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Anyone know about the quality of build & reliability of the replica Spiller & Burr that was made by Pietta some years ago?
Spiller & Burr by Pietta
- Thread starter Coot
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As good as any Pieta built "a few years ago". Figure on replacng the nipples, front sight with a taller one and action work and they are just fine, same as any Italian revolver. The only shortcoming is that the front strap is very close to the trigger guard, probably the closest of any repro revolver and it can gve you problems.
As with all brass framed reproduction revolvers I advise that the powder charges be kept on the light to moderate side.
15-18 grains of powder under a .375 diameter lead roundball is a good load for them.
I don't know if you know the history of the Spiller & Burr but for those interested, the contract called for a reproduction of the 1851 Colt Navy like all of the Confederate revolver contracts did. The contract called for the pistols frame and grip straps to be silver plated.
Because of available tooling, the company submitted a brass framed version of the .36 cal. Whitney Navy rather than the 1851 Colt and this was accepted.
The first pistols were made in Atlanta, Georgia starting in 1862.
The contract called for 15,000 pistols but they only managed to make about 700 in the first year and a half.
They were so far behind in production that the Confederate Government bought them out lock, stock and barrel and moved the company to Macon, Georgia where about 690 additional S&B guns were made.
When I said "brass framed version" the reason is it is not a direct copy of the steel framed Whitney.
In this photo of the reproduction S&B and Whitney you can see some of the differences like the length of the receiver where the barrel screws in.
15-18 grains of powder under a .375 diameter lead roundball is a good load for them.
I don't know if you know the history of the Spiller & Burr but for those interested, the contract called for a reproduction of the 1851 Colt Navy like all of the Confederate revolver contracts did. The contract called for the pistols frame and grip straps to be silver plated.
Because of available tooling, the company submitted a brass framed version of the .36 cal. Whitney Navy rather than the 1851 Colt and this was accepted.
The first pistols were made in Atlanta, Georgia starting in 1862.
The contract called for 15,000 pistols but they only managed to make about 700 in the first year and a half.
They were so far behind in production that the Confederate Government bought them out lock, stock and barrel and moved the company to Macon, Georgia where about 690 additional S&B guns were made.
When I said "brass framed version" the reason is it is not a direct copy of the steel framed Whitney.
In this photo of the reproduction S&B and Whitney you can see some of the differences like the length of the receiver where the barrel screws in.
