Uberti 1873 Cattleman problem

H

Hulbert

New member
My Uberti 1873 Cattleman revolver has developed a fault and I was hoping someone could point me in the right direction.

The symptoms are the hammer will no longer go to half-cock or safe-cock, and if you pull it back to full-cock then most of the time nothing 'clicks' so if you let go of the hammer it will just spring forward. Sometimes the hammer will stay at full-cock but it only takes a tiny pressure on the trigger to release it.

Any ideas appreciated !
 
That Sounds Like A Broken Sear On The Trigger To Me.

The sear is the top end of the trigger. Take the gun apart and have a look-see.
 
It could also be a broken trigger spring. Either is an easy fix and parts are readily available.

Jim
 
Broken/bent spring or trigger sear most likely.

I put together a Uberti Sheriff's model from a bin of Uberti & Colt parts on a Uberti frame awhile back. There were three hammers and seven triggers in the box, and it took me a couple of days to match and mate a trigger and hammer to function properly. It only takes a bend of a few thousandths to make it work right... or not work at all.
 
Answer

I finally worked out how to strip it and found the problem is with the 3 notches on the bottom of the cam on the hammer. Here's a picture of what it should look like,

http://www.gunblast.com/images/JimTaylor_Uberti/hammerout2.jpg

The 'lip' on the middle notch that used for half-cock is simply gone, the first notch used for safe-cock is rough and missing material, and the last notch used for full-cock is also rough and missing material.

Its hard to tell if top of the trigger that engages with those notches is damaged but I think its ok.

So it looks like I need a new 50-60$ part and there are a few different revisions.

At least I can now send a simple 'non-controlled' part back to the gunshop to be swapped instead of messing around with trying to post a firearm (which is a really vague area in UK law).
 
Sounds like somebody has been fanning your sixgun and broke the hammer notches off.
The only SA on the market that is designed to be fanned is the new Taurus.
SA revolvers last a long time if you don't do a lot of fast shooting ala western movies. If you want to fan them or fast draw them, you really need to have a gunsmith work over the internals the way Elmer Keith mentions in his book, Sixguns. Otherwise, you will wind up with a lot of broken springs and hammer notches.
 
I daresay that the hammer was not heat treated. Soft metal parts and substandard quality control are normal in Italian CAS firearms. I believe Land O Lakes produces Uberti screws.
 
Even a made in the USA of the highest quality tool steels Colt SAA will not stand up to fanning or high speed work.
The bolt spring splinters and the notches on the hammer break off.
The old gun was not designed to be shot that way.
Bob Munden and other gunsmiths can rework a SAA innards to the point where it can be fanned or cocked rapidly.But other than the Taurus Gaucho, most modern SAAs are NOT designed for that sort of abuse, no matter who makes them or where they are made.
Rugers have a different lockwork, but even they are not designed for fanning and you will score the cylinder badly if you do it.
Fanning and fast draw are things that only came about in movies and dime novels. Most real life old west gunfights started with the revolver in one shootists hand as he was facing his opponents back.
 
Hulbert, how do you own a handgun in the UK? I thought your government even started taking your long guns away from you guys...

Even your Olympic shooting teams can't practice in your own country, the laws are now so draconian over there.
 
Pistols

In this case Uberti did a special run of the 1873 Cattleman with a cap and ball cylinder for the UK market. We can still have cap and ball subject to the usual restrictive licencing.

We can also have normal 'modern' revolvers where they meet the minimum length for a rifle - so Taurus markets revolvers here with 12 inch barrels a fixed 'wrist brace' sticking out the back. They are an acquired taste and I find them uncomfortable to shoot.

In a couple of years I'm thinking of moving to either Northern Ireland or Eire as handguns are legal in both those place, they speak English, and no bizarre immigration issues like America.
 
When I visited Ireland (the Republic) a few years ago, every little town I went though had signs advertising weekend shooting matches. It sort of reminded me of back home when I was a kid. I did not get to attend them, so I can't say what sort of firearms they used.
The people were very friendly, the country was lovely and the economy was very good. I wouldn't mind moving there myself, if I could keep my firearms.
 
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