Uberti quality

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Scott Tschirhart
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Uberti quality

Post by Scott Tschirhart »

I’ve been playing with this Uberti sixgun for some time. I paid less than $500 for it and I think it’s better fitted and finished than any Colt SAA that I’ve owned. It locks up tight, does not leave drag marks on the cylinder. The barrel is smooth and it cleans up easily. The bluing is flawless and there aren't any proud edges to cut your hands. It’s a .44 Magnum (on an 1873 size frame) and it shoots right where the sights are set.

I’m impressed.
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Re: Uberti quality

Post by gamekeeper »

I bought a well used Uberti 1851 Navy, it worked well and was accurate too, never gave me any problems.
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Scott Tschirhart
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Re: Uberti quality

Post by Scott Tschirhart »

This one is fitted with a grip frame and stocks like those found on an 1860 Army Colt. I find the extra length to be very useful for a guy with big hands and it isn't too obvious either. If their rifles are fitted this nicely, I may need to look at one.
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Re: Uberti quality

Post by piller »

I like the looks of that pistol. The grip looks comfortable. Comfortable grip makes a huge difference.
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Re: Uberti quality

Post by .45colt »

I sure don't have any issues with Uberti or most of the reproductions . I had an Uberti sporting rifle in .45 colt and it was just too darn nice for Me. It went down the road before I dropped it in the mud....... :shock: . If it would have been in 44-40 It would still be here. That .44 revolver sure looks Great to Me. keep us updated and Merry Christmas .
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Re: Uberti quality

Post by Griff »

I have 3 Uberti rifles and one Uberti Colt copy. All are fitted very well belying their rather modest price. The oldest being one of 5 special order Sporting Rifles made in 45 Colt in 1986. It has been beat up some in 33 years of cowboy action shooting, but still looks good!
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Re: Uberti quality

Post by Sarge »

I like that 44 Scott. Is that the fixed-sight Callahan model you have there?
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Scott Tschirhart
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Re: Uberti quality

Post by Scott Tschirhart »

I’m not sure what they call it. It’s marked like a SAA. But I don’t see a Callaghan designation.
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Re: Uberti quality

Post by ollogger »

Scott I agree with you on comparing a Colt VS. a Uberti, I got rid of the last Colt i will ever own
last summer, had it too a dozen gun shows over the years & around here there just is no interest
in them or lever guns for the most part, a guy wanted to trade a 454 Alaskan for it & i took the deal
so fast he couldnt believe it, he was happy & i was tickled pink!
only have one Uberti in 38-40, its as slick as it can get & the best trigger on any gun ive fired



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Re: Uberti quality

Post by Sarge »

I've got a 1975, 7 1/2" Iver Johnson (Uberti) Cattleman 44 mag which shot high as many of them did. I sweat soldered a 1/8" piece of brass on top and filed until it was on at 100 yards with a 240 XTP at 1425 fps. Mine also has the 1860 grip frame, but in brass. I it like better than any other conventional SA grip for loads up the XTP load.

The only credible complaint I've heard on the older Ubertis is that their lack of a hardened firing pin bushing can result in peening of the firing pin hole. I would expect Uberti has corrected that in the past 45 years.

Photo added: 205 grain '44-40 dup load' at 50 feet, sight regulation perfect once I figured out to hold up in the black ;)

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Re: Uberti quality

Post by Old Savage »

I also have a 75 IJ that saw a lot of use before it came to me. Works fine.
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Re: Uberti quality

Post by KWK »

We haven't had the best luck with Uberti.

I ordered a short barrel Henry a number of years ago. All the machining on it was rough, and I sent it back.

My son bought a smaller frame single action in .38 Spl, I think they called it the Stallion. What garbage it was. We sent it back to Taylor's to fix the firing pin, which had been ground square at the face and would jam into the fired primer. The steel was ridiculously soft, which turned out to be an advantage, although it meant the hammer face peened on the firing pin. The design was flawed; the ejector rod didn't center on its chamber in the cylinder and so would bind on a case. I'd asked Taylor's to look into it, but they didn't address it when it was in for the firing pin. The fix was to bend the ejector a fair amount, which I found remarkably easy to do. Away the cursed thing went as soon as possible.

It's sad. Their line up of firearms is the best in the industry, but the quality leaves more than a little to be desired.
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Re: Uberti quality

Post by marlinman93 »

I own an Uberti SAA in .32-20 with 5.5" barrel that I bought simply because of the caliber. Nothing against Uberti, just wasn't looking for one until I saw this caliber. It was LNIB, but used, and I was uncertain why someone might have traded it in when it seemed so minty? Checked everything I could think of, and saw no issue, so I bought it.
First time out shooting it I think I figured out why it might have been traded in. At 50' it shot 1.5" left of point of aim. So I had to hold right to get on perfect center. But it functioned fantastic, and was very accurate.
I took it home and got my jeweler's files out, and opened up the notch in the frame slightly to right, so my eye would center the blade, and move the POA to the right. Next time out I took the file with me, and shot it. But it was hitting center just fine, and no need to do anymore work. I touched up the notch with a Q tip and cold blue, and it's been a fantastic gun for many years now.
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Re: Uberti quality

Post by Griff »

Every factory has those items that are either built on Monday morning or Friday afternoon... :P :P I have a 3rd Gen Colt SAA that is missing the rifling for about one of its' 4-¾ inches... Colt sez they'll replace it... along with all the other custom parts I've installed! Since it doesn't seem to affect it's accuracy, will still put 5 rounds thru one hole off the rest @ 25yards... I'll live with it! Finish and fit on the gun were stunning when I bought it in 1974... for $325. At the time, the clone next to it was $159, didn't seem quite so well finished.
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Re: Uberti quality

Post by Sarge »

Back in the 70s I had another 7 1/2" IJ Cattleman and that one was a 357. It grouped well enough but printed 4" right at 20 paces. I was 18-19 years old and friends with an old retired armorer who was as good a general gunsmith as we had in the area. Anyhow we got our heads together, shortened it about even with the ejector housing and soldered on a Baughman type ramp not unlike the one in Old Savage's photo and in fact, it was his photo that reminded me of it. But that old gun-wrencher got it on in exactly the right place for windage and it was a small matter to file it for correct elevation. I clobbered some squirrels with it using 38 wadcutters, which would separate them from the tree with authority.
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Re: Uberti quality

Post by black river smith »

Sarge wrote: Thu Dec 24, 2020 9:24 pm The only credible complaint I've heard on the older Ubertis is that their lack of a hardened firing pin bushing can result in peening of the firing pin hole. I would expect Uberti has corrected that in the past 45 years.
Sarge,

My last Uberti SAA's where bought in 2015 and 2018. One was a Cimarron Model 38/40 and one a Stoeger 44/40. They still do not have hardened firing pin bushing in their frames. Sad but true. But, I still like the old style firearms they have to offer us.
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Re: Uberti quality

Post by Nate Kiowa Jones »

black river smith wrote: Fri Dec 25, 2020 9:57 pm
Sarge wrote: Thu Dec 24, 2020 9:24 pm The only credible complaint I've heard on the older Ubertis is that their lack of a hardened firing pin bushing can result in peening of the firing pin hole. I would expect Uberti has corrected that in the past 45 years.
Sarge,

My last Uberti SAA's where bought in 2015 and 2018. One was a Cimarron Model 38/40 and one a Stoeger 44/40. They still do not have hardened firing pin bushing in their frames. Sad but true. But, I still like the old style firearms they have to offer us.
Yep, still no recoil/firing pin bushing in the Uberti. That's one of the reasons I like the Pietta's. They have that hardened bushing. They also have a hardened bolt cam pressed into the hammer. This cam is the one that tends to wear on the Uberti which causes that ring around the cylinder. The Pietta also uses the correct screw threads.
I will give the Uberti's some credit. For awhile there they got away from the old "D" cam guns and went with the two position cylinder base pin safety that when fully seated blocks the hammer. However, it is my understanding (haven't handled one yet) Uberti is now using a floating firing pin that has a rod inside the hammer that comes up behind it to hold it forward. Sort of a reverse transfer bar because the rod is attached and lifted by the trigger.

The Pietta's can be had from EMF (their Great Western II's) with the two position base pins.
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Re: Uberti quality

Post by Sarge »

Nate & Black River, thanks for the current info on firing pin bushings. I like this old Uberti 44 and will hang on to it. I did look at one of the new retracting firing pin Ubertis awhile back and it had a better trigger than your typical transfer-bar gun. But I've read accounts of then failing to fire if the trigger is finessed, or not pulled back all at once.
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Re: Uberti quality

Post by black river smith »

Nate,

I agree with all your statements about the Pietta's. Cimarron also offers a Pietta called the Frontier. It is just the standard SAA model. They do not offer all the different models that EMF does.

The only reason that I did not choice a Pietta back then was -- Pietta did not offer a 38/40 caliber. Pietta does offer a 44/40 caliber SAA but does not offer a 44Spec version nor do the sell a separate cylinder. to get the combo like I wanted. So, I had to go with Uberti's to get both options.
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Re: Uberti quality

Post by Nate Kiowa Jones »

black river smith wrote: Sat Dec 26, 2020 10:23 pm Nate,

I agree with all your statements about the Pietta's. Cimarron also offers a Pietta called the Frontier. It is just the standard SAA model. They do not offer all the different models that EMF does.

The only reason that I did not choice a Pietta back then was -- Pietta did not offer a 38/40 caliber. Pietta does offer a 44/40 caliber SAA but does not offer a 44Spec version nor do the sell a separate cylinder. to get the combo like I wanted. So, I had to go with Uberti's to get both options.
If you got the two position base pin version it will be a good gun. They even went with the later 2nd gen style bolts with the more rounded tips on the finger where it rides on the cam. The old "D" cams had the early 1st gen style bolt finger with really sharp pointy ends that contributed to the early failure of the cams causing the ring around the cylinder.
Also, they will have the Ruger-ized coil pawl springs as does the Pietta.
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Re: Uberti quality

Post by Pitchy »

Looks nice. 8)
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Re: Uberti quality

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Re: Uberti quality

Post by RedRockRanger »

I’m happy to hear that you’re enjoying a quality Uberti SAA! I could not say the same for the one I owned.

After being impressed with the quality of my Uberti 1873 rifle from Taylor’s & Co., I ordered a Uberti SAA (in .44-40) to go with it. That beautiful SAA, I’m sorry to say, was a piece of junk. On my first outing with it, the cylinder kept binding up and I couldn’t figure out why. After I got it home and removed the cylinder, I found that the recoil shield had a major factory defect: a lathe had left a significant shoulder on the face of the shield so prominent that it was grabbing case rims! I reported this to Taylor & Co., and they took my revolver in for servicing, only to return it with that shoulder crudely ground-down which ultimately didn’t fix the binding issue.

Some time later the cylinder stop quit on me so that the cylinder wasn’t properly timed. Probably a simple fix, but considering the condition of the recoil shield I wasn’t too inclined to fix it. Sold it as-is to a guy in Arkansas for a song just to get it out of my hair. Never replaced it.

Aesthetically, it was one of the most beautiful revolvers I had ever seen. The bluing was deep and rich, the color case hardening was especially vibrant, and the wooden grips were nicely figured... but looks only go so far. That SAA was the last Uberti product I purchased. If I ever buy another it certainly won’t be ordered sight unseen.
Last edited by RedRockRanger on Mon Dec 28, 2020 3:44 am, edited 3 times in total.
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