Griswold replica question

A

ak-kev

New member
Hey guys, hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! I have an opportunity to buy a ( Navy Arms) Uberti G&G , date code 1980 for probably 175ish. Its in pretty good shape, never fired, but cruddy from sitting for 30 years. It should clean up very nice.

However, Cabellas has the Pietta version for 172.00 brand new. My question is: Is the new Pietta quality better than the older Uberti quality? Is there any reason for me to buy the older Uberti (other than me being brand-loyal) over the new Pietta? Could I have your opinions please. Thank you. Kevin.
 
IMO, no reason to buy the older vs. the new, but others will invariably have more info than I do...I'm no expert. If you gotta clean it up anyway, you might as well get a newer gun.

I think the functionality of both brands is fairly parallel & the main difference is in finish & fit, though I understand that Pietta has improved upon their fitting of parts.

If you intend to pretty up a gun with engraving & refinishing, might as well get a gun that will cost less to start with. I understand brand loyalty, though...if I'm gonna buy a guitar I turn my nose up at anything that isn't a Fender. Isn't the G&G a brass framed pistol? I didn't know Uberti made those...like I said, I'm no expert.
 
Thank you for your thoughts sir. You are correct, Uberti doesnt make the G&G currently. Thats why I'm considering this older one. I just dont want to buy a crapper.
 
I you are looking for authenticity, the older Uberti beats the Pietta - hands down. The profile of the grips on the Ubertis closer replicates the original. I don't particularly care for the grip shape on Pietta '51 pattern models and have been known to change the grips/BS/TG on them whenever I can. Quality wise, the older Uberti fit & finish will be every bit as good as current production model Piettas. I've got a pair of Gregorelli & Uberti G&Gs made in 1960 that are as good as anything I have that was made up through today.

If you are just looking for something to shoot, cheaper is always better :D
 
Fingers, I've bought several 1851's made by Pietta & one 1861 (also by Pietta); there is a difference in the grip shape on the '61 & I prefer it over the '51 grip. Is it more correct to the original Colt? I also wound up picking up a pair of shorter barreled Pietta '61s, hoping for the same grip that the long barreled '61 was built with. To my chagrin, they have the 'long-tailed' backstrap that seems to keep my hand from naturally pointing the revolver as an extension of my arm (the steel backstrap on the longer '61 feels more natural).
 
I'd go with the Uberti if it's a .36 which it should be. Uberti has always been pretty good about keeping things historically accurate except for those first brass 51 Navies.:rolleyes:
 
Well........it ended up being a pietta. I was kinda dissapointed . I don't have anything against Pietta, I just have never owned one and wanted to stay with what has been good to me, Uberti. I guess he assumed it was a uberti because the importer was navy arms. But the surprise was, he had two. So anyway, I went ahead and bought both at 175 each. The date code on both is 1980. I've got them dissassembled now and giving them a good cleaning..they wernt fired but it appears he fired a few caps because the nipples are nasty. I've got them all out but one. as of now. I will post pictures soon. Thank you all for responding.
 
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Mr Colt said:
I've got a pair of Gregorelli & Uberti G&Gs made in 1960 that are as good as anything I have that was made up through today.
Click to expand...

Are those marked G&G or are they marked "Confederate Reb" I've got a couple of the old script marked Gregorelli & Uberti round barreled 51's in the parts box. I don't recall if they had a specific name. I have a "Confederate Reb" marked brass frame Uberti .36.
 
Barrel address is Navy Arms Co. with a script G&U on the right flat, nothing else. Frame is marked Navy Arms Co on the left and XVI with proof marks on the right side.
 
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Ak-Kev

Not being silly about this, but you might want to buy both but with two preautions:

I would wait until the Pietta goes on sale. I bought one for 154.00 and free shipping a while back. Might go lower. Their brass Navy is on sale for 129.00 and the G&G is roughly equivalent when neither pistol is on sale.

This might also influence the price on the used one. It is common for folks to be selling their revolvers without knowing what is available new and at what price. Gun show vendors never check the prices of new stuff (or at least they won't admit to it.) Many don't even know who Cabela's is.
 
Cabela's Griswold & Gunnison on Sale

I checked the Cabela's web site for the Griswould & Gunnison. It is a .44cal. and not .36cal. Has anyone seen a Pietta G & G for $129 in .36cal.?
 
I bought mine for 154.00 two years ago

That was a sale price when the full price for the pistol was (I think) 179.00 which, as several have said, is still its full price. (Mine is .44 cal. Listed are .36)

Full price for the 1851 pattern is 199.00. It is on sale for 129.00.

It is difficult to predict what Cabela's will put on sale, or how long the items will remain on sale. But the only time I buy pistols from The Big C is when they go on sale.

Never saw a G&G pattern in either caliber for less than 154.00 that I can recall.
 
Yall might think I am crazy--but the newer brass frames are weaker. The 1970's CVA -NAVY ARMS and others had a better brass than what you pic up on new Piettas. The internal springs might be stiff on Old Repos but I bet the brass is stronger. The ones made during the War between the States were even stronger. I had one. I think not being a metalurgist that brass is made from copper and zinc. The older guns were more of a stronger type bronze -that is why you should be careful in using new "cheap" brass guns offered today! If you can buy one for less than $180. just think what wholeseller paid and what factory sold it for? Not much money spent for a dangerous weapon holding explosives!
WBH
 
1976

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Hawg,

That's a really nice ratchet impression you have there. Ever thought about vaudeville? :D

I guess that proves Hardy wrong ....again.
 
Hardy is a good guy but he listens to people that come into his shop and talk just to hear their gums flap.
 
Hardy is right on one point. The original guns were bronze with a high copper content sometimes called red brass. It's my belief these held up to full .36 caliber loads. Since no original .44's were made with red brass I believe they knew they wouldn't hold up so nobody made any.
 
I guess I'm the circus clown:D

I hate gums flapping. No one has ever come in store and told me about brass weakness. I figured that out by myself. To be honest-seriously- I entered into a game over 2 years ago by a suggestion from a biker and with very limited / lost concept / but a passion I had in my 20's over western BP guns. I am about to realize that I made a mistake. But, I tried to re-learn and come across a bridge of 30+ years to regain that passion and found that you-yall- have and had that passion-experience- and know how - I had fun/ got supplies for bp guns/ got bp guns and made a lot of new friends and learned much more than I thought I would need to. I learned it thru you not the tongue waggers- the gum flappers- but I did learn that only a a small but few want these. I retailed them but I think I'm looking at a lost cause. But I do know that I was able to get new folks into bp shooting (in our area) to help keep this sport/ hobby/ etc somewhat still interesting. But the store is still open:) Anyway, for now.
WBH
 
You're not a clown Hardy. I don't think anybody intended to give that impression. I certainly didn't.
 
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