Why Pietta Revolvers SUCK! ... and Why You Should Still Get One
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- Опубликовано: 12 сен 2024
- Pietta Brand Cap and Ball Revolvers are the cheapest priced models on the market, and they do leave a lot to be desired. This is a look at my first (and only) Pietta revolver (1861 Navy Sherriff's Model) that I've had for a year and what was wrong with it and what went wrong throughout the year.
Full Article: blackpowdergui...
With any black powder revolver, you're going to have to do some post-purchase gunsmithing. No brand is exempt from that.
Overall, I'm happy with my Pietta for the knowledge that I've gained about the mechanics of how a cap and ball revolver works, as I've done a bit of work with this one. In fact, as you will see in the video, I still have some work to do to make the revolver reliable.
Going forward, I'm not sure if I will purchase another, but if you're looking for the most inexpensive brand to get your feet wet in the hobby, then Pietta is an excellent choice.
You'll learn a lot, repair a lot, and they shoot well. Fit and finish leave something to be desired, but for a field gun that you just want to have fun with, you can't go wrong with Pietta.
I have an 1851 and 1858 both Piettas and don't regret buying either one.
I just got the 1851 .44 Pietta, have you had any issues with yours?
@@historyandhorseplaying7374 I have the .36 caliber, works great.
@@mrod7692 Glad to hear. After watching this video I am paranoid about the spring breaking.
I bought the same
@@historyandhorseplaying7374 Me too. Must have been a drag when three Indians were running at you and the spring broke. Hopefully the "Time Out" sign was part of sign language back then.
I,m 75 years old & been shooting back powder guns since I was 21. The things you bring up are very much spot on. Some with all my guns not so much.
But with that said blue printing these thing are fun to me. I love my Pietta's . Once I get them tuned at 25 yards I will put them up against any modern pistol
I own as far as accuracy. Great video very helpful .
I agree, I used two Remington's in the 80's to shoot against modern handguns in the 80' while stationed in Germany, before I was 21. Never took first, but was normally in the money.
If you compere with a original, what do you prefer?
since you are new to the game you must realize all reproductions are a fully assembled kits. I have a ridiculous number of Pietta C&B and with a little simple work are as reliable as a cartridge gun.
My present fave is a '58 Remmie with the "buffalo barrel", it came to me as a kit somebody never finished. I carved a shoulder stock for it to shoot it as a carbine.
"A fully assembed kit," that's a good way of putting it!
Sorry the Colt design is far inferior to the Remington Design, the components he is PAMing about (Pissing and Moaning) are normal for the Colt no matter the brand. Break down a Colt and then the Remington and you see the difference right off the bat. You also have to go thru your pistol and clean things up and it works 1000% better.
I have two pietta both 44 calabur I also got extra spring kits.when I bought them.but I have not had a problem with the springs.but have the kits I bought lots of triple 7 powder and 2000 caps.its a stash for a prepper stash.ans for the guns.do the work on the guns first before shooting .these guns need work on the bures in side to smooth them out witch has less drag on springs.so they dont break.the springs.when you use them .your going to be a gun smith after getting them. Its actually a lot of fun.when people handle my petta thay say wow they are so smooth its like a singer sewing machine.good luck have fun take pride in what you did to it to make it a fabulous blackpowder pistol.its a hobby.
Have been involved with cap and ball pistols for quite a while, I prefer the 1858 Remington over the Colts as I like the top strap frame. In the late 70's bought several brass frame Remington's in kit form, and back then Kit form meant KIT! The frame was rough Brass, barrel was threaded but not installed, you had to work the frame to get the barrel lined up correctly. Now that was a fun operation, then YOU cut the dovetail for the front sight. None of the springs were tempered, none of the internal parts were finished. You learned a lot on building one. If you did it correctly you had a fine firearm, if you were a half ass builder you got a half ass firearm. Have several newer steel frame Peittias 1858, one was given to me after someone fired 1 cylinder thru it and threw it back in the box for several years. It took me over a month to get it functioning again, but after cleaning and TLC got it working excellent again. The only problem was it is a target model, adjustable rear sights and had issues with the adjustment screws coming out, locktight and problem solved.
It's completely hit or miss regardless of brand, I've gotten great Pietta's and lemony Uberti's. Uberti's seem to have a more solid feel to them and they definitely use better screws. Great video, liked/subscribed.
True. While I prefer the finish of a Uberti, I've had brand new ones out of the box, upon first firing, the sight fell off one, and the loading lever catch on the barrel off of another. Also, the pins holding the catch inside the loading lever have fallen out. The Piettas are not finished well, and the marking on the barrel are a pain to me, which is why I do not buy them, but, that being said, the few that I have had in my early years with percussion revolvers, they were tough as tanks, even the brass framed ones.
Ubertis steel seems to be a tad softer to me actually. Cylinders peen faster etc. And as for screws, those can be easily deepened in the slot with a Dremel, polished, case hardened. Done it to many of mine and I don't have to buy very many screws anymore. When I do, this gets done instantly. Also agree on them being hit or miss. Just depends on who's doing quality control. I was a CNC machinist for years.
I've had zero problems in functionality with my Piettas. Fit and finish left something to be desired, but that's to be expected in a sub-$300 gun. I did a little filing and sanding on the wood to make everything flush and it's now more comfortable with no hot spots in the grip.
Immediately take them down to frame, debut, smooth up sharp edges, line, with natural lube. That's the first thing you do
Recent Ubertis suck more than recent Piettas in my experience. They ALL suck, and they’re all still awesome after a little TLC (part of the fun)!
I hate that you must be extremaly careful with both while handling & disassembling. They are not your average Ruger or S&W that will handle slight abuse or slopiness. Sloppiness while disassembling will result in botched screws and possibly frames, cylinders because you can literally carve in them with minimal effort with your screwdriver / folder or even ramrod ! Don't ask me how I know.
I have had this same Pietta Sheriff’s Model since the mid 1990s. I have only cleaned it, shot it, and replaced the nipples and the loading lever. Besides that, I have never had any problem with mine, but many people that I did Civil War reenacting with at the time had horrible problems with their Pietta revolvers, but most of the problems I witnessed were user error, and not the fault of gun. I still love mine ,even if they do suck, lol.
Pietta 1858 in steel (not stainless) is the best bang for the buck reproduction you can get. Its cheap and is also able to shoot X's with Lee conicals all day long due to its high twist rate barrel.
I have seen trigger/bolt springs break on original Colt single action armies, 1860 Colt repro's and Remington repros too.
It's a thin spring and seems to be too easy to end up being brittle from lack of proper tempering during manufacture.
Good thing they are cheap and fairly easy to replace.
C&B revolvers are just fun to shoot.
Thanks for the video.
Did you disassemble the revolver and deburr everything with needle files, per Blackie Thomas and Duelist1954?
Yes! That’s what you got to do and everything will work fine. I did it with my Chiappa 1892, the Pietta 1873 saa, the Uberti 1860 and even the Uberti Cattleman .22lr 12shot....... some needed a little more polishing and deburring, but overall it was not so bad. Excellent quality.
Needle file recommendations like a brand or type ?
Most of Clint Eastwood’s old western movies have Italian pistols recreations in them !
... some of your comments tell the true story... You make a judgement from your experience with one example.... real smart... by the way... even a expensive screwdriver won't help someone who doesn't know it's proper use... I've owned 2 pietta 1860s for almost 20 years with no problems , and the damn screws look like they did when new...
Yeah I got that feeling as well. Because my pietta screws seem ok. And I've got some decent gun Smith drivers and am careful. All is well. But I will more than likely buy some replacement screws and springs.
If you have a 20 year old pietta and the screws look like new,yoy obviously never took it apart.
hey, John Dee Smith , looks like Bruce Clark may be one of those guys that need a expensive screwdriver... 😁
I love to buy and shoot Armi San Marco. Aldo Uberti's son started ASM which is now defunct. They have fewer problems than a Pieta and are slightly lower quality than Uberti's version. I've no problem timing the guns with parts intended for the same model Uberti. Best of all they have been out of production so long they are legitimate antiques in their own right.
Pietta must have improved their game. Because i recently bought revolver of theirs and it much better than many of my ubertis. 3 mounths after purchase... Many hours in my hands, no breakage, malfunction nothing... Everything works as it should
Howdy young man,,
I bought two consecutive serial numbered 1851 Navy Sheriff's Model 5 1/2 inch barrels, and of course the sheriff model comes with brass frame, walnut grips.
My pistols were bought brand spankin new at EMF Co, in Santa Ana, CA back in 1970 by a friend. He wore them everyday and shot them everyday.
He lived in a barn, inside of two horse stalls literally after removing the barrier between the two stalls.
He of course worked at the ranch that also had a 20 horse rent string..
Anyway this fellow used & abused these two pistols as daily carry in his two holster professional fast draw gun belt.
And I must say, his fast draw was very fast.
Anyway he worked those guns over and gave them a very light trigger and polished all inside parts that moves slides or turns.
Like I said, from 1970 to 1992 he wore them like he wore his boots.
They are abit used looking to say the least. I bought them both from him in 1992, when he offered them to me for 100 for each.
I thought ya ok. These two guns shoot straight to this very day, and I can hit a 4x4 post at 40 feet with these, with 25 grains & 44 caliber.. the old man drug them thru harsh weather, cold & hot. He put thousands of rounds thru them.
Since I bought them, I to have put thousands of rounds thru them. They put off a hell of a bang. They are fun..
It's now Jan 2023 and it would be real hard for me to part with them..
As long as they stay safe to load up, I will continue to shoot them..
If I reblue them, they won't have the wore out patina look..
They are not to beet up looking, just very well used and that I think is good.
If I had to worry about scratching them or even dropping one, it would not be fun anymore.
It would be like owning a show truck, you would never want to drive it.
Boys, shoot thousands of rounds thru yours and don't be upset if it starts to look used.
That's what they are for.
Keep them clean,
Always push caps on using the hammer it's self and your thumb pressing the hammer.
I have never had a misfire in all these yrs..
Feels like a hand held cannon going off. 🤠😆
Be safe Have fun.
P.S. at night, they shoot out Alot of flames, sparks, & smoke.. so do use grease on the end of loaded cylinders, so not to ignite more then one cylinder.
Ya,all have a blast..
My next toy is going to be a actual cannon..good night folks.
Also, sorry for the long comment.
You are wrong , greasing the end of cylinder DOES NOT PREVENT CHAIN FIRE OF OTHER CHAMBERS ! AS LONG AS BALL OR CONICAL BULLET IS A BIT OVERSIZE AND A FULL RING OF LEAD SHEARED OFF WHEN LOADED ! That makes it IMPOSSIBLE to get flame into a another chamber ! FLASHBACK around nipples with a lose percussion cap causes multiple ignition. Seat caps tightly ! Best results with CCI # 11 Magnum caps, and I use a wood dowel to gently press caps on tight ! Caps do not ignite from gentle pressure, they have to struck HARD by gun's hammer to go off. I've done this for 53 years ! (Staff/Sgt., Ret., USMC/USAF/ARNG).
This is really good information and reflects my experience with reproductions exactly; the fiddling around to get them working perfectly could be considered as part of the challenge and the fun. Two out of three Uberti's out of the box needed hardly anything but the replacement of the bolt spring and the hand - these two parts seem to always go poof. Sometimes the bolt too.
I have 12 Pietta percussion revolvers, and 2 Uberti revolvers and I have had good luck with all but one of my Pietta revolvers, and they also seem to be a little more durable over my Ubertis.
Thanks for sharing the video.
I have a 1970s made pietta Remington never touched it use it fairly regularly apart from a new set of nipples never had a problem with it.
I have some Pietta revolvers that were made in the 1980`s and they still are working today with no parts replacement on them.
Thanks for letting me know that a 19th century cap and ball revolver is much heavier than a Glock. I had no idea. Master reviewer!
Nice video. I'm glad to know about the aftermarket better springs. You do make the mistake of generalizing using only one revolver from each manufacturer. I've been shooting several of these for 40 years and only had one broken spring (mainspring in a Uberti Colt) Back before Cabela's was bought by BassPro you could handle the revolvers at the counter before buying. I noticed big differences in cylinder gap etc. Back then you could buy the one that needed minimal or no tweaking.
I have a Uberti 1860 model fluted, and everything is perfect. No problem or repair needed. Fit and finish is also exceptionally good. My Pietta 1873 saa model is also perfect. The only thing that caused problems is the basepin, which moves forward during shooting when the notches of the pin are not in the correct position. maybe i got lucky with these revolvers, but the quality is really good.
Love my Piettas.
I Have Been Shooting Pietta 1851 Navy 44 Cal & 1858 New Army 44 Cal with a 45 Long Colt Conversion Cylinder for approx 20 Years both have always worked flawless , NO PROBLEMS AT ALL . Very Happy . PIETTA OWNER. Thank You 4 The Video.
I like you am kind of new to black powder, less than 4-5 years at it, I disagree My first Pietta brass sheriff .44 about 4 years ago, me and my kids still shoot with it we had an issue with cones/nipples got the slix shots, have not regretted As far as Gun Smiting YES, only in a complete strip and clean every so often. KNOCK on WOOD Still going strong barring the nipple replacement. Tomorrow it may very well snap pieces. By my book no complaints. Umberti Never had one, Not that desire is not there, prices should match Pietta, well they are an equivalent replica just as fine as Pietta, I careless where a stamping of logo/black powder only is, Moving a logo is not a $100 mark-up. Now video was awesome and informative, the heads up on Wolff Springs spot on.
i broke the same trigger spring on a expensive full inox 1862 police uberti, just some days after i got it. uberti is higher quality than pietta but i also have 5 pietta wich are still in perfect condition 17 years after so..shit happens.
I have a couple of UBERTI and now I bought my first one from PIETTA - COLT ARMY 1860. You are right, there is often a gap problem at UBERTI. On my new 2023 Pietta the gap is ok - but there's one issue you haven't mentioned. In the Uberti we can load a .454 bullet and Conical 450 conical bullets. I don't know why, Pietta in the Colt Army 1860 makes the barrel wrong. The loading point holds bullets, but the Conical cone shell cannot be loaded - the loading area is too tight.
I have a CVS Sheriff's model Colt in .36 cal I bought 35 years ago and eventually that same spring broke after about 15 years. I couldn't find one at the time so made one from a car radiator hose clamp that I cut down. It's still in there and working fine. Just recently had to buy a mainspring for it that was for a different manufacturer. Haven't fired it yet but should work fine. Just wanted to share this as there are different alternatives then going "OEM".
You bought a Colt .36 (bastard Sheriff's model) from a drug store ?
I've never had a problem with any of my pietta mabey u just got a bad one
You must have gotten a lemon. I've put about 1000 rounds through my 1860 Army from Pietta over the last 4 years and I have no complaints at all.
I have a Pietta stainless 1858 Remington with a Taylor conversion cylinder. Shoots .45 long colt rounds. Had it since 2001. Absolutely no problems whatsoever.
I've never had any problems with either Pietta or Uberti. The only flaw is in my Colt Walker. The loading lever falls down when shooting, which has always been a known flaw in the Walker's design. I hold it up with rubber bands.
Was handed down a Pietta 1851 Navy and it would not rotate the cylinder. Opened it up and both the Bolt and the spring on the Hand were broken. Parts are still available.
My first b&c pieta 1858 .100 rounds and modified front site to bead 100 rounds replaced trigger spring stoped counting rounds😊
I've given up on Ubertis all together and now go with Pietta exclusively. Why? If my Uberti had poor timing, the bolt stop would basically beat the heck out of cylinder notches, ruining chamber / barrel alignment over time. I don't know what steel Uberti uses but it's beyond ridiculous. It's so soft that the gun gets extremaly beaten up over time by simply using it. Pietta steel is also soft as mush but it's harder just so enough that it won't destroy itself by itself as all my Ubertis did if timing was not perfect. I prefer to get Pietta made of harder steel and then do all gunsmithing and fitting necessary to get it to Uberti's levels of quality because if I get Uberti I can't do a thing to change pathetic steel they are made of. Cheers and keep your powder dry.
Most likely the switch to CNC incentivized Uberti to use a softer steel stock, to get a high volume of parts done before you have to replace the tool heads.
I love the feel of my Uberti 1851 Navy, but it sure required a heck of a lot more work to get it functional right out of the box than this Pietta. She's been treating me well since all of that work though. I can't speak one way or another on the steel that's used, but I'll definitely keep what you said in mind. Cheers!
I agree, My new Uberti bolt gets released early and marks up the cylinder, and it was brand new Whatgives ? My four other Piettas behave much better. I think the solution would be a bigger diameter on the cam, maybe .005 or .010 thousands, or a longer leg on the bolt to delay the premature release. In my humble opinion, Uberti is a more faithful reproduction but they retain some of the quirks and idiosyncrasies of the originals, and Piettas have slight modern differences, but I’ve put mine through hell and back and they still shoot great !
@@BlackPowderGuide actually after giving it a deeper thought, you're right. Both steels are so pathetic that it hardly makes any difference which is worse. I started to cut in my pietta cylinder today while trying to cut flush a protruding ball... with a cheapest chinese folder. It was pathetic.
I lucked out with my 51/.44, only a few sharp points on the grip. Works perfect. The machinist sarg gave me a big smile over fit, finish and timing! Only a bit of scotch brite inside and around the forcing cone. May polish the ramp to rifling later. It just floats a new 1 dollar bill all the way around the cylinder The wedge is stiff to seat to the spring snapping into place. I can firmly push the spring down and push the wedge out to stop on the stop screw! The barrel can then be removed and replaced. A firm push locks the wedge back in to the spring snap lock! Did I luck out or what !?!
I bought a Uberti 1862 Pocket Police 5.5" barrel. Haven't fired it yet, but the action is smooth. Cross my fingers......
I have an 1858 Remington New Army made by Uberti, never had any problems with it. I now have an 1860 Colt Sheriff Pietta coming. Hopefully, I'll get lucky with it, too!
I own 4 piettas and I replaced all my flats with music wire springs and slixshots and never had another problem since
My 1858 New Army has been awesome from day one. Nice to know about the screws being soft metal though.
i guess i got lucky. I got my pietta last month and its working perfectly fine. some of the screws were really hard to get out when i cleaned it for the first time tho. I also found a piece of percussion cap in the action even tho it was brand new. I guess it was because they test fired that gun.
I really think it's luck of the draw with any BP revolver from either company at this point. Glad yours worked out! I would still recommend swapping out that trigger/bolt spring as it seems to be a common failure in many of the forums I've been on. Cheers!
I am amazed how picky people today are with respect to fit and finish
on guns. Have you ever used an original? I had the opportunity to use an original
Colt Army revolver as well as a Springfield rifle and a Henry rifle of Civil War era and
not one had perfect wood to metal fit. There were gaps and over hang of
the wood on all the original guns.
Not a lot, but it was not the perfect fit and finish of parts that
people today seem to expect. OK, that all said,
I have two Pietta 1858 revolvers and one did have that spring break.
I also have a Uberti Colt Walker and it shoots well and looks to have a little nicer
wood grips then the Pietta. It's action seems a little smoother. But I am comparing
apples to oranges since the 1847 Walker is a different design then the 1858 Remington.
Both the 1858's I have and the 1847 Walker are very accurate and I can actually
shoot tighter groups with these black powder guns then I can with my friend's
9mm Glock. I use .454 balls and a modest load of Triple 7 when
I use these guns. As for the finest Italian made guns Pedersoli makes
the best. But my favorite Italian made reproduction has to be the Uberti 1860 Henry.
I have one and have also used this American made so called "Real Henry" and
to be frank, I'd rather have my Uberti. It looks and feels more like the original
I had an opportunity to use years ago. The Uberti Henry is also about $1000
less expensive then the American made one.
Been using a Pietta 1858 at my gold mine for over 10 years. In rain sleet and snow keeping it loaded and capped for six months straight, reliably. Every test cycle after 6 months fires all six no problems. Been firing these for 20 years and in that time I've only had 2 failure to fires. 1 was a bad cap and 1 was cause I didn't properly clean the oil out of the chamber after cleaning and the powder got oil soaked (totally my fault and that was a while ago, I learned) Pietta is 100% amazing and I have and will continue to bet my life on they're quality. Better then most modern semis with a failure rate of 1 out of 10. Failure rate on Pietta powder guns for me has been 2 out of a thousand.
Where the hell do you get one??? I'm amazed at the fact that anyone even knows a Pietta gun at this point, because everywhere I look for a Lemat Revolver from Pietta, they are unavailable. And on their website when I search for a dealer nearby, nothing comes up.
I have had C&B revolvers from Pedersoli, Pietta, and Euroarms. I've never had that spring break on any of these, not in a decade. But then I like 1858 Remington reproductions, which would have a completely different spring. I've always preferred the '58 Remmie to any of the Colts, a solid frame, better sights and notches between the chambers that let you carry a full 6 shots without the hammer resting on a cap make the '58 Remmie a better gun.
I had a spring break on my Pietta 1858 revolver. But it was easy to replace and
was not expensive.
I thought the Pietta 1851s had the safety notches between the chambers?
@@j.p.9522 they do now👌
I use mostly Piettas, some Uberti, Armi San Marco, and other Italian replicas, and all work just FINE !
They shoot straight, even if finsh isnt perfect. True some may not time right. But that can be anyone. And it's a good idea to get soare parts for when something breaks. The hand may need to be trimmed to work right when replacing.
Unfortunately Pietta is the only current manufacturer of the No. 5 Paterson, thus my only Pietta. Would have preferred a Uberti with a loading lever. I did buy a spare cylinder.
Nice video and useful information. After a few decades of using cap and ball revolvers, brand is secondary to learning how to trouble shoot and tune them. As you mentioned both Pietta and Uberti can have issues, particularly the Colt replicas. I have never had any serious issues with 1858 Remingtons. The Euroarms Rogers and Spencer is rock solid also. Even though the Colt replicas may have issues with cap jams or cylinder gap, etc. They are beautiful and fun to tinker with.
I prefer Pietta overall because many parts are interchangeable such as grip frames and barrels. All of my Pietta and Ubertis have fortunately been very accurate. The best of the Uberti line in my experience has been the Colt Walker and Dragoons. On Pietta 1858s I run Pietta stainless nipples. On all my Colt open tops I use Slixx Shots nipples. They are expensive but worth it. Add some Howell or Kirst conversion cylinders for more utility and fun.
I successfully deer hunt with my Uberti Colt Walker. These cap and ball revolvers can be very lethal. Enjoy!
I do wish Pietta and all the other gun makers would get together and start making there own 10 and 11 percussion caps they would sell far more
I got mine for about $219. $24 shipping + tax. Rounded up to $250 to donate to the NRA for good measure. The gun looks great. Mine is an 1851 Navy Marshal 44 cal 7.5” BP revolver. I do agree that the grip is a bit on the rough side, nothing some filing or tape can’t fix though. I kinda like the heft these old guns have. Polymer guns feel like toys imho.
I've owned a Pietta Remington New Army for over twenty years and I have had no problems with it other than the barrel being plastered with all the markings. Mine is a Pietta that was distributed by Navy Arms so I have "FilliPietta - Made in Italy" on the right, "Black Powder Only .44 Cal" on the left and "Navy Arms Co. Ridgefield N. J." on the top of the barrel. I have considered getting the barrel milled down to remove this but it would change the barrel profile and still not be authentic looking.
Have the exact same pistol on my right hip. Been open carrying it for thirty five years.
Amazing how agreeable people get when I have to draw it out of it's holster.
And how quickly I get their undivided attention when I draw back the Hammer. I live in a bad neighborhood, with meth heads that will try to rob you at knife point at the gas station.
A couple of problems...
You make the generalization off of one revolver? Do they suck? No. They do not. That is how the ORIGINAL parts were made. Screws are supposed to be soft. Grip? Fix it. The labeling is likely THE LAW and so some idiot doesn't throw modern powder down the barrel.
Second "I have to explain to my wife." Never explain anything to your wife, especially regarding your hobby. She buys more $hit then you can keep track of....The key is you buy so many you overwhelm her sense of caring/counting.
Thirdly this is a great video.
I don't know about Uberti's being more historically accurate than Pietta's.
When I was looking for a SAA style gun, I chose a Pietta because they have 4 click actions like the Colt's while Uberti's only have 3 clicks.
stay away from the brass frames after about 50 shots the barrel ended up on the ground with the center pin attached and the frame still in hand. No problems with the steel framed one, shoots great and no misfires both are piettas.
Maybe I'm the one who knows. I purchased a pietta new army 44 8 inch barrel and out of the box extremely smooth action and the clearance between the cylinder and cone could not be seen, the but of the grips does have that little edge you were talking about. Great unbiased video thanks let me know where you get your replacement parts nice to have better for back up parts.
Just got a Pietta Smith Carbine. The fit and finish is absolutely superb. Their QC has improved.
I go with Pietta. And yes, the factory bolt stop spring frequently breaks early. Get past the early stages without breakage, and it will likely serve long and well. And yes, the screws are soft. Haven't tried it yet, but I've thought more than once about tempering the screws myself. At this point, since I understand the brand, I'll probably continue with Pietta for anything else in the future.
My first ever black powder pistol was a Pietta 1860 Army. The thing was rattling apart after shooting it. Barrel wedge wouldn't stay tight. I also did not care for the black powder only stamp. I took it to a gun show and sold it to a guy who had a table set up and he was happy to take it. After that I was more careful buying a black powder revolver. Back in those days the Signature Series were being manufactured and sold. Got a 3rd Dragoon and it has been a great gun! Big beefy .44 well fit and finish, no markings except the serial numbers and Sam Colt New York City. Best of all the gun shoots straight. Consistently tight groups, never throws balls. The gun will shoot as well as you can aim. I have never taken the action apart. It works so well I have taken the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" philosophy. When the barrel is off I flush the action with solvent and lubricant. Spray it down behind the hammer and in the hole where the bolt comes up. I do it until it flows out clean past the trigger.
Blackie Thomas has a cap and ball series, he shows what you.need to do to any new revolver. That man is a wealth of knowledge
I picked up a brass frame Pietta last year, and I have no zero issues with it and have shot it quite a bit. I've yet to take it apart for a deep clean and get at the internals, but I clean the rest of it very well. Brass doesn't rust so I can be lazy on the frame portion a bit. I usually load it on the softer side but there is no harm in loading it hot every now and then, the brass is higher quality than historically. Only issues with the finish on the grips is where it meets the the top of the side frame on each side its a little proud, other than that the grip fits perfectly to the grip frame.
Dixiegunworks as well ftw
Watch duelist1954 on sticking up Pietta. I harden the screws myself in addition to what duelist1954 video shows. I only have one Pietta 1860 my other four are uberti and one Belgium Colt 1860.
I havent had a problem with the 1851... no replacement parts needed. Sounds like you got a lemon and maybe contact them so you can roll with original parts to give a solid as is review
Excellent video! I picked up a Pietta 1851 44 cal brass frame from pawn shop on impulse. Took it out and shot about 3-4 dozen ball through it. After the second session , the trigger-bolt spring broke just like yours.
my Uberti remington 1858 after 1000 shots or so still works great, fit and finish perfect.
Bruh... I ain't never had no problem with my Pietta built revolvers. Uberti? I had two lemons. One was a .45 Remington that was WAAY too tight, could not even cock the hammer without the cylinder grinding on the frame. And another .45 Remington with an unacceptably large barrel/chamber gap. No problems with my Piettas though... Overall, I have to say that Pietta's quality is better than Uberti. The only pet peeve I've got about Piettas is that the screws are tightened much more than necessary...
As some have already pointed out, these guns need a little "slicking up" to bring them up more towards their optimum potential. But that, too, is a fun part of the process.
Maybe you just had a bad gun - Pietta's version of the 'Friday Car'? I got my 1858 Remington 8 months ago, have put about 600 rounds through it, and only a handful of misfires, due only to caps falling off. Whilst I get your point about the writing on the side, it is, I think, a very useful and well functioning firearm.
Is there just a parts kit one can purchase? I'd rather just load up on parts and be ready for trouble.
Cabelas carries a Pietta parts kit for $40
I just got a pietta 1851 navy parts kit for $32.99 and a complete screw kit for $24.99 from cabelas last week. It took 6 days from order to front door.
Perfect description of the quality, or more accurately the lack of Italian manufacturing! I wouldn't waste my money on an 1851 Navy. 1860 Army is a much more desirable weapon
No barrel proof marks now if you get them from emf plus all revolvers you get if you want them to be truly good just work the internals to fit
My first black powder pistol was the Pietta sheriff
The biggest issue I've found with my Pietta 1851 is that the little nubby interface between the hammer and the cylinder stop wears out quickly, likely because the metal is a bit too soft. This prevents the cylinder from spinning while in the half cock position.
What are you reffering too ?? Trying to picture this on my 1851s.. nubby interface between hammer and cylinder ??
They are a little heavier than say a compact auto. Now if you can, handle a Colt Walker lol. My experiences with Pietta vs Uberti are that the Uberti is a little better finished off but the Pietta works better mechanically and has a better trigger. Obviously this is just my experience with them.
Great post! I guess I lucked up with my Pietta 1858 Remington I bought in 2017. No issues with the pistol. Only problem I have is the extra cylinder is not roll marked as the cylinder that comes installed in the pistol. The extra cylinder is also rusting, whereas the installed cylinder is still in great shape. I can only determine that the spare cylinder is possibly made by a outside supplier and not made to the same specs as far as metal quality & finish.
Do you collect derringers too, Abe?
Never check the hand travel/operation with the cylinder out.
The hand will overextend and jam in the hand channel.
Seems like Uberti makes a gun closer to the historical specs and Pietta makes a gun which works a bit better out of the box.
My most recent pietta is a PoS. Nothing fits correctly, chambers are rough, frame screws are stuck, wedge was stuck, hammer drags on the frame and Taylor's customer service kinda sucks. Won't go into it all, but they're refusing to acknowledge any of it as manufacturing flaws, saying I'm at fault for stripping screw heads and I mean the only thing that seems right was the finish. It looks good until you use it.
So, I have a rough but semi- functional gun that looks alright as a paperweight or fireplace hanger.
If I were to use pyrodex in it, it would certain be unusable. It'll have to be a conversion gun or 777 only.
Sorry you had such a bad experience with the Pietta. Mine is a jewel. I had to work on the grips a bit, but I've been making my own grips since 1970, when I was on the US Army pistol team; so, I've always been a pain in the butt about how my grips fit, and feel in my hand...BTW, you can re-harden the screw heads; make them nice and smooth; get just the head almost glowing hot and drop them in motor oil to cool back to room temp...
I can't speak to the black powder versions as I've never owned one. But I have owned both Uberti and Pietta cartridge revolvers. The most recent being a outlaw legacy 4 3/4" .45 colt. It is beautifully made. It absolutely blows my Uberti's away. No cylinder ringing at all. The fit is outstanding. The action is very smooth. The lazer engraving is very attractive. The first round out of it was a dead center bullseye 🎯. I would recommend the tuned outlaw gang versions based on my own experience with it. Sorry you didn't get a good one. Maybe I got lucky.
I've had a 1858 for years 6 in. Never missed a lick it works as good as any of my smokeless and I have shot some pretty heavy loads in it maybe you are just unlucky
mine doesn't "suck" after a few mods. stays consistently accurate and powerfull. i DO wish i would have got the steel frame vs the brass.
Uberti tends to have more solid construction but their parts are basically all custom and specific to their models. Pietta uses specifications closer to that of the original colt models and quite a few SAA parts are actually interchangeable on Pietta's SA revolvers.
A wise comrade once said that if you build a slush fund for gun parts only you know about, you'll be happy, the misses will be happy, and unicorns will adorn your front yard with golden droppings. Just saying.
Some of your complaints, especially regarding the grips seem a bit picayune but this would be a great upgrade video.
What is really bad on Pietta is soft material of cylinder. Maybe Uberti too (Italian copys overall). I see many many Pietta revolvers, same result. Soft metal of cylinder. Bolt ruined cylinder notches on every revolver, hard spring + bad angle of bolt head + bad timing, wide head of bolt, this is exemple. You need to be a gunsmith where you use Pietta and other italian copy.
If you soak the metal parts in vinegar for an hour it'll remove the scratches in the bluing.
Now in 2024, ive bought two pietta's your words two years ago ae true for today, the 60' Reb and their model 1873 in 44 mag, omg, I've been into guns for sixty plus years, and these two I've bought and returned they were pure s*** , junk. None of my Uberti guns have ever gave me any trouble! Revolvers or rifles! Buyer be wear! Be safe!.
I have six never had any problems have an 1851 navy it cap jams alot
I have a 1858 and 1860. I have never had broken parts. And the 1858 i shot so much I had to have it timed only once. Probably over 2000 rounds through each
It’s hit Or miss no pun intended, those revolvers I’ve been playing with them for 25 years, I think it’s because they are built like the original models
I have two piettas and never had any problems with any of them
I personally prefer spending the extra money on an Uberti. I think they are sleeker, closer to the original, and no billboard. I used to machine my own screws and harden them myself if I ever marred one up. But, with a little care; either can be made to have a lot of fun with. Providing you can get around Pietta's billboard.
In my experience biggest cause in cracked springs is over tightening the retaining screw..it doesn’t need to be Hercules tight just barely past snug..the trigger guard will prevent the screw from backing out and you could put some nail polish or light loctite on the threads if it helps you sleep lol..this is not a guarantee however as not all springs are made equally and sometimes things happen but it could definitely prolong the life of the spring and buy a little more time, and finding the proper torque technique doesn’t hurt at all..Those are some nice pieces you have there btw, I especially like that sheriff model as I’ve never seen one a with steel backstrap and trigger guard👍..thanks for the video, good luck, and happy shooting
Yep, like a spark plug. Some people just wanna tighten screws like you're putting something in a wall for a painting
He prob added gaurd, as i heard you could order them from pietta
So-called "Sheriff's" models I call bastard guns, because NONE were made that way. If any originals exist (I very much doubt it ) with short 3-4" barrels, it was later cut down by the owner or some local gunsmith . Some so-called "experts" claim the .36 brass-frame 1851 Navy is a bastard ~because they don't know much gun history ! Schneider & Glassick of Memphis , Tenn. made '51 Navy copies with brass frames and octagon barrels until the town was occupied by Yankees. (Staff/Sgt., Ret. Nam Marine/ USMC/ USAF/ ARNG)
That spring is the weakest part of the old Colts.. got a Uberti SAA new .. and the same spring popped early on with it as well, got a couple of spares, and never looked back.
Pietta, I have one and IT SURE DOESN"T SUCK.
I have 2 1858 clones which I have had for 20 years and nothing has broken on them. The parts that you are showing an are identical to the originals. Quality control is sometimes an issue with all of the Italian copies that I have seen.
I bought a Uberti 1851 "Yank" from Navy Arms back in 1970; it cost me $90.00. Steel frame, beautiful finish. I've still got it and it's been fired many hundreds of times with no problems. I wouldn't take $300.00 for it now.
I have a pietta 1858 remington I bought many years ago, have fired this gun so many times have lost count. It has been flawless. No problems with any springs. I could not buy a better black powder pistol.
Thanks for the info.. Many are still availible. The 1858 new army is availible and with the 1851 Hartford Sheriff navy in 44. All 3 of my ran about 325.00 each. As for the problems you mentioned.. None of my have these issues.. no hang ups, no light gaps either. So far so good.