F.LLipietta Engraved Colt 1851 Navy Stainless

P

playtheblues

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First post here, so, hello all. I just bought a new F.LLipietta Engraved Colt 1851 Navy Stainless 44 caliber revolver today for $250, shipping included. Just wanted to know if any of you folks have this gun, and if so, how do you like it? It got very good online reviews. I've had a couple of cap and ball guns before, but haven't shot one in a while. Couple of questions: Is a round ball all this pistol will shoot? Also, where is the best (least expensive) place to buy online supplies such as powder and caps? I have plenty of 44 balls and a nice powder flask, and powder, but need some caps. I appreciate any info you folks can provide.
Bill in SC
 
Pietta makes fairly good guns; the "Flli Pietta" marking is just a contraction of "Fratelli Pietta", Italian for "Pietta Brothers". Since these are really only short-range pistols anyway, a round ball is all you should normally need, but if you want to get into casting, you can get Minie-ball style bullets with a hollow base for it. No idea on percussion caps, but since shipping on these is likely to be pretty bad, you're probably better off finding a local supplier.
 
I did not buy it for the engraving/etching, but rather because it is stainless, and small compared to some of the longer revolvers. I do cast my fishing weights, and was planning on casting my .44 balls. And yes, I can get my caps local, but in the case with MANY daily items, I can usually buy stuff online cheaper, even with shipping charges. I appreciate the replies.
Bill in SC
 
Actually, it's not stainless either; unless they've changed since I bought mine. They're polished in the white. Try getting a magnet to stick to the cylinder and frame. If it does, it's not stainless.

Regardless. They're fun to shoot & clean up easily. I've got 2 in .44 and one in .36.

They work best with .454 round balls. www.bpstuffllc.com is a great source for balls & wads. They will shoot conicals also; but they're highr and arent readily available unless you cast your own. Cabelas is a source for caps. First thing you should do is replace the nipples with Treso's (www.thunder-ridge.com) or stainless steel ones. I prefer Treso. #10 Remingtons fit perfectly on them, and the smaller flash hole reduces the possibility of caps getting blown back into the action.
 
First of all, not all stainless steels are austenitic. Martensitic steels, which exhibit magnetic properties, are often used for firearms since they are more machinable. It's entirely possible for a stainless steel gun to attract a magnet, so that's not a reliable test.

Having said that however, it's more likely that the gun is nickel plated; I believe that's what Pietta currently markets. They did offer some "polished steel" guns at one time, but I don't think that's in the current catalog. In either case it's a very nice looking gun.

I would suggest that the first thing he does is shoot the gun. In fact, I'd put 50 to 100 rounds through it before I spent $25 on a new set of nipples that he might not need. It might just work perfectly well with the nipples it came with.
 
I appreciate the comprehensive replies, folks! Cabelas has it listed as "polished steel". I guess maybe it is not stainless after all.
BB in SC
 
Bill/Mykeal. The frames and cylinders of my SS C&Bs (six at last count- Colt, Uberti and Pietta) will not hold a magnet - admittedly the barrels will to a degree; but not as tightly as a blued model.

The Pietta Marshal models are not nickel plated. They are polished steel - as the box says. One listing describes it:

"Colt 1851 Navy Yank US Marshal. Excellent reproduction by Pietta.
.44 cal only right now. .36 cal may be available in the future.
We called these Stainless Steel for lack of a better term, but the metal is actually a highly polished steel allow that does not rust easily, and accepts the photo engraving very nicely. Fluted Cylinder. Frame is fully engraved. Walnut Grips. This model has been very popular. A nice shooter as well..........................."

Mykeal - I agree that replacing the nipples may not be necessary - if the gun is only going to be used occasionally for plinking. Stock nipples have flash holes about twice the size of after market Tresos or SS nipples. The smaller flash holes will reduce blowback that casuses cap jams. If the gun is going to be used for any type of competition, replacement nipples will ensure reliability.
 
Hallo, I have got one, it is more accurate that I thougt before try it, I have modified the frontal point as you can see in the pic and now all shots are in the center black area at 25 yards.



I normally charge it with .451 round ball and 16 grains FFFG, this pietta is very good machined, my revolver was made in 1988.

Regards and sorry for my bad english.
 
NICE, suiftwater! Don't worry about bad English. I lived here for 54 years and still can't talk right!! :-)
BB in SC
BTW: Can someone suggest a good, inexpensive holster for this pistol? I have lots of leather on hand and might make one myself if I can't find an inexpensive one.
 
Yep, it's a nice looking gun for sure. I don't have any stainless/nickel/polished steel guns because I personally prefer blued/browned/antiqued finishes. But there's no denying they're nice.

Cabela's actually has 2 engraved .44 cal 1851 Navys listed in "stainless steel" type finish - one is the Marshal's short barrel version, which is called 'polished steel', and the other is a a longer barrel with a 'gold' finish cylinder and a finish claimed to be nickel. I wasn't sure which one playtheblues was referring to.

BTW, I'm a Treso fan personally. I don't think you can go wrong with them for all the reasons mentioned above. But, I like to wear out the OEM nipples before I replace them with Tresos. Sometimes it doesn't take very long.
 
And yes, I can get my caps local, but in the case with MANY daily items, I can usually buy stuff online cheaper, even with shipping charges.
Click to expand...

It's not the shipping charges but the hazmat fees that get you on small items like caps.
 
Finally got this gem in my hands today. Now, I need to learn it's disassembly procedure from top to bottom! I was pleasantly surprised how nice the trigger pull is from the factory. Very smooth, and light.
BB in SC
 

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