Uberti or Pietta 1861 Navy?

[sidpost]

I am see both available at Midway for ~$340 which seems consistent with the "for sale" area here as well.

Is there anything to recommend the Uberti over the Pietta? I want an 1861 with steel frame and 36 caliber and prefer the steel trigger guard and backstrap of the Pietta but, "Google" says Uberti is worth $100 more and is finished better.

I'm not looking for 'deal spotting' but, I am open to recommendations for places to shop besides Midway, who was the only shop to advertise inventory.

TIA,
Sid

 

[Grenadier1758]

@sidpost, based on the short arbor issues common with the Uberti revolvers, I would select the Pietta revolver. The finish on the Uberti may appear better, but the function of the new production Pietta revolvers is better.

 

[45D]

@sidpost, based on the short arbor issues common with the Uberti revolvers, I would select the Pietta revolver. The finish on the Uberti may appear better, but the function of the new production Pietta revolvers is better.

Hmmmm. . . can you explain?

Mike

 

[springfield art]

I am see both available at Midway for ~$340 which seems consistent with the "for sale" area here as well.

Is there anything to recommend the Uberti over the Pietta? I want an 1861 with steel frame and 36 caliber and prefer the steel trigger guard and backstrap of the Pietta but, "Google" says Uberti is worth $100 more and is finished better.

I'm not looking for 'deal spotting' but, I am open to recommendations for places to shop besides Midway, who was the only shop to advertise inventory.

TIA,
Sid

Pietta makes darn good stuff nowadays, just sayin'

 

[Cubreac]

I want an 1861 with steel frame and 36 caliber and prefer the steel trigger guard and backstrap of the Pietta but, "Google" says Uberti is worth $100 more and is finished better.

You're describing the London model Navy 1861, which tend to be a little more expensive than the replicas of the Colt Navy 1861 with brass trigger guard and back strap. Mike Beliveau has a couple of videos on how to clean them up. If you go through a company like Taylors you pay a higher price but at least you know someone went over the gun before it shipped and if you have a problem you will probably be able to talk someone there about it.
https://taylorsfirearms.com/hand-gu...61-navy-collection/1861-navy-steel-u-rev.html

 

[Grenadier1758]

Hmmmm. . . can you explain?

Mike

Mike, you explained the short arbor situation many times.

Yes, just because Pietta corrected the arbor situation, doesn't mean they're "tops" so to speak. The action parts have a ways to go. I was leaning to the op's "out of the box" criteria. For a newbie, it would be the better ( until they learn how to correct the arbor themselves or have it done) then the transition to Uberti would be "natural " lol !!!
(I'm a little biased)

Mike

Every Uberti (and all previous makes including Colt 2nd gens) has a short arbor. Pietta is the only manufacturer that has corrected this.

Mike

 

[No second place]

The 2 dozen 2019 production Colt repos from Uberti and Pietta I was comparing to find a match pistol to tune for the "Colt type" division that year at the NMLRA nat`s was interesting. As "display" guns the Uberti`s were a bit better. After close examination with dial calipers, bore lights and brass rods. Bore to cylinder alignment , action works and barrel quality of the Piettas was far above Uberti. My only interest was the 1860s,61s and 51s for match use. Combined a Pietta 60 frame and a 61 barrel with cylinder to take the gold that year...c

 

[Johnny Tremain]

Found out today the 1860 Pietta here was made in 2000, and I was the first one to fire it.
Ive been jeweling this and that, I have new springs to, but the old ones are still working.
The forward screw on the left side seems to come loose every 3 cylinders worth of fun.

 

[45D]

II

Mike, you explained the short arbor situation many times.

Yes but it's an easy fix. It definitely shouldn't be a make or break as far as ownership! If you'd notice the rest of the quote, the action parts are far and above anything Pietta has put out to date!! The Pietta parts are MIM parts whereas Uberti's are not! Uberti's are a much better quality part and "tunable".

Except for my Pietta Remington, all my open tops are Uberti's. For cap guns I have no preference but when it comes to "unmentionables" (including MAKING unmentionables out of them), quality parts, build and materials make a difference.

Mike

 

[Grenadier1758]

@45D, thanks for the expanation.

By the way, most of my open top revolvers are Uberti's.

 

[45D]

The 2 dozen 2019 production Colt repos from Uberti and Pietta I was comparing to find a match pistol to tune for the "Colt type" division that year at the NMLRA nat`s was interesting. As "display" guns the Uberti`s were a bit better. After close examination with dial calipers, bore lights and brass rods. Bore to cylinder alignment , action works and barrel quality of the Piettas was far above Uberti. My only interest was the 1860s,61s and 51s for match use. Combined a Pietta 60 frame and a 61 barrel with cylinder to take the gold that year...c

That's great if you can only use "non modified" examples but all of what you mention can be "fixed/adjusted". The action parts in Piettas are modern copies of 1980's parts. Thick and hard, not compliant at all!! I spend way more time on Pietta action parts compared to correctly made Uberti parts. In the end they can all be made to perform perfectly.

Mike

 

[No second place]

That's great if you can only use "non modified" examples but all of what you mention can be "fixed/adjusted". The action parts in Piettas are modern copies of 1980's parts. Thick and hard, not compliant at all!! I spend way more time on Pietta action parts compared to correctly made Uberti parts. In the end they can all be made to perform perfectly.

Mike

Mike, my match guns and have been tuned just like all the the serious shooters guns. Don`t know any High Master or Master class pistol shooter who shoots "non modified" examples. Only shot the "Colt type" match that one year. High master class gold results was my only goal. Pietta worked just fine. Only trigger, action tune and a few spring adjustments needed. Maybe nobody shot a Uberti that year. Just got lucky maybe...c

 

[Wolfman0125]

Another consideration is Pietta is proud of their products and puts their markings all over the frame where it is visible. Uberti hides theirs under the barrel.

 

[oncewas]

I'll just point out. Uberti 1861 Navy barrel length 7.5inches. Pietta 1861 Navy barrel length 8.5inches. I looked at both but this was a deal breaker for me. I really don't want or need a 8.5 inch barrel on anything.

 

[Grenadier1758]

The Uberti pistol mat have the short arbor issues that can be fixed. They are also closer in dimension to an original Colt revolver. Markings are modest and hidden.

The Pietta may not have the short arbor issue, but the internal parts may not be as robust as the Uberti internal parts. The Pietta revolvers will have a lot of visible stamping that the Uberti revolver does not. Also, the Pietta revolvers tend to differ in some dimensions from an original Colt revolver. The internal parts can be changed. The stampings can be defarbed.

 

[sidpost]

You're describing the London model Navy 1861, which tend to be a little more expensive than the replicas of the Colt Navy 1861 with brass trigger guard and back strap. Mike Beliveau has a couple of videos on how to clean them up. If you go through a company like Taylors you pay a higher price but at least you know someone went over the gun before it shipped and if you have a problem you will probably be able to talk someone there about it.
https://taylorsfirearms.com/hand-gu...61-navy-collection/1861-navy-steel-u-rev.html

Who makes these? Uberti or Pietta? With a 7 1/2" barrel I'm assuming Uberti with their non-MIM internals and apparently short arbor.

In terms of price premium, it looks like they are $70 more expensive than similar models from out of stock sources with 'base' models of Uberti and Pietta. A $70 price premium might be a reasonable thing for someone like myself totally new to these.

 

[mushka]

My personal experience tells me that you will probably be satisfied with either one that you might choose.

 

[GYJ]

In this case, definitely the Uberti. Pietta has much improved their guns in the last several years but for some weird reason, decided to put an odd 8.5" barrel on their 1861. The Uberti is the proper 7.5" length. Both guns have basically the 1860 profile with a .36 caliber hole. I personally prefer the all steel London model.

 

[TDM]

15 years ago the choice would be Uberti. Now, today, Uberti is down in quality and Pietta is up in quality. My personal choice now is Pietta. But you need to handle and inspect both before you buy if undecided.

 

[Stantheman86]

From my unbiased experience and owning several of both, for what it's worth.....

The Uberti guns are fitted and finished better, but will have a short arbor for those concerned about this.

4 out of 6 of my Piettas developed timing issues after several hundred rounds to the point where at half ****, or when the hammer is moved just past half ****, the bolt moves up out of the cutout. I'm currently working on them to see if polishing up the interface of the bolt leg and cam may fix it, or maybe these guns need to be thoroughly detail cleaned every time you fire them because they did not do this when new. Or if the bolt leg and cam became worn this quickly. I ordered 2 new bolts from Taylor's to see if I may have bad or soft bolts with legs that are too short. I even ordered a Uberti bolt to see if maybe I can fit it, just to try it. If I can fix this, they'll go back to being good shooters again . Hopefully they just need some "fluff and buff" to the internals.

I have admittedly fired 1000s of rounds through my Uberti 1851 Navy without detail cleaning it and it hasn't developed this issue

My Piettas are very accurate and solid guns otherwise, they still function with this issue but perhaps the recent run of them have bad cam fitting or soft bolts. All of my 4 .36 Navy brassers have at least 300 rounds through them which isn't a lot. One of them had a loading lever that was too short and rattled around. For $220-250 for a Pietta Navy I don't expect perfection but they may need some work or tweaking.

The brand new Pietta Colt Navies have a higher front sight pin regulated to 25 yards. My new 2022 .44 Navy is dead nuts at 25

My one Uberti Walker developed a little slop in the fit of the barrel locator pins , after a few range sessions with 50 grain charges. These definitely need the short arbor fixed.

I honestly feel with post-Pandemic production it's a toss up. If I were buying one myself I'd get the Uberti.

All of my 6 Piettas are brasser Navies, that I bought to use as range blasters and to tinker around with.