I know that Uberti is in the title of this thread, but Pietta is being talked about as well, so I will ask this. I bought my first black powder replica in December 1980, which was a Navy Arms Remington New Model Army, called the 1858 Remington at the time, and I later learned it was made by Pietta. I asked the guy selling it if those were good revolvers and he said "it is Navy Arms, the top of the line." I never have been a big handgun shooter and mainly shoot flintlock rifles whenever I can, but over the years I have shot my Remington many times and except for having an occasional cap jam or having the action get difficult to work after 2-3 cylinders of firing (both of which I had read to expect on a Remington before I made the purchase) I have never had any problems with it. It still has 5 of the 6 original nipples, one being replaced when I managed to drop it down the garbage disposal while cleaning at the kitchen sink about 20 years ago. It seems years ago I heard that the quality of the Italian made guns declined. In the experience of those posting here does that seem true to you, that the quality in the '70s and '80s was higher?
I am a Civil War collector and have original Colts I don't shoot, so my shooting experience is confined to that Remington. The first gun I bought was an original Colt 1849 Pocket Model in 1974 when I was 16. About 1 1/2 years ago I bought an original Colt 1862 Police. I knew it was outside of my collecting interests since there were no official government contracts for that model during the War that I have seen, although I am sure some soldiers may have carried them through private purchase. I had checked the serial number before I bought it and knew it was made in 1867, after the War, but I have always liked the looks of that model and bought it. Only a month or two later I ordered from Dixie Gun Works Uberti replicas of the 1862 Police and the 1849 Pocked Model, with a 2 gun display case each and replicas of the powder flasks and the Eley cap boxes to put the originals and its replica together to better see what the original would have looked like when new. I ordered the correct round balls and wonder wads for each also, although I wasn't sure if I would really shoot them, especially the 1849 because I didn't want to risk damaging its cylinder scene. Of course as time has gone by I have thought more about shooting them to see what is was like with each of them. I have not disassembled them or really checked them yet, so I don't know if they have the same problems I have been reading in some of the posts. The two Colts I really wanted to buy just to shoot are the 1st Model Dragoon (it's older than the other two), and the Patterson, but Dixie stopped advertising the Patterson some years ago.
One final question. I see alot of discussion about the arbor on the Colt replicas being too short. Having always shot only the Remington I thought the arbor is what I call the cylinder pin, which is what the barrel wedge on the Colt goes through. Something I read on another topic several days ago caused me to start thinking the arbor may be the part of the cylinder pin in the frame. What exactly is the arbor, the cylinder pin or something else?
Thanks.
no thank you 
