Frame swap

D

Doc Hoy

New member
Some months ago, I came up with (through the support of one of our number) a Pietta Brass 1862 Police.

Just last week, Fingers posted a Pietta steel frame for sale at a price that attracted a lot of attention from several of us.

Because I have nothing better to do that check the forum six or eight times per day, (did you notice my tongue lodged deeply in my cheek) I noticed the deal quickly enough to buy the frame before someone else jumped on it.

I had several uses for it that I thought would work, but in the end, I was happy to have the frame even though I might find that none of the projects were compatable.

First on my list was to change the brass frame on this Police model to steel.

With a little filing on the lug pins the frame works like a dream.

I know what you all are thinking so save your breath......Here is the proof

Before:

PoliceBrass.jpg


After:

PoliceSteel.jpg
 
There are a coupla discrepancies...

.... First of all the pistol is a six shooter and the original police only held 5.

Second, the frame is cut for a shoulder stock.

My total investment in this pistol is about 210.00 and I really like the looks of it.

Still have a coupla Remingtons to work on.

..

And now I have a spare brass frame for a .36 that has only been fired about 30 times.
 
Hawg

You have done plenty of favors for me.

BTW....

I think the one Cabela's sells in steel is a six shooter too.

The brass frame came originally from them. I doubt they changed the configuration just because the frame is steel.
 
Nice work!
Yes Cabelas sells the Piettia Police. It's a 6 shot steel frame (with cutouts snd lugs for the sholder stock. The BBL is 5 1/2" long. It's a GREAT revolver. Total cost is $249 but occasionally it goes on sale for $229.
Mine is a good shooter, it throws em a little high and left but I think the rear sight could be filed?
I shoot mine with 22gr of Pyrodex, preferably with a patch (but I have used Crisco), a little COW filler tomove the balls forward and fill the cylinders.
I am not the best shot and I get pretty consistant 5" groups at 25yards. At 7 yards it is possible to almost shoot a cloverleaf! I suppose a better shot could...
The action is smooth and the cylinder indexes right-on though the action is not as amooth as my Uberti London Replica.
The Piettia is a good value.
I bet you got a lot of satisfaction by building your own and it sure looks good!
I bought a Cabela's Western Holster for mine and cut it to fit the Piettia Police.It made a nice rig!
ZVP
 
Z

Thanks for the wink back.

It is hard to characterize what I did as "Building".

The frame swap was essentially nothing more than six screws. Everyting fit perfectly accept the lug pins. Jeweler's file took care of that.

I shot this pistol in the brass frame and I liked it. Can't wait to shoot the steel frame version.

That will be about two weeks from now hoping that the weather will hold.

Tnx,
 
Lookin good Doc. Glad you were able to make good use of it. I had a project planned for it; but, being a four screw cut for shoulder stock, it wouldn't have worked. I had planned the mill the recoil sheild off and make a .36 Dance with it. The fourth screw would have screwed that up.

FM
 
Wekk Doc you built what is my opnion of the perfect Colt 36 Navy! The Piettia is a natural pointer and very user friendly and quick on the draw! The overall size is just perfect!
The neat thing is that you came up with this already in production model on your own and it shows a lot of thought put into the revolver!
What other ideas do you have...?
ZVP
 
Z

Thanks for the compliments.

I have two Remingtons I am working on but these will probably just be restorals.

They are brass frame revolvers that appear to be unfinished kits. They are complete and shootable as they are but very rough in appearance.

They have been sitting on my bench for about five months.

I also have enough parts to make a defarbed G&G in .44.

Photos as they move forward
 
1862 Police ?? or 1861 Navy??

This is a good example of the manufacturer's lack of knowledge about the original percussion revolver and providing whatever the market wants. The only manufacturers who produced the 1862 Pocket Police and 1862 Pocket Navy were Armi San Marco, Uberti, and Colt. ASM is the only one who produced the 1862 Pocket Police with a brass frame. These are rare. Pietta sold, through Cabelas, the revolver Doc has as an 1862 Police when is is actually an 1861 Navy. They were available in both brass and steel frame. The frames will interchange with the 1851 Navy as well.
 
BPREVOLVER

It is good to read your name on the forum.

I might add that one of the things I had planned to do with this frame is to replace a brass frame on a C.O.M. revolver Sheriff's model. I tried it and it seems to fit properly. I opted for the Pietta because the overall quality of the rest of the revolver is higher than the C.O.M. Had I continued with that project it would have been like making a silk purse from a sow's ear.

So there must be a great deal of similarity between the frames from Pietta and from C.O.M. at least from the years in question.
 
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