It fit good. I never saw what all the hype was about. I finally sold and went with a Pietta. Parts are easier to find.

 

[markdwhite15]

I bought one without a cylinder. My Pietta fit right in. Don't remember the date on either one. I finally found a cylinder that was stated as a Santa Barbara. It fit good. I never saw what all the hype was about. I finally sold and went with a Pietta. Parts are easier to find.

Thanks, I have 4 Pietta 1858 cylinders, I'll see if one might fit.

 

[Jappo]

Thanks, I have 4 Pietta 1858 cylinders, I'll see if one might fit.

The steel might not be the same specification as the Barbara from what I have read. But I think you can't blow up a cylinder with black powder if you tried.

 

[markdwhite15]

I'm out right now but I don't recall any markings on the cylinder that came on the gun. It's old and well used, I wonder if it's an original Santa Barbara cylinder. I'll definitely have to check on the timing and lockup using a Pietta cylinder.

The steel might not be the same specification as the Barbara from what I have read. But I think you can't blow up a cylinder with black powder if you tried.

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

These are THE finest 1858 repros EVER MADE.

They were manufactured on the same lines that produced .30 machine guns and utilized the same ordinance grade super steels they put into HMG barrels. The tooling and gauges were all hand crafted for them and the fit and finish is impeccable.

 

[Bad Karma]

Well I got it, not as nice inside as outside. 3 nipples rusted in, lots of carbon and rust on the cylinder. 4 days worth of maintenance to get it loaded. Didn't shoot that great even at 15 yards. Checked dimensions. Bore is .445 at lands, chambers are .450. BOHICA After reading all the hype. Anybody know of cylinders that might fit?

Just guessing here but that would put the groove diameter at .451” or so. What’s the problem with that? Target Remingtons by Pedersoli, Hege, Pietta Shooters Model all have chambers slightly over groove dimensions by a couple thousandths. Your replacement cylinder from Pietta would likely be under .446” which does work well enough but it’s far from an optimal setup.

 

[markdwhite15]

Just guessing here but that would put the groove diameter at .451” or so. What’s the problem with that? Target Remingtons by Pedersoli, Hege, Pietta Shooters Model all have chambers slightly over groove dimensions by a couple thousandths. Your replacement cylinder from Pietta would likely be under .446” which does work well enough but it’s far from an optimal setup.

Just guessing here but that would put the groove diameter at .451” or so. What’s the problem with that? Target Remingtons by Pedersoli, Hege, Pietta Shooters Model all have chambers slightly over groove dimensions by a couple thousandths. Your replacement cylinder from Pietta would likely be under .446” which does work well enough but it’s far from an optimal setup.

Groove diameter is .445, chambers on the cylinder are .450. I researched the proof mark on the cylinder and it is Spanish. I have read that the Santa Barbara pistols had matching chamber and bore dimensions, not this one. I have a cylinder that came with a used Pietta 1858 that fit in nicely. No proof mark on it, just a 2 stamped on it. Not gonna try shooting it till my new nipple wrench gets here, broke my last one trying to get the rusted nipples out. The 2 cylinder has .445 chambers.

 

[Bad Karma]

Groove diameter is .445, chambers on the cylinder are .450. I researched the proof mark on the cylinder and it is Spanish. I have read that the Santa Barbara pistols had matching chamber and bore dimensions, not this one. I have a cylinder that came with a used Pietta 1858 that fit in nicely. No proof mark on it, just a 2 stamped on it. Not gonna try shooting it till my new nipple wrench gets here, broke my last one trying to get the rusted nipples out. The 2 cylinder has .445 chambers.

Gotcha. I thought you’d posted bore diameter at .445” which would make groove diameter roughly .450-.451” which should work nicely with the .450” chambers. Even so, if your chambers are .450 and groove diameter is .445” it’s still not a horrible mismatch. I’d take that over standard Pietta dimensions any day of the week, twice on Sunday. Pietta size their chambers so small and often out of round that the ball enters the bore with .004-5” of windage and windage at the groove diameter significantly worse. Thank goodness for the malleable nature of pure lead…