I actually traded my third generation Colt 5.5in SAA 45 colt for a S&W model 29 yesterday. Over the past 4 years I have tried different bullet weights and profiles and at least a dozen different smokeless and black powders and could never get it to shoot well. At 15 yards it would but a shotgun pattern a foot left and two feet high. I finally had enough and traded it off. I have a Uberti Cattleman that shoots fantastic with well regulated sighs right out of the box. It isn't as pretty as the Colt was, but a pretty gun that doesn't shoot is of no use to me. My second generation Colt New Frontier in 357 is great. That gun will shoot any 38 special or 357 load I put in it fantastic. I guess my Colt SAA must have been one meant to be looked at and not shot.
Sorry you couldn’t get that Colt to shoot better. A 3rd gen. Colt that shoots that bad should be sent to Colt for assessment. I suspect a bent barrel or a bad bore. I had a Colt that wouldn’t sight in. I swapped out the barrel with a similarly vintage barrel and we were driving tacks.
Great video!! cant wait to see the 2nd part. 2f is what most 45colt ammo is loaded with originally. I have never shot a 2nd or 3rd gen colt. My guess they would be very similar shooting. I can speak on 1st gens vs replicas shooting only blackpowder. 1st gen rifling holds up better to fowling before Losing accuracy.
Good to see you back in action Todd! You got very good results from that short barrel, i have a Uberti with the 7 1/2" barrel and I find that is not as consistent as this one, I have always thought that the "modern" repros have the .452" bore, whereas they should be 454", unlike the C&B revolvers where the cylinders can be reamed out with the 45 Colt this cannot be done, the cylinders seem to be over diameter already, which squeezes the projectile into the shallow rifling. Hope your unpacking went well! Chris B.
A nice comparison, thank you for sharing, and I look forward to part two. As to powder, the records are clear: the original cartridges used 2F powder, not 3F. I know that seems strange, but I have documented it. I had Accurate Molds make me a good mold for a good replica of the original 250-grain bullet and I shoot it with 2F, and it works quite well.
I have 2 Uberti Cattleman ll 1873 colt replicas, one in 357 mag, the other chambered in 9mm. I also have a beautiful Taylor&Company/Uberti 1873 Winchester replica rifle in 357 mag. They are all pretty decent shooters. Looking forward to part 2. Thank you.
I see your hands moving a lot which probably hurts your groups . I'm a lot Older than you (73) so when I shoot groups for accuracy I put a sand bag under my hands and this helps me a lot especially when sighting in a new load , gun or my Cap and Ball revolvers .I really like your videos , I'm in the N.W. corner of Arizona. I avoid Starbucks ,I don't like their Coffee and about 2 years ago they came out against our 2A right to carry .
I really love SAA revolvers. Even though I do own a Colt SAA in 22 cal., I would love to add one of the big bores to my collection. Still an actual Colt would be well out of my budget these days so when I manage to make it happen, it will have to be one the the replicated brands.
I own two Uberti 1873 clones. One is a 4.75" in 44 spl and the other is 7.5" in .357 mag. The 44 spl is on my nightstand. It is pretty much a less than 1.5" gun at 25 yards with my loads. The .357 is about the same. Handloader magazine tested a 44 spl exactly like mine and oddly.. with almost the exact same load. Using a ranson rest the gun shot cloverleafs at 25 yards... one of the most accurate he had tested.
@@gijoe508 I believe he will vote for harris this time out. I have found that some people simply are a victim mentality it is never their fault... and you are the bad guy for not 'feeling' for them. I was told once by a guy that he simply could not work a job because it was not possible for him to get up on time. He not only played the victim card here but he went on to say that it was 'easy' for me to get up so no wonder I did not understand.
I have a Uberti 1873 Cattlemen from Taylor's & it doesn't have any medallion on the grip bottom; & either my revolver is more accurate...or I'm a better shot than he is!& I shoot one handed!
Might be interesting to try this comparison again but use a proper pistol rest. Resting your forearms on a pillow isn't as stable as you could get with something like a real pistol rest with support under the barrel and the butt of the gun. Then you could get closer to the pistol's mechanical accuracy. I'm not talking about the large Ransom grip frame rest, just the smaller Ransom Multi Cal Steady Rest.
In Elmer Keith's book "Six Guns" he used a full case of 2F Black Powder but doesn't mention the brand. If you reload be aware you can not use the same bullets as the .45 ACP .Years ago a friend of mine tried some .45 Colt loads in his gun with good accuracy so he bought a box of bullets and reloaded them . When we went shooting he couldn't hit anything so he asked me to check it out. He didn't know the .45 Colt uses a .454 " dia. bullet and the .45 ACP uses .452" dia. so the bullets were just rattling down the barrel. When he switched to the proper size bullets his accuracy was back .
I don't know that year your buddy's was made but both of my Uberti in 45 colt takes 0.452" bullets. one is made in 2007 and one in 2017. I cast a lot of my own bullets so I slug my barrels and both slugged 0.45" so 0.452" is 0.002 over size and shoot well. Not saying your wrong as 45 ACP can use a 0.452 lead bullet but most 45 ACP bullets are 0.451" if there not lead. So if you buddy's took a 0.454" and he shot 0.451" in ya I bet he couldn't hit anything.
If your friends' gun was 1st Gen, then it should be .454. My understanding is that 2nd and 3rd Gen guns in .45 Colt are .452. All of the clones are .452.
10 yards? Groups that fat at that distance cannot be the best either brand of SAA can do. I suppose if you shoot the Colt by the same method viewers might get some comparison between the two. The best we can do to discern a particular SAA's capability is to have a much better method of shooting from the bench or table. Sandbags for the gun to rest on. You demonstrate no rest other than your elbows. Also, 10 yards is hardly no accuracy test at all. Group size from a stabilized revolver AT 25 YARDS would make for a far more interesting and tell-tale report. Your method seems to be popular these days with the reasoning being the gun tested will most likely be used at shorter distances and not off a sandbag rest, but even so, a buyer would certainly want to know how well the gun does. I've got single actions that shoot into 1.5 inches at 25. I think the Uberti is capable of your 2" group at 3 times the distance. Not my business, sir, and I certainly don't have the energy to make a video. For making yours, I thank you. I'm 77 been shooting and hunting with single actions since age 18 and still do. I say that to give myself a little bit of respect or credit in your eyes. Please don't take my comments as hostile or demeaning. Not intended that way at all. I think you will have achieved your goal of comparing the two brands after you shoot the Colt. I realize your intention was not to show the very best of those revolvers. Mike Gibbs
I actually traded my third generation Colt 5.5in SAA 45 colt for a S&W model 29 yesterday. Over the past 4 years I have tried different bullet weights and profiles and at least a dozen different smokeless and black powders and could never get it to shoot well. At 15 yards it would but a shotgun pattern a foot left and two feet high. I finally had enough and traded it off. I have a Uberti Cattleman that shoots fantastic with well regulated sighs right out of the box. It isn't as pretty as the Colt was, but a pretty gun that doesn't shoot is of no use to me. My second generation Colt New Frontier in 357 is great. That gun will shoot any 38 special or 357 load I put in it fantastic. I guess my Colt SAA must have been one meant to be looked at and not shot.
Sorry you couldn’t get that Colt to shoot better. A 3rd gen. Colt that shoots that bad should be sent to Colt for assessment. I suspect a bent barrel or a bad bore. I had a Colt that wouldn’t sight in. I swapped out the barrel with a similarly vintage barrel and we were driving tacks.
Great video!! cant wait to see the 2nd part. 2f is what most 45colt ammo is loaded with originally. I have never shot a 2nd or 3rd gen colt. My guess they would be very similar shooting. I can speak on 1st gens vs replicas shooting only blackpowder. 1st gen rifling holds up better to fowling before Losing accuracy.
Good to see you back in action Todd! You got very good results from that short barrel, i have a Uberti with the 7 1/2" barrel and I find that is not as consistent as this one, I have always thought that the "modern" repros have the .452" bore, whereas they should be 454", unlike the C&B revolvers where the cylinders can be reamed out with the 45 Colt this cannot be done, the cylinders seem to be over diameter already, which squeezes the projectile into the shallow rifling. Hope your unpacking went well! Chris B.
Oh man, leave us hangin'!1
A nice comparison, thank you for sharing, and I look forward to part two. As to powder, the records are clear: the original cartridges used 2F powder, not 3F. I know that seems strange, but I have documented it. I had Accurate Molds make me a good mold for a good replica of the original 250-grain bullet and I shoot it with 2F, and it works quite well.
Thanks Todd, looking forward to the Colt video. What is a Montanan doing in Arizona in the summertime, isn’t that seasonally backwards?
I have 2 Uberti Cattleman ll 1873 colt replicas, one in 357 mag, the other chambered in 9mm. I also have a beautiful Taylor&Company/Uberti 1873 Winchester replica rifle in 357 mag. They are all pretty decent shooters. Looking forward to part 2. Thank you.
I see your hands moving a lot which probably hurts your groups . I'm a lot Older than you (73) so when I shoot groups for accuracy I put a sand bag under my hands and this helps me a lot especially when sighting in a new load , gun or my Cap and Ball revolvers .I really like your videos , I'm in the N.W. corner of Arizona. I avoid Starbucks ,I don't like their Coffee and about 2 years ago they came out against our 2A right to carry .
Looking forward to part 2. Thanks for the video. I love the out takes. please keep those in.
I own several of both including Pietta and they all are great guns
Thank you. I can't wait for part 2.
I really love SAA revolvers. Even though I do own a Colt SAA in 22 cal., I would love to add one of the big bores to my collection. Still an actual Colt would be well out of my budget these days so when I manage to make it happen, it will have to be one the the replicated brands.
I own two Uberti 1873 clones. One is a 4.75" in 44 spl and the other is 7.5" in .357 mag. The 44 spl is on my nightstand. It is pretty much a less than 1.5" gun at 25 yards with my loads. The .357 is about the same. Handloader magazine tested a 44 spl exactly like mine and oddly.. with almost the exact same load. Using a ranson rest the gun shot cloverleafs at 25 yards... one of the most accurate he had tested.
This will be very interesting! I always enjoy your videos!
I don't get the Starbucks attraction either 👍🇺🇸🍀
Looking forward to Colt’s response!
One of my guys used to be late for work. It was a stretch of highway that was always very crowded. I told him the same. leave early.
I had a guard who was consistently 15 minutes late to work every day I told him to leave 15 minutes earlier, he never did listen.
@@gijoe508 I believe he will vote for harris this time out. I have found that some people simply are a victim mentality it is never their fault... and you are the bad guy for not 'feeling' for them. I was told once by a guy that he simply could not work a job because it was not possible for him to get up on time. He not only played the victim card here but he went on to say that it was 'easy' for me to get up so no wonder I did not understand.
Can’t wait to see the second half
I thought 3rd gen Colts were just Uberti parts assembled by Colt employees 🤔 Now, what if the Colt employees are Italian 🤔🤔 Now, my brain hurts 😵💫
I am sure Colts are made still in Hartford Connecticut that’s why they are hire priced there are differences if you know what to look for
BP just sounds like a real load.
Very nice. Distance? Keep it up!
great info thanks
Good to see you back making videos.
Come on Doc, where is part 2?
Thanks Doc....
Old F-4 Shoe🇺🇸
What is on the bottom of the grip on the Uberti?
I have a Uberti 1873 Cattlemen from Taylor's & it doesn't have any medallion on the grip bottom; & either my revolver is more accurate...or I'm a better shot than he is!& I shoot one handed!
Might be interesting to try this comparison again but use a proper pistol rest. Resting your forearms on a pillow isn't as stable as you could get with something like a real pistol rest with support under the barrel and the butt of the gun. Then you could get closer to the pistol's mechanical accuracy. I'm not talking about the large Ransom grip frame rest, just the smaller Ransom Multi Cal Steady Rest.
Good deal
Standard load 250g bullet behind 40g 3F...or, 2F whichever is on hand. Both are at 1.5 or 2 (depending on me.
In Elmer Keith's book "Six Guns" he used a full case of 2F Black Powder but doesn't mention the brand. If you reload be aware you can not use the same bullets as the .45 ACP .Years ago a friend of mine tried some .45 Colt loads in his gun with good accuracy so he bought a box of bullets and reloaded them . When we went shooting he couldn't hit anything so he asked me to check it out. He didn't know the .45 Colt uses a .454 " dia. bullet and the .45 ACP uses .452" dia. so the bullets were just rattling down the barrel. When he switched to the proper size bullets his accuracy was back .
I don't know that year your buddy's was made but both of my Uberti in 45 colt takes 0.452" bullets. one is made in 2007 and one in 2017. I cast a lot of my own bullets so I slug my barrels and both slugged 0.45" so 0.452" is 0.002 over size and shoot well. Not saying your wrong as 45 ACP can use a 0.452 lead bullet but most 45 ACP bullets are 0.451" if there not lead. So if you buddy's took a 0.454" and he shot 0.451" in ya I bet he couldn't hit anything.
If your friends' gun was 1st Gen, then it should be .454. My understanding is that 2nd and 3rd Gen guns in .45 Colt are .452. All of the clones are .452.
Hurry Please LOL
Curious what sort of velocities you're able to achieve?
🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠👍👍👍👍👍
"Dollar ninety-nine, what's wrong with that?" (gas station coffee)
About $1.25 of that is wrong.
All of Starbucks is wrong.
10 yards? Groups that fat at that distance cannot be the best either brand of SAA can do. I suppose if you shoot the Colt by the same method viewers might get some comparison between the two. The best we can do to discern a particular SAA's capability is to have a much better method of shooting from the bench or table. Sandbags for the gun to rest on. You demonstrate no rest other than your elbows. Also, 10 yards is hardly no accuracy test at all. Group size from a stabilized revolver AT 25 YARDS would make for a far more interesting and tell-tale report. Your method seems to be popular these days with the reasoning being the gun tested will most likely be used at shorter distances and not off a sandbag rest, but even so, a buyer would certainly want to know how well the gun does. I've got single actions that shoot into 1.5 inches at 25. I think the Uberti is capable of your 2" group at 3 times the distance. Not my business, sir, and I certainly don't have the energy to make a video. For making yours, I thank you. I'm 77 been shooting and hunting with single actions since age 18 and still do. I say that to give myself a little bit of respect or credit in your eyes. Please don't take my comments as hostile or demeaning. Not intended that way at all. I think you will have achieved your goal of comparing the two brands after you shoot the Colt. I realize your intention was not to show the very best of those revolvers. Mike Gibbs