My little .44 collection

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Beagle333

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It all started with the Uberti Walker (1991)
http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/shutupandjump/Current%20guns/Walker.jpg
It's got about 400 or so through it, and I've never taken it apart. I shudder to think what's in that case. It still works like it was NIB though. 'Hard to believe that for the first 4 years I wore this big thing as a sidearm on the farm. Many a canebrake rattler has fallen to the Walker. Those sneaky rascals were lying under every piece of wood or equipment on the farm, it seemed.

Then came the Piettas
There was the 1860 Army (1995)
http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/shutupandjump/Current%20guns/Army.jpg
What a fun gun. I dont know how many it has had through it, but it's a lot. I just broke it down this week and there were 3 flattened caps in the case. Nothing jammed, I guess I was lucky.

Next, the 1851 Sheriff model (2009).
http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/shutupandjump/Current%20guns/sheriff.jpg
I have not shot this one. I'm figuring the little loading lever would be a bear on the hand to try to load it, but it serves me well just as a looker or perhaps a spare parts gun.

and then there is the shiny 1851 (also 2009)
http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/shutupandjump/Current%20guns/beater.jpg
which is currently in mid-cleaning, and it definitely was one of the Piettas assembled with the air ratchet. I stripped out the handle of my Chapman screwdriver trying to unscrew a couple of these (didn't mar the screw though). It is the prettiest, and also the worst one I ever bought. It has never been fired but it will flake nickel and gold plating all over you like handling a shedding lizard. I figure it will soon be just brass and white steel. I definitely overpaid for what I got, so it is moving to the front of the line as a shooter now. If you know of any way to go ahead and hasten the shedding process and then I can just blue it, I'd appreciate comments on that.

And just last week, I happened across this one, it's a 1860 Navy, I guess you would call it.
http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/shutupandjump/Current%20guns/hybrid.jpg
I found a navy barrel and an army frame and cylinder (for a total of $130 shipped ;) ) and the proof is 2011 on it. Beautiful dark grips and great case coloring on this one. When I opened it up, the inside is clean and nothing is worn. I don't think it was shot but a few times before somebody (for some reason) decided to sell half of it. I really prefer the 1860 grips to the 1851.
 
I like the Navy grips the best, just not the odd shaped Pietta ones so If I get a Pietta with navy grips I try to swap them out for the Army ones but any other navy (Uberti, ASM ) fit me fine. The Colt SAA has Navy sized grips.
 
Speaking of that Walker... I took it apart for the first time tonight. 'Not as bad in there as I thought. The guts were still at about 90%. Fully functional, but some rust and lots of soot in there.
http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/shutupandjump/Current%20guns/Walker-exploded.jpg
But I did learn something. After putting it all back together, the bolt would pop up at half cock and drag on the cylinder all the way to the slot. I took off the barrel and cylinder and it still did it, so I disassembled it again and used the bore light to slowly watch the bolt ride the cam. The trigger screw was a bit rusty and the trigger hadn't slid all the way to the side of the case when the screw was tightened and it was holding the bolt leg barely off the cam. Just a little jiggling of it back to it's correct position was all that was needed. I guess dirty parts really do cause failures. Anyway, it's back working again. And. . . it looks like we're gonna have a sunny day for Friday. Let's make some smoke! :)
 
Zullo74,
The date code is a manufacture date not a proof date. The proof marks are undated.
Click to expand...

Since I bought everything new except the 1851-60 hybrid (but don't have all the original receipts anymore), I know this is at least pretty close to when I bought them. (1860 Army 2/17/95, 'just found the receipt) I can remember that both 1851's were purchased in Jan of 2010, and that I bought my farm late in 1990 and bought the Walker right after that.
Maybe I'm missing what you are saying. . . What are the letters in the box for, if they don't tell the proof date? I thought that was as close as I could get to finding the real mfg. date. :confused:
(If they are manufacture date, then I'd be right on the money)

I was going by this link
http://thefiringline.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4515969&postcount=6
 
I think the proofing and manufacture are pretty close to the same. Here is a reference that says its the manufacture date despite what Mykeal says....

attachment.php
 

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Okay, thanks! I know exactly when it was made, instead of approximately. Even better. It's a learning curve and I can't even see the top.
 
Year of Proof Symbols

zullo74 said:
I think the proofing and manufacture are pretty close to the same. Here is a reference that says its the manufacture date despite what Mykeal says....
Click to expand...

It seems that same reference page tends to use the terms year of proof symbols and the year of manufacture interchangeably. The year of manufacture and the year proof may be the same, but not necessarily.
It's confusing to people to say the least.

However the same reference page text clearly states:

Following is a chart displaying the year of proof symbols used from 1954 to 2003.
These are traditionally found within
a box next to the individual proof house symbols.

http://www.powderhombre.com/mbpproofmarks.pdf
Click to expand...

Because the year of proof symbols are located next the individual proof house marks, it makes sense that the code designates the year of proof.
Other countries do it that way, i.e. - have codes to designate the year of proof.
Notice the "Spanish Year of Proof Codes" on the following page.

http://9mmlargo.com/year_codes.htm
 
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If the muzzle end of the barrel has flat sides, it is an octagon. It looks like your gun has flats and therefore looks like an octagonal barrel. If the muzzle end (where the front sight is mounted) is rounded then it is a round barrel regardless of the breech end which on yours is like a Dragoon: starts out octagon but transitions to a round barrel after about 2".
 
Beagle, I was answering Tater's question about his gun he showed a pic of. But you know, sometimes I don't know what I say sometimes either. He was asking if his was a roundbarrel and it is an octogon from the photo as best as I can tell by squinting.
 
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