Size of italian 1851 repro.

[dlimoges]

I bought a 1851 navy colt repro recently,and I get coments on how they fit in your hand.I would have to go to a gunsmith and enlarge the trigger guard,and add to the back of the gun . Were people just smaller in 1851 or is the repro not to scale?

 

[DOUBLEDEUCE 1]

The grips of the 1851 copies should be pretty close to scale if not right on. The 1851 is not going to fill your hand like a standard S&W Model 66, .357 cal revolver, or any other modern double action type probably. If you want to enlarge the grip, you might have to do that yourself by fitting new wood to the backstrap and trigger guard frame, and shape it to your liking. Before I would do that, I would wrap the grip with something like electrician's tape to see if you can get the feel you are looking for. Just something for you to think about.

 

[David Teague]

Hello Elmer,

I love the way a 51/61 Navy fits my hand...

but I have small hands for a guy my size(just shy of 6 ft/220 pounds).

You just might want to ditch/sell/trade the 51 Navy for a revolver that fits.

My shooting buddy is a inch shorter than me, weighs 145 pounds and has a a much larger hand. He loves shooting his 2nd model Dragoon and I can barely get my hand around it and find it hard to shoot because of it's large size.

I think you might just want to check out the larger grip of the 1860 Army,I have a 1871 conversion based off the 1860 Army frame and it just fits in my hand (but not as nice either of my 51 or 61 Navys). If a 1860 Army grip & trigger guard is still too small, take a look at the much larger Dragoon.

One of those two should fit yer hand.

Yours,

David Teague

 

[Robert an saa fan]

Is your 1851 reproduction an old one, new or newer? It would help to know what brand name you have?

Many of the older replica 1851 Navies have grips/grip frames that are not close copies of the original Colt 1851 Navy.

Some of the old Euroarms 51's are very undersized especially on the lower portion of the butt.

With light/medium loads I place my little finger underneath the bottom of the grip.

If you like the gun and appearance is not important you might consider adding some used Pachmayer rubber(sp?) or Herrits wood oversize stocks. I do not think these were made for replica Navies but grips for a Colt Single Action Army, Colt New Frontier centerfire, or some Italian Colt SAA clones should be a close match. Good place to get these grips used, for usually just a few bucks, is at a gun show. Some gun shops have these grips used.

I would only buy these grips in person so compatability and fit in you hand could be checked.

Others may know if the above grip makers or other companies have made oversize grips for 51 Navies.

 

[wwfeatherston]

That's about the size of it- only old pistol fits my hand is the Walker Colt or a Dragoon!

 

[rafterob]

Yes, people were smaller back then. Prior to 1960 proper nutrition was virtually unknown in the U.S. If you research far enough you can find medical standards tables back to the 1800's. Average was something like 5'7" 145 lbs. School lunch programs were started originally as a response to scrawny recruits available to the army during the first world war. And post WWII were expanded nationally to help provide adequate minimum nutrition. It has really only been in the post depression generations where we have seen larger physiques that we now consider average. Basically in the 40 years since 1960 we have gone from a country where our nutrition concerns were getting enough food to a country facing morbid obesity. Put that in yer pistol and shoot it! :yakyak: sorry for straying a little.